Places near me Random place
All France Saint-Malo Quelmer Boat Graveyard

Quelmer Boat Graveyard

Old vessels have been transformed into artistic canvases in this unusual cemetery.

Saint-Malo, France

Added By
Stephan Delahaye
The boat cemetery.   delahayestephane69 (Atlas Obscura User)
The boat cemetery.   delahayestephane69 (Atlas Obscura User)
The boat cemetery.   delahayestephane69 (Atlas Obscura User)
A misty morning on Quelmer Boat Graveyard, a pity I didn't had long enough to make real nice pics.   kzwellever (Atlas Obscura User)
Quelmer Boat Graveyard...   kzwellever (Atlas Obscura User)
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Tucked within a cove is a poignant reminder of the sailors and boats that once sailed the Rance. It harkens back to a time when the vessels created in the nearby shipyards were the pride of the valley.

The abandoned boats rust and rot atop the sand, gnawed by the water. It's no wonder artists have been drawn to the beach. In the past, they've been invited to use the decaying hulls as their canvases. One artist, a local named Kalvez, created a beautiful piece called "The Sleeping Beauty" on one of the boats.

For a time, the boat graveyard was a somber reminder of a lost industry. But in recent years, a new shipyard sprung up across the cove, once again igniting the industry. Working boats, too, are anchored in the cove, adding another touch of life to the scene.

Related Tags

Cemeteries Boats Graveyards Object Cemeteries

Know Before You Go

A 4.6-mile (7.5 kilometers) pedestrian loop takes you from Troctin Cove to Saint-Elier. This route passes by La Passagère, the neighboring village.

Community Contributors

Edited By

AURELIEN, kzwellever

Published

November 26, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources

Nearby Places

Explore the Destination Guide

Related Places

  • Szatmárcseke Calvinist Cemetery.

    Szatmárcseke, Hungary

    Szatmárcseke Calvinist Cemetery

    Hundreds of boat-shaped headstones fill this graveyard as part of a centuries-old custom with mysterious origins.

  • The trains have been rusting away for decades at the cemetery.

    Thessaloniki, Greece

    Thessaloniki Train Cemetery

    Thousands of rusting train cars have been slowly falling apart on the edge of Greece's second largest city.

  • Statue and sign

    Hays, Kansas

    The Original Boot Hill Cemetery

    The first graveyard named "Boot Hill" was established in Hays, Kansas, years before better known cemeteries with the same name.

  • The Stecci Cemetery

    Novakovići, Montenegro

    Medieval Slavic Cemetery

    A scattered cemetery of medieval tombstones, each carved with indivdual patterns and scenes, overlooking a bright blue lake.

  • A wooden grave marker at Silver Islet Cemetery.

    Silver Islet, Ontario

    Silver Islet Cemetery

    Carved wooden graves mark the plots at this cemetery in an old mining town.

  • This cemetery stands in stark contrast to its American counterpart.

    La Cambe, France

    Le Cambe German War Cemetery

    This place bears witness to the loss of many lives during WWII, and stands in stark contrast to the American Cemetery.

  • The Souvenir, now the Graveyard of Lost Species

    Southend-on-Sea, England

    Graveyard of Lost Species

    A boat slowly sinking into the Essex mud flats bearing the names of the disappeared that haunt the Thames Estuary.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads

Become a Member