We observed the dynamics of peeling of giant multilamellar vesicles interacting with a solid-liquid interface by using phase-contrast microscopy. When a multilamellar vesicle touches a surface, the outer layer peels away and the inner layer is exposed. There are two distinct pathways for this shape transformation that depend on the size of the vesicle. We theoretically discuss the mechanism and kinetics of peeling by considering the surface energy, line energy and bending energy. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.