Dinan
Dinan is in the eastern part of Brittany, south of St Malo and Dinard and north of Rennes.
Dinan is a very impressive walled town, a highlight of a visit to Brittany, and is set on a hillside overlooking the river Rance. It is one of our favourite towns in Brittany and definitely not to be missed.
The ramparts surrounding the town are more or less intact, and cover almost three kilometres. Although there is only one small section where you can walk on the ramparts themselves, you can often follow next to the ramparts enjoying the views - through the Promenade des Grand Fosses or along the promenade de la Duchesse Anne for example.
The extensive historical centre of Dinan, radiating out around Place des Merciers and Place Saint Sauveur, is a very nice place just to wander around, stopping off for the occasional traditional crepe (pancake) of course.
As you amble through the medieval heart of the town admiring the ancient half-timbered houses you will come across various places of interest:
- Dinan Chateau, part of the ramparts that surround the town, in the 'donjon' ('keep' or 'dungeon'). Built in 1384, it now houses the town museum and is to the south of Dinan centre. In the basement there are some medieval tombs.
- The Saint Malo church, in a mix of renaissance and gothic styles, has some interesting modern stained glass windows
- Basilique Saint-Sauveur is an 'interesting' mix of roman and gothic styles, worth a visit. The heart of Bertrand Du Guesclin - saviour of the town in a battle against the English - is buried here.
- Tour de l'horloge - a 15th century clock tower with great views across the town
- The Maison du Gouverner - one of the oldest houses in Dinan and you can visit the inside.
- The Jardin Anglais - a pretty garden with excellent views of the surrounding countryside.
Be sure to follow rue du Jerzual (and on into Rue du petit-Fort) down the hill from the north-east of Dinan to the port for more attractive houses and quayside buildings, and to cross over the bridge for a good view as you turn and look back at the town. The port is also an excellent spot for lunch with a good selection of restaurants.
Dinan is listed as a 'ville et pays d'art et d'histoire' - essentially reserved for towns that demonstrate they are trying to make the most of their setting, attractiveness and architecture.
Go to the tourist office when you arrive in Dinan as they have leaflets with colour-coded walks to ensure you see everthing Dinan has to offer.
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The Dinan hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Dinan is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Brittany gites for Dinan gites - Holiday villages in Brittany Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: VisitSee Visit Dinan for places to visit near Dinan including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages Find distances from Dinan to other places in France and plan your route at France driving distances Airports near DinanDinard airport at 15 km Nice airport at 1,095 km Rennes airport at 52 km Toulon airport at 1,028 km Dinan property for saleSee Brittany property for sale
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Tourist Classifications for Dinan
- Listed as "Plus Beaux Detour" town in France (ie recommended stopover place)
- Listed as "Ville d'Art et Histoire" (ie focus on preserving the town heritage)
Places to visit near Dinan, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Dinan.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
35 km: Cancale (Town) 20 km: Dinard (Coastal town) 15 km: Dinard airport (airport) 22 km: Emerald Coast (coastal region) 22 km: Plancoet (Town) 22 km: Saint-Malo (Important port town)
See also Dinan (version Francais)
