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Dol-de-Bretagne

Visit Dol-de-Bretagne (Brittany, France)

Dol de Bretagne is near the coast of north-east Brittany, 25 kilometres west of Mont St Michel and about the same distance east from Saint-Malo.

Explore Dol-de-Bretagne

An attractive medieval town, it is in Dol-de-Bretagne old town that your visit will start.

Here in the old town the 12th century cathedral of Saint Samson will be the first monument to attract your attention. The cathedral is very large given the current size and population of the town, but this is because Dol de Bretagne was an important bishopric in days gone by. Dol de Bretagne is even reputed to be the origin of the Royal House of Stuart, the future kings of Scotland.

Wandering south of the cathedral you enter the streets of the old town. The most important streets are the Grande Rue des Stuarts and Rue Lejamtel. In this part of the town there are lots of beautiful half-timbered houses and architecture dating from the 11th century onwards, and also many houses built in the traditional granite used in Brittany buildings.

Be sure in particular to see the 11th century building called Les Petits Palets which is the oldest stone built house in France!

Pass behind the Rue des Stuarts onto the Ruelle du Robinet near the Post Office to catch a glimpse of the beautiful XV/XVI century Manoir du Quengo.

The public park and 'Promenade des Douves' offers good views across the marshes and out to the sea now several kilometres away. There is a good section of remaining ramparts here too. Originally there were 1.5 km of ramparts and 12 towers surrounding Dol-de-Bretagne.

You can pick up a useful leaflet from the Tourist Office in Dol de Bretagne with all the notable buildings marked on it to help guide your visit.

The historic museum in Dol also has some interesting artefacts rescued from various churches in the region.

Attractions nearby

The large rock/island in the bay - Mont Dol - has a small chapel on the top, and there is a pleasant walk to reach it.

One particular attraction on the edge of Dol-de-Bretagne is a Neolithic menhir - the Menhir du Champ Dolent - (standing-stone) that is one of the tallest and most impressive in Brittany, at 9.3 metres tall.

Photos of Dol-de-Bretagne

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Address: Dol-de-Bretagne, Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, 35120 || GPS: latitude 48.55, longitude -1.757

Map of Dol-de-Bretagne & places nearby



 

Highlights close by

More suggestions: Saint-Malo 21km; Dinan 24km; Dinard 24km; Granville 34km; Plancoet 35km;

See lots more places to visit nearby and a more detailed map at places near Dol-de-Bretagne.
See Brittany and Ille-et-Vilaine (the region and department for Dol-de-Bretagne) for more travel ideas...

Suggested tourist attractions to visit near Dol-de-Bretagne, France

• Pointe du Grouin - site of natural beauty (19km)
• Jardin du château de La Ballue - remarkable garden (20km)
• Jardins du château de la Bourbansais - remarkable garden (20km)
• Baie du Mont Saint-Michel - grand site of france (20km)
• Mont-Saint-Michel (monuments on French pilgrim routes) - heritage site (20km)
• Parc du château de Bonnefontaine - remarkable garden (22km)
• Jardins de Montmarin - remarkable garden (22km)
• Saint-Malo - ville fleurie 4* (22km)
• Dinan - recommended detour (24km)
• Dinard - town of art and history (24km)

Market days in Dol-de-Bretagne: Regular market(s) are held in Dol-de-Bretagne each Saturday. (Markets are held in the morning unless stated.)

The French version of this page is at Dol-de-Bretagne (Francais)