Visiting Dinan is undoubtedly one of the essentials of a stay in Brittany. A fortified city, Dinan is home to more than 70 listed and protected monuments.
Dinan was for a long time one of the only places to cross the Rance. It was, at the time, an important place of exchange between Brittany and Normandy.
Today, the town of 14 inhabitants welcomes nearly 000 visitors each year, who discover the historic center of the city which is particularly well preserved: the ramparts of the city, its castle, a must for a visit to the city, but also the port district of Dinan, a particularly pleasant place to have a drink and stroll along the Rance.
We will see in this article that, even if it is the town of Dinan which is home to the majority of things to see and do, the Rance valley also offers many places of interest not to be missed if you visit the region.
Summary:- What to do and what to see in Dinan?
- Visit Dinan: The surroundings and the Rance valley
- My opinion on the visit of Dinan
What to do and what to see in Dinan?
Let's start our article with the things to see and do in Dinan, in the city center and then around the port of Dinan.
Visit the city center of Dinan:
- Place Du Guesclin
- Place des Merciers
- Recumbent House
- harp house
- Clock tower
- Saint Malo Church
- Former convent of the Cordeliers
- Rue du Jerzual
- Governor's House
- English Garden
- Saint-Sauveur Basilica
- Ramparts and promenades
- Dinan Castle
- Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Center
Visit the city center of Dinan
A fortified town, Dinan is full of things to see in its town centre. Its cobbled streets, its old buildings take us back several centuries. Walking around Dinan is particularly pleasant, as is eating there, having a drink or enjoying an ice cream in the afternoon.
Place Du Guesclin
Place Du-Guesclin is located at the main entrance to the city, not far from the Château de Dinan. This large square, a former fairground, is now the city's main parking area. Located inside the old fortifications, this place will allow you to reach the historic center of the city on foot, in a few minutes.
All around this square are hotels, bars and restaurants. In the middle of it, you cannot miss the statue of Bertrand Du Guesclin on his horse, one of the most important figures in the history of Dinan.
Place des Merciers and Place des Cordeliers
Let's now take one of the small pedestrian streets that starts from Place Du-Guesclin in the direction of the city centre. You will soon come across the Merciers beach as well as the Place des Cordeliers in its extension. These two squares form a beautiful ensemble, surrounded by traditional houses of the city dating from the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries.
There you will find many restaurants to eat.
Discover the streets adjacent to these squares, such as Rue de la Cordonnerie and Rue du Petit-Pain.
Former convent of the Cordeliers
On the Place de Cordeliers, is the former convent of the Cordeliers. A XNUMXth century convent which has retained its cloister and main courtyard. This place is open in summer, if you visit Dinan between July and August, go take a look.
Recumbent House
Let's stay in the small streets connected to the two places mentioned above and head towards rue de l'Horloge to pass in front of one of the most famous houses in Dinan: the house of Gisant. This XNUMXth or XNUMXth century house was the object of an astonishing discovery several centuries later. It was during a restoration of the residence, in the XNUMXth century, that a recumbent figure, a funerary sculpture, was discovered. This would be the recumbent statue of Roland de Dinan who died in the XNUMXth century.
harp house
Still in the rue de l'Horloge, the Maison de la Harpe houses various exhibitions on the Celtic harp and the traditional harp. An atypical museum in a historically beautiful place. Indeed, the house of the harp found place in the Kératry hotel, dating from the XNUMXth century. This hotel is recognizable thanks to the three imposing columns of its facade.
Clock tower
Located rue de l'Horloge, the clock tower is certainly the most remarkable monument in the medieval center of Dinan. Built in the 47th century, this 1502 meter high tower is the tallest building in the city. This belfry is one of the last two in Brittany with that of Fougères. The particularity of this tower is, of course, its clock: one of the oldest mechanisms in Europe. It was in XNUMX, a year after Duchess Anne authorized Dinan to own a clock, that the tower was fitted with one. This one was built in Nantes.
The tower has 5 bells but only 3 of them ring: 2 every quarter of an hour and one every hour.
The tower can be visited and is also one of the essential activities to do in Dinan. 158 steps allow you to reach the top of the tower and enjoy an extraordinary view of Dinan and its surroundings.
Watch your ears once at the top of the clock tower, the bells continue to ring every quarter of an hour!
You will also find, inside the tower, an exhibition on the history of Dinan and Duchess Anne.
Saint Malo Church
The Saint-Malo church is the main church in Dinan. It is located in the historic center of the city, not far from the Place des Cordeliers. Its construction began in the XNUMXth century and was not fully completed until the XNUMXth century. One of the particularities of this church lies in the stained glass windows of the latter. Installed at the beginning and middle of the XNUMXth century, these tell the story of life in the historic districts of Dinan.
In front of the church is an imposing Soulange magnolia: a tree donated by the mayor of Rennes in 1850, one of the city's emblems.
Saint-Sauveur Basilica
Not far from the Clock Tower is the Saint-Sauveur Basilica. This basilica was built between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. This has the particularity of being made with two very different styles: the Romanesque style and the flamboyant Gothic style. This change in style is particularly marked inside the basilica. Indeed, one of the sides is built in the pure Romanesque style while the other, as well as the choir and the transept, are in the Romanesque style.
The basilica houses a treasure: the heart of Du Guesclin.
The stained glass windows are much more modern.
English Garden
Located just behind the Saint-Sauveur basilica, the English garden was created in 1853 on the site of the former Saint-Sauveur cemetery. It was created in honor of the British colony of Dinan. The English Garden houses two statues, one of Charles Néel de la Vigne, the other of Auguste Pavie.
From the garden and especially from the Saint-Catherine tower, you can enjoy a magnificent view of the ramparts of Dinan, its port and the Rance.
Rue du Jerzual
Rue du Jerzual is undoubtedly the most famous street in Dinan. This cobbled street leads directly to the port of Dinan. True gateway to the city during the Middle Ages, this street was once the shopping street of the city where the stalls of traders, craftsmen and imposing bourgeois houses were located.
Today, this street is popular with tourists passing through the city. You will still find a few craft shops, weavers, glass spinners or sculptors.
At the bottom of this street, before it turns into “Rue du Petit-Fort”, you will find the “Porte du Jerzual”. This will take you to the city ramparts for one of the most beautiful walks in the city, a must in Dinan.
Ramparts and promenades
The ramparts are part of the charm of Dinan. This ancient medieval city had, in fact, the largest wall of the kingdom of Brittany after Rennes and Nantes. The ramparts of Dinan extend for almost 3km around the town.
Built between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, these ramparts offer passing visitors lovely walks around the town and, above all, a magnificent view of, on one side, the surroundings of the town and the Rance valley, the another, the city center of Dinan.
- Walk of the Duchess-Anne:
The first walk proposed will be that of the Duchess-Anne. The walk is on the ramparts, you can, for example, access it down the rue du Jerzual by taking the Jerzual gate. A short walk that I highly recommend. - Walk of the Petits-Fossés:
Located outside the ramparts, this walk runs along the ramparts and takes you around the castle.
Governor's House
Located between the Jerzual gate and the port of Dinan, the Governor's house is a beautiful residence dating from the XNUMXth century. You will find temporary exhibitions there during the summer period.
Dinan Castle
Dinan Castle is one of the must-see places in Dinan. This recently renovated castle offers an interesting visit through the history of this “tower-palace”.
The Tower-Palace of John IV
The little history of the castle begins in the 45th century, when Jean IV decided to return to his lands after an exile in England. He then undertook the construction of a "tower-palace" in what was at the time the main city of Brittany, Dinan. The goal is simple: to assert its authority over the region. Completed at the end of the XNUMXth century, this tower-palace XNUMX meters high is divided into different floors. Downstairs were the rooms related to the functioning of the castle, such as the kitchens; and in height, the apartments. The importance of the person within the castle was therefore linked to the number of floors to which he had access.
Fortress of the Duke of Mercoeur
During its existence, the castle underwent many modifications. This is the case at the end of the XNUMXth century, with major works aimed at strengthening the defenses of it.
The castle remains the residence of the governor until the end of the XNUMXth century, before being abandoned because of its dilapidation and its advanced state of degradation.
The "Castle-Prison"
It was then that the castle began its second life and became a prison. First a military prison, then a common law prison during the revolution. This will be used as such until 1904.
The "Castle-Museum"
It was in 1906 that the castle was bought by the municipality of Dinan to place the museum of monumental archeology and natural sciences there. He will remain there for almost a century but the works are finally transferred, between 2014 and 2018, to the municipal reserves.
Major restoration work is being undertaken between 2017 and 2019, to allow visitors to fully discover this unique place that has played many major roles in the history of the city.
Today the castle can be visited and welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each year.
Visitors can stroll through the 6 spaces of the castle:
- The Ducal Tower, where most of the visit takes place,
- the main courtyard,
- the door of the counter,
- the Coetquen tower,
- the upper court and the bastion
- as well as ditches.
Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Center
The architecture and heritage interpretation center is located within the Dinan tourist office, located next to the main entrance to the castle. This center presents in interactive form, the history of Dinan, its political life, its castle or its illustrious characters. A fun way to learn more about the city.
The visit to the historic center of Dinan ends there. Before heading to the Port of Dinan, here is a brief summary of the things to see in Dinan:Stroll through the city center and don't miss the Place des Merciers clock tower rue du Jerzual as well as the walk on the city's fortifications.
Visit the port of Dinan
Let's now take the direction of Port de Dinan, a different district of the city center, accessible via rue du Petit-Fort, located at the end of rue du Jerzual.
Rue du Petit-Fort
Continuing your journey after the Jerzual gate, when you come from the city center, you will find yourself in the rue du Petit-Fort. Formerly, this street was the main entry point of the city, connecting the port of Dinan to the city center. There were many shops there, as well as the governor's house which we mentioned above.
The street also leads to the old bridge which was, until the construction of the viaduct, the only access point to Dinan sur la Rance. This XNUMXth century bridge was rebuilt after being blown up during the Second World War.
Port of Dinan-Lanvallay
The port is one of the busiest areas of the city in summer. There are many cafes and restaurants in which it is good to have a drink on sunny days. Many terraces border the Rance. The district is mainly made up of old stone and half-timbered houses.
The Port of Dinan is an ideal starting point for walks along the Rance, on foot or by pleasure boat.
House of Rance
Located on the other bank of the Rance, on the Quai du Tallard, the Maison nature de la Rance is a place that will teach you more about the history of this river. With the help of numerous interactive animations, you will understand the environmental or economic issues in a space of 300 m2.
Yvonne Jean Haffen Museum
A little further on, on the left bank, you will find the Yvonne Jean-Haffen museum. A house where lived Yvonne Jean-Haffen, a XNUMXth century painter. The house exhibits a large collection of paintings and drawings of the latter.
Visit Dinan: The surroundings and the Rance valley
If you visit Dinan, then do not limit yourself only to the city center, but also take the opportunity to discover the surroundings. A few villages nearby are worth the detour, but it is above all the Rance valley that deserves to be discovered.
What to see around Dinan?
Léhon
Léhon will be our first stop around Dinan. Located 2km away, the town which merged with Dinan in 2018, can be reached on foot or by bike along the Rance.
This small medieval town has kept its soul of yesteryear with its small cobbled streets, its old buildings, its castle and its abbey. Here are the main places to discover in Léhon:
- The feudal castle of Léhon: A castle dating from the 1th century, even if the writings mention it from the XNUMXth century. Recently restored, it is unquestionably the number XNUMX essential in Léhon.
- Saint-Magloire Abbey: Discover the amazing history of Saint-Magloire Abbey on a guided tour. A place of great beauty!
- Rance towpath: Stroll along the towpath located along the Rance and discover some of the most beautiful and oldest buildings in the city, including the old bridge dating from the XNUMXth century.
Quevert
Quévert is a small town located west of Dinan. This small town is renowned for its Courtil des Senteurs: a public garden with more than 700 varieties of roses and other flowers. A short visit to this garden will delight flower lovers.
Coetquen Forest
If you are looking for a peaceful place for a short walk, then I invite you to take the direction of the Coëtquen forest. An ideal place to walk in the forest by taking one of the trails.
Castle and Zoological Park of Bourbansais
Bourbandais Castle is a vast estate which houses one of the largest zoos in the region. You will discover many animal species from the five continents.
Also visit the castle, dating from the XNUMXth century. An ideal place for children but also for adults.
Discover the Rance valley
We will have the opportunity to talk about the Rance valley again in several articles that will be published on this blog. Two itineraries allow you to discover the Rance valley:
- Left bank (towards Dinard): Direction Dinard to discover the left bank of the Rance. Don't miss the small town of Taden, La Landriais, a former dry dock, the gardens of Montmarin, the garden of an old residence typical of the region, La Richardais or the Rance tidal power plant.
- Right bank (towards Saint-Malo): The right bank of the Rance, meanwhile, takes you towards Saint-Malo, do not miss the Moulin du Prat, the Mordreuc slipway and its seals, the apple and cider museum of Pleudihen-sur-Rance , Pont Saint-Hubert or even Saint-Suliac, which is one of the most beautiful villages in France and finally Saint-Malo.
My opinion on the visit of Dinan
Dinan was a very nice surprise for me. A particularly pleasant and well-preserved town. Strolling through the streets of Dinan is a pleasure and every street corner is a discovery. The small cobbled streets and stone houses of the city center have a crazy charm. In addition to this city center, its churches, towers, bars, restaurants and squares, the port district is also one of the city's assets.
Particularly pleasant at the end of the day, it is pleasant to have a drink on the terrace or to stroll along the Rance. Dinan is, without a doubt, one of the essential stages of a road trip in Brittany.
