Dinan Old Town

About this place

Dinan is a walled town in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany, northwest France, on a hill above the Rance, about 22 km south of Saint-Malo and 46 km northwest of Rennes in a straight line. Most of the town was built on the hillside overlooking the river rather than on the valley floor. The riverside area is known as the port of Dinan, linked to the town by the steep Rue du Jerzual and, beyond the walls, its continuation the Rue du Petit Fort, among the loveliest old streets in Brittany. Long medieval stone ramparts with towers and gates ring the town, and inside stand half-timbered houses with jutting upper floors above arcades on wooden posts. The clock tower and church spires rise above the grey roofs, and below, an old stone bridge and a tall modern viaduct cross the river. Visitors walk the ramparts and climb the clock tower for a view over the roofs, then go down the cobbled Rue du Jerzual to the port, with restaurants on the riverbank. The town makes a good day trip from Saint-Malo.