Dinan

Dinan, on a sunny day in January.

This week brought exactly one day without rain or clouds of any kind. It was a little bit of glory smack in the middle of an otherwise very cold and rainy week. When I see the news of all the winter storms that others are living through at the moment, or even the extreme heat wave our friends in Australia are suffering, I feel a little callous for complaining about a few clouds. 

Wednesday for us in St. Malo, however, was one of those perfect winter days, with a sky so blue it almost hurt your eyes, a day for a light jacket, a moment to be outdoors for sure. We used the opportunity to drive down the Rance and visit the pleasant historic town of Dinan. It's the furthest afield we've gone since moving here in October.

The charming old town, not much changed from the Middle Ages. Photo by Peter Burian.

Dinan has been a busy port city since the 11th century. Although inland a half hour by car from St. Malo, it is situated right on the river which flows into the sea. There has always been an historic connection between the two cities.

Unlike many other ports, the main town is on a steep hill above the river, providing a view of the surrounding land. There are 2.7 kilometers (more than 1.5 miles) of ramparts protecting the old city.

The Basilica of Saint-Sauveur.

There are several churches in town, of which the Basilica of Saint-Sauveur is the oldest, built when the city was founded. The steeple is magnificent. The church was expanded in the 14th century as Dinan grew in importance.

The old bridge that crosses the Rance.

The river is lined with restaurants. It is my favorite part of town. You can take a boat trip between St. Malo and Dinan, or take a trip further into the interior from Dinan. The river extends almost to Rennes.  

An inviting passageway in the center of town.

We had a pleasant day out but we weren't sorry to arrive back in St. Malo either. We've been to Dinan many times before, but this time it seemed like a big city compared to our quiet corner of our adopted winter home.

One of the larger fishing boats, leaving port after delivering their bags (and bags) of scallops.