A Guide to the Best Things to do in Dinan, Brittany

Last Updated on 23rd September 2022 by Sophie Nadeau

Dinan is a magical fortified French city. Home to oodles of timber-framed architecture, eateries serving traditional dishes, and plenty of history, this magical Breton settlement may well have it all, making the town the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of busy modern day life. Here’s a complete travel guide for the best things to do in Dinan France; where to go, what to see, where to stay, and where you should eat!

Why you need to visit the French region of Brittany

In many respects, Brittany doesn’t feel French at all, but more like its own country. With its own customs, practices, and traditions, Brittany has always had its own unique vibe and even has its own local language (asides from French): the Celtic Language of Breton. 

The reason for this is very simple: the region of Brittany only became a part of the French kingdom in the 16th century (the precise date being 1532). Prior to this, Brittany was its own kingdom and today vestiges of the past can be found on almost every corner!

A land of sea, rugged coastline, and some of the most beautiful towns and villages in l’Hexagon, if you’ve not already added it to your bucket list, then you simply must place Brittany at the top of your must-visit destinations. Even if you’re short on time, this long weekend in Brittany itinerary will ensure you get to see all the best things the region has to offer!

Why visit Dinan?

I don’t know about you, but when I think of Brittany, I think of windswept coastlines and little fishing villages. What I don’t think of is quaint cobblestone streets, potted flower window sills and all manner of artisan boutiques. But that’s exactly what Dinan is- the unexpected town.

In fact, the town is unusual in more ways than one; rather than being a typical riverside settlement, the majority of the town is constructed high above the river Rance on the surrounding hillside. 

People have settled in Dinan and its’ surrounding area have been inhabited since time immemorial. With the discovery of ancient ruins and a dolmen (like the ones at Carnac), it’s likely that Dinan has been inhabited for thousands of years.

What is Dinan known for?

If you’ve never heard of Dinan before, then it’s about time you did. The town can be found around a forty-five minute drive away from the equally charming walled town of Saint-Malo and is best-known for its well-preserved medieval ramparts, castle complete with 14th-century keep, and Gothic-style built Saint Malo church.

Dinan is famed its historic architecture, including timber-framed houses. Some of the buildings that are still standing in this ancient walled town date all the way back to the 13th century- making for a pretty impressive day out. The town is even depicted as an important battleground in the famous Bayeux Tapestry.

Incidentally, Dinan is one of the few places whose name is the same in both French and Breton. The town has barely changed since the Middle Ages. In fact, it’s one of the best preserved medieval towns in France.

As a result, stepping into Dinan is a little like stepping back in time and Dinan France is easily one of the most beautiful towns in Brittany. After all, the fortified ramparts of Dinan may only be 1.8 miles long but what really holds you back from leaving is the sheer beauty of the town.

This rare example of a medieval town is made even more unique by its position of quite literally hanging on the side of a hill. This is uncommon in medieval towns, which typically lie at the bottom of a valley or at the very top of a hill as opposed to being perched midway up. The strategic placement of Dinan has probably been a large contributing factor in its survival.

Best things to do in Dinan

As a historic French town with plenty of stunning architecture, it should come as no surprise that there’s no shortage of interesting things to do in Dinan. From scaling walls dating back to the middle ages to sampling local cuisine, here’s the best of Dinan attractions:

#1 Wander around the port

Although Dinan may have been known for its hilltop architecture, inevitably the inhabitants of the town still had to have access to the outside world- hence the presence of a port.

Once upon a time, the main way that the city would trade with the rest of Brittany would be via water transport along the River Rance. Today, one of the very best things to do in Dinan is to simply wander along the water’s edge and admire the timber-framed architecture from a little further away.

The port is lined with fishing boats and restaurants. It’s the perfect place to wander, take photographs and enjoy a refreshing drink. If you’re looking for something a little more unusual to do, there’s also the opportunity to hire boats or go kayaking along the Rance.

#2 Try a Kouignn-Amann

This local delicacy is honestly one of the best things I’ve ever eaten! All sugar, butter, and pastry, the best place to purchase this Breton sweet is at La Maison De Tatie Jeanne (82 Rue du Petit Fort) where you’ll find traditional as well as more unusual flavours.

The Kouign-Amann is made in a few layers (like puff pastry) and comes from the Breton Kouign (cake)-Amann (butter). It’s slowly baked in order to allow for richness of flavour. Yves-René Scoria is often credited as having invented it in the mid-late 1800s. The recipe is about 40% dough, 30% sugar and 30% butter- no wonder it tastes and looks so rich!

#3 Walk the ancient walls (and Dinan ramparts)

Considering that Dinan is a walled town, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you can visit (and even walk along) the fortified ramparts. If you really want to get a feel for the town, then your best bet is to climb the steps up onto the still standing medieval wall and take a good look at the town from above.

From here, it becomes just how apparent how well packed the houses in Dinan are. Small roads and lanes meander through stone built houses, brought to life with patches of greenery and bursts of floral colours.

All in all, one of the best things to do in Dinan is simply to wander the medieval ramparts and see where your feet take you. Providing beautiful views of the town and the Breton landscape beyond, Les Ramparts de Dinan stretches over 2 km around the old part of the city.

#4 Admire the Château de Dinan

Of course, when in France, you’re never too far away from a French château and Dinan is no different. Constructed during the late 1300s, and also known as the Donjon de la Duchesse Anne, today this great feat of architecture is home to a museum dedicated to the history of the town.

#5 Visit the St. Sauveur Basilica

Situated in its very own sqaure, parts of the basilica date back to the 12th-century, though most of this ecclesiastical building dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. If you love architecture, then you must visit this building, if only to see the rich blend of high Gothic and Romanesque styles.

The Basilica Saint Saveur of Dinan sits high up on the hill as the crowning jewel of the town. With its’ vantage point at the top of the hill overlooking the river Rance, it’s stood here since the 12th century.

Throughout the ages, various additions and alterations have taken place in the basilica, creating the building we see today. It’s so steeped in history that it’s now classed as a French Historic Monument.

#6 Discover Hidden Gems

Of course, as well as discovering all of the typical best things to do in Dinan, it’s well worth delving deeper into the more unusual attractions that the Brittany city has to offer. From beautiful bookshops to forgotten medieval monuments, check out our guide to the best of unusual Dinan.

#7 Rue du Jerzual: The most medieval high street you’ll find in Brittany!

The medieval road of rue du Jerzual runs through the centre of Dinan, encompasses a 75 m slope, and the street façade has changed little in the past few hundred years. All timber-framed houses and wisteria-covered façades, if you’re looking for your next Instagram-worthy place to capture, then you need to look no further that the medieval high street!

The iconic medieval street has been in use since at least the 13th century. And although no one is quite sure where the name comes from, it’s thought that it may derive from the old French word ‘Jarjual’ (meaning Rue Haute).

You can almost picture medieval apprentices running their errands, and horse-drawn carts pulling merchant wares up and down this cobblestoned roads. Fortunately, the road no longer smells like it presumably would have done in the middle ages!

The street is littered with timber-framed houses, stained glass windows and other quirky examples of medieval architecture. Although the street gets pretty busy around lunchtime, I found that there weren’t too many tourists past 5 pm- despite the fact that we visited at the weekend.

There is literally a photo opportunity at every single point along this road! This little table facing a quaint café would have been the perfect place to sit with an expresso and write a new blog post…

Although there’s plenty of history to be sen, the real star of the show is the town’s equally impressive as it is steep, main high street, Rue du Jeruzal. Winding down, past restaurants, café, shops and right down to the historic Dinan port (which lies along the River Rance), Rue du Jerzual is one of the most impressive main town streets in Europe.

Secret spots and hidden gems of Dinan

A magical town characterised by its historic port, cobbled medieval lanes, and wealth of timber-framed houses which are constructed in the typical Breton style, Dinan is a must-see on any visit to Brittany. But despite being one of the most popular towns to visit in the region, there remain a wealth of hidden gems worth discovering. Here’s your guide to the best of secret spots in Dinan.

Hôtel du Château Dinan

Of course, if you’ve ever heard anything about French Literature, you’ll no doubt have heard of Victor Hugo, a man who once resided in Paris’ Place des Vosges and who quite literally wrote Notre Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame in English) to save Notre Dame from demolition during the 19th-century.

Well, the one and the same acclaimed French author once visited Dinan and a plaque on the side of the hotel where he stayed for two nights in 1836 commemorates this, close to where the tourism office is today and not far away from the town’s Château turned town museum is to be found. Today, the three-star hotel is fairly well reviewed and you can book a stay for yourself. 

Hôtel Beaumanoir

If secret quaint courtyards are more your thing, then you simply must visit the interior of Hôtel Beaumanoir, which is in the very heart of the historic city centre, not far from Dinan’s basilica.

Though the building itself is private, key features of the exterior architecture include Renaissance porch, decorated windows, a hexagonal tower, and a beautiful staircase, all dating from the 16th-century.

L’Auditoire, rue du Jerzual

Around halfway down rue du Jerzual, the steep main medieval street which cuts its way through the rest of the historic city centre and brings visitors right down to the port, along which plenty of charming restaurants are to be found, you’ll soon discover the building of l’Auditoire, which is pretty plain in its architecture.

Right up until the second half of the 17th-century, judges in Dinan would have worked in the clock tower (which still stands to this day). From then until 1827, it was in the auditoire building where justice in Dinan was dispensed.

It’s worth noting that the building was not only used by court officials, but was also shared with the village’s firefighters! Today, the building, with its little courtyard and plain staircase leading up to the front door is one of the most picturesque spots in all of Dinan and is easily one of the most instagrammable locations in Dinan.

Governors house

One of the most prominent of the timber-framed houses that can be found throughout Dinan, and particularly along the steep rue du Jeruzal is that of the Governor’s House. Constructed in the 15th-century, the house is made up of two buildings and is set over four floors.

While the ground floor is divided into a kitchen, store, and a warehouse, the upper floors consist of individual rooms complete with their own granite fireplaces, sinks, dresser, and cupboards. This would suggest that at, some point or another, the rooms would have been rented on an individual basis as tenements. 

Tour de l’Horloge (Clock Tower)

Higgeldy piggedly and easy to spot from all across the walled French city, today visitors can climb the Tour de l’Horloge (clock tower of Dinan) together with a tour guide and for a small fee in order to be rewarded with one of the best views of the best views of Dinan.

The structure itself dates all the way back to the 14th-century to a time when Dinan was controlled by the council of burgesses. Standing at an (impressive for the time) height of 43 metres, the tower would once have been crowned with a watchtower. The clock tower also functioned as Dinan’s town hall right up until the French Revolution.

Portail Renaissance (Renaissance Porch, Saint Malo of Dinan Church)

Welcoming worshippers into the Église Saint-Malo from the South, you can’t miss the stunning Renaissance Porch when visiting the ecclesiastical building. The sculpted porch was constructed during the early 17th-century in a classical style and features fluted columns and scallop designs. 

Bouquinerie du Centre (Bookshop)

No guide to the best-kept secrets of Dinan would be complete without the mention of at least a location where you can pick up a great souvenir in the form of a new book to read.

Bouquinerie du Centre, as its name would suggest, is situated in the main square of Dinan and boasts a wide selection of books, both new and second-hand. There are even some English titles and plenty of guidebooks to Dinan and its surrounds.

Of particular note is that there are many (and I mean a great many) of crime books (policiers in French) for sale on the left-hand side when you first approach the bookshop.

What is particularly interesting about all of these books is that they’re set in the local area and so you get titles such as ‘Mort sur les docks… à Saint-Malo’. Of all the secret spots in Dinan, this is one of my favourites.

Where to eat, drink, and caffeinate in Dinan

This magical town has seen quite the upsurge of tourism in the past few years, no doubt thanks to its charm and old world feel. As such, there’s no shortage of places to eat and drink in Dinan. While in the city, be sure to sample some local specialities (all the pastries, local ciders, and a sea-inspired menu to name but a few):

Crêperie Au Coin de la Breizh (18 Rue de la Poissonnerie

You can’t visit Brittany and not sample at least a crepe (or, one on each day of your visit, just for good measure!) The corner located creperie has the best reviews in town and is well worth a stop by on your way through the historic city centre.

Le Cantorbery (6 Rue Sainte-Claire)

If you’re looking for something a little more formal, then Le Cantorbery serves French food which is just as delicious as it is traditional.

Harmonika (34 Rue du Petit Fort)

Located along the River Rance, this quaint coffee shop is the perfect spot to stop on any wander around the medieval town.

Where to stay in Dinan France

For those looking for the ultimate escape from the hustle and bustle of busy modern day life, then a weekend in Dinan provides the chance to experience a retreat you won’t forget. Just be sure to bring your camera along- you won’t regret it! Here are the best places to stay in Dinan:

Hôtel Arvor Dinan: Situated in the very heart of the city and located within a former covent, the timber-framed house makes for an unforgettable weekend getaway. Check prices and availability here.

La Villa Côté Cour & Côté Spa: Well-reviewed and home to plenty of modern amenities, if you’re looking for a little bit of luxury during your time in Dinan, then this is the place for you. Check prices and availability here.

Hotel Mercure Dinan Port Le Jerzual: If you’d rather stay at the bottom of the city, near the port, then this four-star, well-reviewed hotel is for you. Check prices and availability here.

How to visit Dinan and the best time to go

As with the rest of Brittany, and indeed France, the best time to visit is in the European shoulder seasons when the light is at its best, the crowds are fewer, and everything is still open!

Go at other times of the year (i.e. winter or summer) and you risk bad weather or too many crowds. For those visiting Dinan by train, there is the Gare de Dinan which can be found on the fringes of the historic town centre.

While in the ancient city itself, it’s worth noting that there are cobbled lanes pretty much everywhere and so you should bring comfortable walking shoes. Those who don’t have their own transportation can also visit Dinan as a day trip from Saint-Malo.

Enjoyed reading about “Medieval Town of Dinan France” Pin it now, read it later!