Dinard, France
If Saint-Malo is for pirates, Dinard is for elegance! Situated in a lovely position overlooking the Rance Estuary, the beautiful 19th century villas are just made for the aristocracy.
Previous slide
Next slide
Rotate to landscape to view slideshow
France - The Pirates of Saint-Malo
Once a haven for the pirates who harassed the English, Saint-Malo is now a fishing port and a destination for the 250,00 tourists that visit here each summer.
Much of the town within the walls was destroyed by fire in 1944, as the German army retreated. Restoration work has repaired and replaced, and the old protective ramparts are authentic.
We arrived on a day trip by train from Rennes, and the old walled part of the town is a short walk straight down Avenue Louis-Martin. There are impressive entrance gates into the old town. At low tide, it is however worth having a walk along the beach to get a look at the massive walls that have protected the town for centuries.
There is a local history museum that celebrates the lives of some of the town’s citizens including Jacques Cartier, the founder of French Canada (you can also see his statue on the ramparts).
There is a plaque to celebrate Jacques’ achievements in the town church Saint-Vincent.
We enjoyed our walk around the town, exploring the narrow streets and the small squares surrounded by little shops.
As an extra bonus, you can catch a ferry across the estuary to visit the smart town of Dinard. This way you get to see Saint-Malo from the water, and when you return, you can imagine you are sailing in to Saint-Malo on a pirate ship.
For more information you can visit the official tourism website. And maybe keep your eye out for a feed of the beautiful oysters that are harvested in this area.
Subscribe
Login
0 Comments
Oldest
More from France
Reporters Memorial, Bayeux
The Reporters Memorial in Bayeux is an avenue of white remembrance slabs of stone, each seven feet high, and each recording the names of reporters who were killed reporting conflict.
Notre-Dame Cathedral, Bayeux
The Notre-Dame Cathedral in the centre of Bayeux was built in 1077 and was the original home of the Bayeux Tapestry. It is known as Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux.
Other destinations you may like:
Unwind on Montague Island
Montague Island is a small island located off the coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Home to the historic Montague Island lighthouse, it’s a great place to visit if you want to unwind for a couple of days.
Cradle Mountain – The Ascent
Email from Ben: “I plan to climb Cradle Mountain when we visit the area in a few weeks – better start training”. So I reduced my alcohol consumption to one glass of wine a night (well, most nights) and did a bit of walking (on the flat) at weekends, so when we started our trek on a fine February day I was completely unprepared for what lay ahead.
Tozeur, Tunisia
Tozeur is an oasis town full of interest. The medina buildings have intriguing brick patterns on their walls, there is a great museum, it’s popular with trekies because of its association with the Star Wars film, and there’s a quiet palm grove to wander through.