Dinan, France
Self Catering Dinan Holiday Cottages, Gites and Houses
Dinan is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in the Brittany region of north-western France. Dinan’s geographical setting is exceptional: overlooking the river Rance. When you rent a self catering holiday cottage in Dinan you can enjoy this wonderful medieval town. There are many fine old buildings some as early as 13th century. The town also retains a large section of the original city walls, parts of which can be walked around.
The area alongside the River Rance is known as the port of Dinan and worth seeing when you stay in a Dinan holiday rental house or gite. The port of Dinan is connected to the town by the steep street Rue Jerzual and its continuation outside the walls - the Rue de Petit Fort.
Major historical attractions to take in when you stay in self catering accommodation in Dinan include the Jacobins Theatre (dating from 1224), the flamboyant Gothic St Malo's Church, the Romanesque St Saviour's Basilica, Duchess Anne's Tower and the Château de Dinan. There are also great views of the port and Dinan’s huge viaduct from the Jardin Anglais. Also worth a visit for its splendid views is the Tour de l’Horloge.
A major highlight in the calendar to bear in mind when you visit Dinan is its Dinan's Fête des Remparts. The town is transformed with decoration and many locals dress up in medieval outfits for this two-day festival. It occurs only every other year.
Travelling to your Dinan holiday rental cottage; The closest airport to Dinan is at Dinard. Dinard offers flights with Ryanair and Aurigy Air Service to and from the UK. Saint-Brieuc, also nearby, offers flights with Skybus. Other airports include: Rennes, and Brest. Rennes is served by Flybe and Brest by Flybe and Ryanair. St Malo is the nearest port offering Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth and Condor Ferries form Weymouth, Poole, Guernsey and Jersey. Roscoff and Cherbourg are also handily located offering a wealth of routes to and from the UK. There is a local network of trains offering connections within the surrounding area. Trains to the Paris Montparnasse station are infrequent, there are no direct trains and the journey is approx 4 hours.
Brittany is warmer and drier than the south of England, particularly in summer. The south coast of Brittany can be scorching in July and August. However, being in the north west of France, the weather can also set be wet at any time of the year.