Dinan

Dinan, a very old town in the French department of Côtes-du-Nord, on the Rance, 30 miles NW. of Rennes, and 14 S. of St Malo. The situation of Dinan, on the summit of a steep hill of granite, and with the Rance flowing through a valley 250 feet below, is romantic in a high degree. The valley is crossed by a fine granite bridge of ten arches. The town is still partly surrounded by its old ivy-covered walls. The old castle of the Dukes of Brittany is now in part used as a prison. In the older district the streets are crooked, narrow, and steep; in some parts, the overhanging houses, and arcades resting on carved granite pillars, present many picturesque architectural features. The church of St Sauveur, a fine Romanesque church, contains the heart of the famous French warrior Bertrand du Guesclin, who here had a famous encounter with an English knight. The terraces around the town afford very charming views. Many English reside here. Pop. 9784. Four miles off lies the village of Corsenlt, on an old Roman site, where many antiquities have been found.