Dinan: A Taste of Brittany

After visiting Mont Saint-Michel in Lower Normany, we drove a bit out of the way to visit Dinan. Dinan is a medieval town in the Bretagne (Brittany) region that still retains its walls and half-timbered houses. Some of the buildings date back to the 1200s! Because the hour was getting late, we only had about an hour or so to explore the city. We still had to drive all the way to Amboise, a more than four hour drive.

We parked the car several blocks from the old town center and walked to the sights. The houses in particular were impressive. Apparently, hundreds of years ago, property tax in this region was based on the square footage of the ground floor. Therefore, citizens began building houses where the 2nd story juts out. In addition to lower property taxes, this style of building also provided shelter from the rain. Shopkeepers were able to sell goods from the front of their houses while standing under the overhang. Building laws changed in the 1700s, and houses can no longer be built in this style.

After wandering around the cobblestoned city, we walked toward the Château de Dinan. Built in the late 1300s, the château consists of two connected tall cylindrical towers, a moat, and a drawbridge. While I took photos of the castle, G explored the ramparts.

Since time was running out on the parking meter, we walked back to the car. We still had a long journey ahead of us.