Historical travel text: this page adapts an older Klein-Singen.de article.
Dinan is a small historic town in the Côtes-d’Armor department, situated above the Rance and connected with a picturesque river port.
The origin of the name has been explained in different ways. One interpretation links it to Gaulish elements associated with a sacred valley; another connects it with Celtic din or dun, a fortified hill or settlement.
The town is known for timber-framed houses, steep streets, surviving fortifications and the descent toward the port. Its urban form makes the relationship between medieval upper town and river landscape especially visible.