Dinard (; br, Dinarzh, ;

Gallo Gallo may refer to: *Related to Gaul: **Gallo-Roman culture **Gallo language, a regional language of France **Gallo-Romance, a branch of Romance languages **Gallo-Italic or Gallo-Italian language, a branch spoken in Northern Italy of the Romance ...

: ''Dinard'') is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Ille-et-Vilaine Ille-et-Vilaine (; br, Il-ha-Gwilen) is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country. It is named after the two rivers of the Ille and the Vilaine. It had a population of 1,079,498 in 2019.

department,

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

, northwestern France. Dinard is on the Côte d'Émeraude of Brittany. Its beaches and mild climate make it a holiday destination, and this has resulted in the town having a variety of famous visitors and residents. The towns of Pleurtuit and

Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the English Channel coast. The walled city had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth from local extortion and overseas adventures. In 1944, the All ...

are nearby and the Dinard Pleurtuit Saint-Malo airport is about 4 km south of Dinard. With its international film festival, villas, sumptuous hotels and casino, Dinard is regarded as one of the most prestigious seaside resorts in all of France.

History

In modern history Dinard was first settled by Saint-Malo's shipping merchants, who built some of the town's larger houses, very few of which survive. In the late 19th century, American and British aristocrats made Dinard a fashionable summer resort, and they built stunning villas on the cliff tops and exclusive hotels such as the 'Le Grand Hotel' on the seafront during the French "Belle Époque". The name Dinard comes from the words "Din" ("hill"/"fort") and ''Ard/Art'' ("fortified"). It has been claimed, probably erroneously, that the second element means "bear"/"

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...

"); the bear in Celtic mythology is a symbol of sovereignship. The town council is in the process of removing the bear from the municipal flag, a decision disputed by the former mayor. Originally, Dinard was part of the parish of Saint-Énogat. In the late 19th century, the resort became popular with wealthy British nationals who built villas on the coast. Dinard rapidly expanded. It started declining in the 1930s when the fashionable social set started preferring the Côte d'Azur. Today, Dinard is considered one of the most "British" of coastal resorts in France. It has, however, retained its French charm. There are 407 listed villas. The official name of the town was Saint-Énogat until 1879 when the name was changed to Dinard-Saint-Énogat. The name was changed once more in 1921 to become simply Dinard. Saint-Énogat is now just the name for the western area of the town. The town was liberated by American forces in August 1944 during the

Battle of Saint-Malo The Battle of Saint-Malo was fought between Allied and German forces to control the French coastal town of Saint-Malo during World War II. The battle formed part of the Allied breakout across France and took place between 4 August and 2 Septemb ...

Population

Inhabitants of Dinard are called ''Dinardais'' in French.

Climate

Dinard lies on the

Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the Unit ...

which means it enjoys a warm climate, several degrees warmer than the surrounding areas. The Yacht club has fine examples of tropical palms and plants, which stretch round the coast on the Promenade du Clair de Lune.

Hotels

The most exclusive hotels are the Grand Hôtel Barrière (5-star) which overlooks the Rance Estuary, and Castelbrac (5-star), the former Villa "Bric à Brac". Other notable hotels are the Royal, which sits next to the Casino above the main Esplanade, and the Hotel de la Reine Hortense, with a direct view on the Ecluse beach and Saint Malo. Further round the coast in the Saint-Énogat area of Dinard is the Thalassa Dinard and Villas de La Falaise. This exclusive seawater therapy centre is one of only a few throughout Europe. The architecture of this building is sympathetic with the coastline, and from some angles becomes at one with the cliffside. In the summer, the population swells to over 40,000 with the influx of holiday makers.

Visitors

Dinard's reputation as the "

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ...

of the North" has attracted a wide variety of stars.

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primeti ...

is a frequent visitor, and

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

enjoyed holidaying on the River Rance T.E. Lawrence (

Lawrence of Arabia Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...

) lived in Dinard as a small child, long before his Arabian exploits, and

Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

painted here in the 1920s.

Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most infl ...

is supposed to have had the idea for "La Mer" during a visit to Saint-Énogat in 1902. In 1996

Éric Rohmer Jean Marie Maurice Schérer or Maurice Henri Joseph Schérer, known as Éric Rohmer (; 21 March 192011 January 2010), was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and teacher. Rohmer was the last of the post-World ...

filmed parts of Conte d'été in Dinard. Oscar Wilde also visited the place and mentions it in his De Profundis. Welsh singer-songwriter Iwan Rheon's first studio album is named Dinard after the commune. The

Wales national football team ) , Association = Football Association of Wales (FAW) , Confederation = UEFA (Europe) , Coach = Rob Page , Captain = Gareth Bale , Most caps = Gareth Bale (111) , Top scorer = Garet ...

used Dinard as its base during

UEFA Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe o ...

Attractions

Dinard cannot boast much nightlife, but many bars and fine restaurants fill the town's streets. The abundance of beaches coupled with a consistently sunny weather, however, attracts many visitors during the summer holidays. The attractions include a casino with a restaurant facing the sea and a hall which hosts many expositions. The nearby towns of

Saint-Briac-sur-Mer Saint-Briac-sur-Mer (, literally ''Saint-Briac on Sea''; ; Gallo: ''Saent-Beriac''), is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine Department in Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Saint-Briac-sur-Mer are called ''briacins'' in Fr ...

and

Saint-Lunaire Saint-Lunaire (; ) is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. Fantastic viewpoints on the Pointe du Décollé, hill of La Garde Guérin and the Pointe du Nick. History Evidence of neolithic settlemen ...

also feature respectively a fairly large golf course and the beach of Longchamp, renowned as a "surfers' spot". Dinard holds every year a Festival of British Cinema in the first days of October.

Educational facilities

Many educational facilities may be found in Dinard, most of them elementary and primary schools, though there are two secondary schools. The most popular, the ''Collège Le Bocage'', is a state school (the other being private) and has an estimated 700 pupils from Dinard and its vicinity. From there onward, children go to ''lycée'', the closest being the ''Lycée Jacques Cartier'' in

Beaches

The town has several beaches, all of which are sandy, clean and large. The main beach is Plage de l'Écluse and the second largest are Saint-Énogat and Prieuré beaches.

International relations

Dinard is twinned with: * Newquay, United Kingdom (since 1986) *

Starnberg Starnberg is a German town in Bavaria, Germany, some southwest of Munich. It is at the north end of Lake Starnberg, in the heart of the " Five Lakes Country", and serves as capital of the district of Starnberg. Recording a disposable per-cap ...

, Germany (since 1977)

Notable residents

* Captain Philippe Koenigswerther, French Resistance fighter, Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, executed by the Nazis, born in Dinard in 1918, *

Virginia d'Albert-Lake Virginia d'Albert-Lake (born 4 June 1910, Dayton, Ohio – died 20 September 1997, Dinard, France) was a member of the anti-Nazi French Resistance during World War II. She worked with the Comet Escape Line. She and her husband Philippe helped ...

, French Resistance fighter *

Robert W. Service Robert William Service (January 16, 1874 – September 11, 1958) was a British-Canadian poet and writer, often called "the Bard of the Yukon". The middle name 'William' was in honour of a rich uncle. When that uncle neglected to provide for hi ...

– Scottish poet and writer of the Klondike Gold Rush spent winter seasons in Dinard from 1913 until 1929. * Florence Delaage, classical pianist, was born in Dinard.

Gallery

File:Dinard plage Saint-Énogat.jpg, Saint-Énogat's beach, one of Dinard's four main beaches File:PlageEcluse.jpg, Plage de L'Écluse File:Dinard - Église Saint-Énogat 01.JPG, Saint Énogat church

References

External links

Official website

Dinard's homepage

Amis de Dinard Saint-Enogat, association for the protection of the site and of the environment of Dinard

Unofficial Guide to the Dinard Airport
* {{Authority control Communes of Ille-et-Vilaine Port cities and towns on the French Atlantic coast Seaside resorts in France