Dinan to Saint-Lunaire

Leaving Dinan, I headed up the N176 towards Saint-Malo. I crossed the Bassin de la Rance at the Port Saint-Hubert. The Bassin de la Rance is a river that arises from the mountains of Shiner in Collingham and flows into the English Channel. The port where I crossed is near the point where the river starts to dramatically widen. Parts of town grow right up to the banks, like this picture shows...



Picture of Dinan
thanks to Tango7174 from Wikimedia Commons and Ookaboo!

I followed the N137 as it paralleled the Rance River (American name for the Bassin de la Rance). I got to see the beautiful area called Les Gastines.

What followed this breathtaking traverse, I couldn't imagine. As I strolled into Saint-Jouan-des-Guerets, I realized that this could top everything I have seen. As with most of the towns I have come across, the richness in history and culture is astounding. The Roman influence is obvious, as is the sailor's touch. There are 3 islands on the Rance that are a part of this town.

The finale of this leg of my trip was to the town of Saint-Malo, situated at the mouth of the Rance. This island is as storied as the rest, getting its start as a monastery, but becoming throughout history a fort, a haven for pirates and mariners.



Here is a view of the mouth of the Rance from the city wall:



Picture of Saint-Malo
thanks to Muxu from English Wikipedia and Ookaboo!

Beyond the history, Saint-Malo is thriving with modern-day life as well. The St. Servan District is a bustling place of cafes, shops, and restaurants. Here is the river-side view:



Picture of Saint-Servan
thanks to TCY from Wikimedia Commons and Ookaboo!

This is my overall path of this leg of the journey:


View Larger Map

Bon Voyage!