Église Saint-Sauveur

Dinard is a seaside town on the Emerald Coast of Brittany, facing Saint-Malo across the mouth of the Rance, and it is classed as a Ville d'art et d'histoire.

Until the 1830s, Dinard was a small fishing village with a few hundred inhabitants, clustered around an old port and a parish church. The change came when British visitors, attracted by the mild climate, the beaches and the view of Saint-Malo, began to settle and build villas along the cliffs, and the English colony brought sea bathing, tennis, golf and a new way of life. By the end of the century Dinard was one of the most fashionable resorts in Europe, and hundreds of Belle Époque villas rose above the sea, in styles from half-timbered chalets to Italianate palaces. The old village, with its port and quays, remained the centre of the town, and its church, dedicated to Saint Sauveur, was the place of worship of the local people, separate from the new quarters of the visitors.

A church of this kind is a modest parish church of the nineteenth century, built of local granite with a bell tower, and its interior usually has a nave, side chapels, statues and stained glass. It is a place of worship for the community, and visitors are welcome outside services, though opening hours depend on the parish and may be limited, so ask at the tourist office for current times. Some of the town's churches are also a venue for concerts and exhibitions, particularly in summer, and may have connections with the sea, with votive offerings and memorials to sailors.

The area around the old port is pleasant for a walk, with the Quai des Indes and the Place du Maréchal Foch near the centre, and views over the harbour. The Plage du Pâquis, a small beach close to the old quarter, and the Dinard Casino on the main beach are not far, and the Promenade du Clair de Lune, along the shore, is the best place to see the villas. Boats cross the Rance to Saint-Malo in a few minutes, and the Île de Cézembre can be reached by boat in summer.

The church suits visitors interested in the local history of the resort and those who like to see quiet corners of a town. Allow half an hour.