France 2022 – Cycling along the Rance River from Dinan

April 25, 2022

On my last full day in wonderful Dinan, my plan was to cycle along the river Rance upstream to the small town of Léhon where there was an abbey and a ruined castle, and then downstream about 8 kilometers to the river port of Lyvet. I headed down Rue de Jerzual shortly before the bicycle rental shop was to open. I couldn’t stop myself from taking pictures of a few more half-timbered buildings on the way down the hill. I would like to live in the blue one, and the house on the right may very well have been the inspiration for ”There was a crooked house…”

Down at the port the young man at the bicycle shop was friendly and efficient and he kindly gave me a full-day rental at a discounted priced of 16 euros. This shop offers several guided tours including a tour where you cycle all the way to the coast and then return by boat up the river Rance, or vice-versa. But I was happy on my own and I knew where I wanted to go. First, I headed upstream and was thrilled with the beautiful morning and the riverside ride. There were huge trees on both sides of the river, and I saw several marked trails along the route that branched off into the forest. The trees were bright green with new leaves and the birds sounded very happy. The cycling was easy on the flat path and I passed joggers, dog walkers, and other cyclists, all of whom cheerily said, ”Bonjour!”

I made a quick stop to photograph the viaduct in the distance,

and I made several other quick stops to try and capture the beauty of the river and riverside trees. I was cycling on the “Chemin de Halage”, a towpath.

Quick as a wink I arrived at the lock just outside of the town of Léhon.

This elegant old bridge led me over the river and into the town which is designated ”A Petite Cité de Character” of Brétagne.

The l’Abbaye Saint Magloire was founded here in 850 but the original buildings were burnt by invading Normans. The current abbey was constructed in the 12th century by the Benedictines, and enlarged through the centuries.

I entered the abbey church and the organist was inside playing so the air was filled with wonderful music during my visit as well as rose-coloured light from the magnificent stained class window behind the altar.

Here is the view looking from the altar towards the back of the church with the pews and the walls all dappled!

The warm coloured light bathed the entire church, including a beautiful wooden statue of Mary carved in the 18th century. The stone plaque is in memory of a revered Benedictine monk of this abbey, Noel Mars, who died in 1611.

Unfortunately, the other parts of the abbey were closed because of a private function, and sadly the gardens were closed as well. I contented myself with the fact that I had a hill to climb and a ruined castle to explore. On the way up the hill, there were many beautiful wildflowers alongside the trail which provided me with a good excuse to stop and catch my breath! There were small primroses, bluebells, forget-me-nots, and orchids as well as tiny purple violets.

There is very little of the castle left. First constructed in the early 12th century, the castle was attacked and destroyed by Henry II, King of England, in 1169. A second fortress was built in the 13th century and faced several sieges. By 1490 the castle was in disrepair and abandoned, and in 1644 it was gifted to the abbey which used many of its stones for its own construction projects. The trail leading up to the castle passed beneath the northwest tower which is the best preserved of the eight towers, and then a bridge led me up to the ruined entrance gate.

Low remnants of the castle walls, and remnants of the towers enclosed a large lawned space that was full of bright buttercups and small daisies.

From the towers there were excellent views of the river and valley,

as well as over the old town and the abbey church and buildings.

After enjoying my explorations up on the castle hill, I headed back down to my bicycle and returned on the towpath back to the port of Dinan where I crossed the old bridge and then continued downstream along the riverside path towards the sea. What a beautiful ride! A sunny sky, a peaceful river, and so much green all around – it was glorious! I stopped often to take a photo looking forward,

or looking back,

or looking directly across. I definitely had to take a photo here!

There were birds in the trees and birds on the river and I was very very happy. All too soon I could see boats ahead at the river port of Lyvet.

There was a large lock here, the Ecluse Le Chatelier and I was able to see the mechanism at work.

As I crossed the bridge that was just a bit further downstream, I could see that the entire river to the left of the lock was dammed here.

I finished crossing over to Lyvet, explored a few streets of the town, and then cycled to the marina. Every time one of these many sailboats or pleasure boats wants to go to the sea or come back home it has to go through the lock!

On my return trip, I stopped to have my lunch at one of the two sections of the path that were paved and where a road came down for people to access the river. Here boats were moored along the shore and there were benches, picnic tables, and lawned areas.

I took my time over lunch and then continued back upriver, pedalling slower because I didn’t want my ride to end! I couldn’t resist taking another photo or two or three (!) of the canola field across the river.

A little further up stream a small tributary joined the river. I had noticed it on my way downstream but I hadn’t noticed the chateau in the distance at the top of the hill!

Soon I arrived back at the river port of Dinan, with the Saint Saveur steeple calling me back up the hill to my apartment. I had the bicycle until six and my plan was to rest for an hour and then come back down to the river and cycle again to Léhon to have a swim in their heated outdoor pool.

I took a photo of the busy terraced restaurant across the river as I locked up my bike,

and then this photo looking downstream from the bridge.

I headed back up the hill and after my hour of rest I was feeling tired so I decided to enjoy my lovely apartment for the rest of the afternoon and prepare for my next day’s journey. In the late afternoon, a took a last walk in my neighbourhood in Dinan to the Basilique Saint-Saveur and behind it to the Jardin Anglais with its beautiful trees, gardens of spring flowers, and views from the Tour Sainte-Catherine down over the river valley.

It was the perfect way to end my visit to the wonderful city of Dinan!

Addendum: I have a book called “Cycling in France” and one of their routes is a four-day loop which begins in Saint-Malo on the coast and follows the Rance River upstream to Dinan, continues up the river a good long distance (passing 20 locks), and then heads to Combourg. From there, it loops back towards the sea and continues on to Mont Saint-Michel (in my opinion the most stunning sight in France), and then finishes back at Saint Malo. I’m happy to loan the book to anyone who is interested!