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101/EN/PAR4
It is true, people have been visiting Dinard the surrounding area since the stone age ! The oldest traces of occupation found to date were discovered near the Barrage de la Rance and date to approximately 120,000 years BC with evidence of tools and dwellings dicovered.

Moving forward to the Neolithic period, Dinard's popularity grew with many metals, stone tools and burial mounds discovered. Evidence suggests a thriving community at this time.

In the Iron Age, Dinard was part of the region known as the "Pou Dubro" ("land of water" in Celtic). Again Dinard and the local area shows signs of continued occupation throughout the period.

From 52 BC, the region was annexed by the Roman Empire but remains relatively autonomy. During the period road building was widespread in the region and trade flourished. Christianity came with the later Roman period and found a strong foothold in the area.

In the eighth century AD, the region was sacked by the Franks with churches and abbeys looted and burned. After the "barbarian invasions", a natural catastrophe followed in 709 when a large earthquake and tidal wave changed the geography of the region forever. Dinard, previously an inland area, overnight found itself on the coast !

The early part of the ninth century saw the arrival of the Vikings. During the period many small feudal settlements formed with a local stronghold being constructed to protect the local people. One such was at Vicomté now a suburb of Dinard.

The Vicomte prospered throughout the 11th Century under the protection of the dukes of Brittany and subsequently the English.

In 1091 the area suffers another earthquake and growth in the area slows considerably.

in 1126 a leper colony was founded around the Priory Hospital.

With the region rebelling against English Rule, Henry II (King of England) invaded to crush the rebels and the castle of the Vicomte and the village of Saint-Enogat were burned and destroyed. The region is firmly returned to English rule.

Brittany struggles under the yoke of the English and rebels once more. In June 1378, the English besieged Saint-Malo and ravage the neighboring parishes.

After much warring and politicking the village of St Enogat, now part of the city of Dinard, joined the Kingdom of France (Act of Union of Britain to France) in 1532.

The main activities of the region at that time are agriculture and inshore fishing. Following the union Brittany has the first fleet in Europe and Saint-Malo becomes the principal commercial port in France. Deep sea fishing starts to grow, it will look for the cod off Iceland and Newfoundland. Mansions start to be built in the region at this time attesting to the prosperity that was being generated.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw a reverse with leprosy epidemics and famine prevalent and conflicts with England continue throughout the period. After the Peace of Augsburg in 1704, the peace is established in the region before the new conflicts against England that punctuate the entire eighteenth century.

During the revolution, Dinard is still a small fishing village, part of the municipality of Saint-Enogat and an important crossing point to Saint-Malo. The population of Saint-Enogat consists of seafarers on royal ships, fishermen, farmers and ranchers. The lime kilns and milling industry develops. The parish is then one of the richest along in the Rance.

At the end of the Second Republic, Dinard is still a village on the outskirts of Saint-Enogat but this is about to change. The fashion for "sea bathing", introduced to France in the late eighteenth century, is perfectly suited to the area and it is in Dinard that the first bathing establishments appear around 1830.

By 1866, Dinard's Écluse beach has become the beach of the aristocracy, with luxury at every turn. At the same time, Priory Beach, is described as modest and family. Opening the bathhouse contributed hugely to the development of the resort with the therapeutic and recreational benefits of bathing fuelling the 'craze'. Dinard as a bona fide holiday destination has now been firmly established.