Dinard

The most elegant resort town on this stretch of the Brittany coast, Dinard enjoys a picture-book perch on the Rance Estuary opposite the walled town of St-Malo. Toward the end of the 19th century, the English aristocracy was lured here in droves as sea air became a fashionable "cure." As a result, what started out as a small fishing port soon became a seaside mecca of lavish Belle Époque villas (more than 400 still dot the town and shoreline), grand hotels, and a bustling casino.