Clock Tower

What it is

The Tour de l'Horloge is Dinan's municipal tower: 43 m of stone in the centre of the upper town, raised at the end of the 15th century by the town's wealthy burghers. At the top there is a view of the rooftops, the timber-framed streets, the basilica of Saint-Sauveur, the walls and the Rance valley.

What makes it special is its clock. In 1501 Duchess Anne of Brittany granted Dinan the privilege of having a clock in its communal tower, and in 1502 the mechanism arrived, made in Nantes in 1498 by a German clockmaker called Hamzer. It is one of the oldest clock mechanisms in Europe and is still in the tower.

Hours

In 2026 it was open from 4 April to 1 November:

• From April to September: every day from 10:30 to 18:30. On Mondays and Wednesdays it closes at midday: from 10:30 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:30.
• From October to the All Saints holidays: every day except Tuesday, from 10:30 to 12:30 and from 13:30 to 17:30.

From November to early April it is closed. The 2027 dates are published by the town council in spring.

Price

• General rate: €4.
• Reduced: €2.50.

The town council does not detail on its website who is entitled to the reduced rate or whether small children go in free: ask at the entrance. The tower's phone number is 02 96 87 02 26.

The climb

You climb on foot, by staircase. The town council does not publish accessibility information for the tower: if you are with a wheelchair, a pushchair or have reduced mobility, call 02 96 87 02 26 first. Allow about 30 minutes for the climb, the clock and time at the top. With children it is a short visit; watch them on the stairs and on the terrace.

Getting there

The tower is on the rue de l'Horloge, in the heart of the old town. You get there on foot from anywhere in the upper town.

For parking, the Jean Monnet car park (53 rue Victor Schoelcher) is free all year and has 223 underground spaces. The place Duguesclin and Château car parks are closer to the centre; on Thursday mornings the place Duguesclin is taken by the market. On the street, in July and August you pay from 9:00 to 19:00; it is free at midday (from 12:30 to 13:30), at night, on Sundays and on public holidays.

When to go

First thing, as soon as it opens, to have the terrace quieter, or in the afternoon, with the light over the valley. On Mondays and Wednesdays it closes at midday: plan so as not to arrive at one o'clock.

To round it off

From the tower you go down to the rue du Jerzual and the port, and climb to the wall walk on the ramparts. For lunch, the Crêperie du Roy is on the street that goes down towards the Jerzual; on Thursday mornings there is a market. To sleep in the centre, the Hôtel Le D'Avaugour.