Rance Towpath to Léhon

What it is

The towpath is the track along the banks of the Rance along which horses once pulled barges upriver. From the port of Dinan it follows the river, flat and beside the water, to Léhon, the neighbouring village, about 2 km to the south. It is Dinan's quiet stroll: no hills, beside the water, and at the end a village with an abbey and a ruined castle.

Léhon has been joined to Dinan since 2018, but keeps its village feel: it is one of Brittany's Petites Cités de Caractère. Here the Rance is already part of the Ille-et-Rance canal, and in the village is lock number 47.

The route

1. Start at the port of Dinan, at the foot of the rue du Jerzual and under the viaduct of 1852.
2. Upriver along the bank, leaving the viaduct behind. The path is flat and runs always beside the water.
3. Arrival at Léhon, about 2 km later: the lock and the village.
4. Saint-Magloire abbey, founded in the 9th century by monks who came from Wales around the relics of Saint Magloire. It has a Romanesque and Gothic church, a cloister and a Gothic refectory with modern stained glass. It has been a listed historic monument since 1875. Ask at the tourist office whether the interior can be visited on your date.
5. The ruins of Léhon castle, at the entrance to the village, rebuilt in the 13th century by Peter Mauclerc and abandoned at the end of the 15th.

Return the same way. In all, about 4 km there and back: around an hour walking without stops, or an hour and a half with a visit to the village.

Who it is for

It is suitable for everyone: pushchairs, bikes and small children. It is the alternative to the steep cobbles of the upper town, which do not suit a pushchair. By bike you do it in a short while and can continue along the canal path to the south. With a dog, keep it on a lead: there are cyclists and families.

When to go

All year. In summer, first thing or at the end of the afternoon you walk in the cool with lovely light on the river. After heavy rain, expect mud on the path.

Getting there and parking

If you start at the port, the P1 Plaine du Port car park is on the rue du Port. Under the viaduct there is a motorhome car park with a maximum height of 4 m, and in Léhon there is a municipal motorhome area. If you come from the upper town, walk down the Jerzual and climb back up at the end; the Jean Monnet car park, in the upper town, is free all year.

Downriver from the port, the towpath continues to Taden, where the Camping de la Hallerais is, which is thus linked to the port on foot or by bike.

Water and facilities

At the port of Dinan there are bars and terraces for before or after. Along the way do not count on fountains or toilets: bring water in summer.