In modern history Dinard was first settled by Saint-Malo's shipping
merchants who built some of the town's magnificent houses, very few of which
survive. In the late 19th century American and British aristocrats made Dinard
popular as a fashionable summer resort, and they built stunning villas on the
cliff tops and exclusive hotels such as the 'Le Grand Hotel' on the seafront
during the French "Belle Époque".
The name Dinard comes from the words Din
("hill"/"fort") and Arz/Art
("bear"/"Arthur"); the bear in Celtic
