Built in 1966, this 750m bridge over the Rance estuary carries the D168 between St-Malo and Dinard, lopping a good 30km off the journey. A feat of hydroelectrics, the Usine Marémotrice de la Rance (below the bridge) generates electricity by harnessing the lower estuary's extraordinarily high tidal range – a difference of 13.5m between high and low tide. There is a drawbridge, while the tidal power station was the world's first when constructed and, until 2011, the largest on the planet.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
23.42 MILES
Mont St-Michel's one main street, the Grande Rue, leads up the slope – past souvenir shops, eateries and a forest of elbows – to the star attraction of a…
Rue du Jerzual & rue du Petit Fort
11.37 MILES
Lined with half-timbered houses, this astonishing cobbled street has been here since at least the 12th century. It leads downhill at a steep angle all the…
2.3 MILES
Château de St-Malo was built by the dukes of Brittany in the 15th and 16th centuries, and is now the home of the Musée d'Histoire de St-Malo, which…
10.37 MILES
A short drive from Cancale brings you to this sublime and stormy headland. Rock cleaves the water and fantastic views range over islands and rocks to the…
1.93 MILES
Constructed at the end of the 17th century under military architect Vauban, and measuring 1.8km, the ramparts of St-Malo can be accessed from several…
23.43 MILES
The buildings on the northern side of the Mont are known as ‘The Marvel’. The famous cloître (cloister) is surrounded by a double row of delicately carved…
Île du Grand Bé & Fort du Petit Bé
2.37 MILES
At low tide, cross the beach to walk out via Porte des Bés to Île du Grand Bé, the rocky islet where the great St-Malo-born, 18th-century writer…
11.42 MILES
The soaring chancel of the Basilique St-Sauveur is Flamboyant Gothic, but the south side of the church is Romanesque, while other periods and styles get…
Nearby Brittany attractions
1. Musée International du Long Cours Cap-Hornier
1.09 MILES
Housed in the 14th-century Tour Solidor, this museum presents the life of the hardy sailors who followed the dangerous Cape Horn route around the southern…
1.28 MILES
Containing over 600 species of marine creature, this very popular aquarium about 4km south of the city centre features a 'Nautibus' ride – a simulated…
1.33 MILES
Constructed in the mid-18th century, Fort de la Cité d'Alet was used as a German base during WWII. One of the bunkers now houses this memorial, which…
1.34 MILES
This long and pleasant beach by the marina in St-Servan has a dike that prevents the water from receding entirely at low tide.
1.36 MILES
Constructed in the mid-18th century, Fort de la Cité d'Alet was used as a German base during WWII; one of the bunkers now houses this memorial, which…
1.93 MILES
Framed by fashionable hotels, a casino and neo-Gothic villas, Plage de l'Écluse is the perfect place to shade yourself in style by renting one of Dinard's…
1.93 MILES
Constructed at the end of the 17th century under military architect Vauban, and measuring 1.8km, the ramparts of St-Malo can be accessed from several…
1.98 MILES
This 18th-century mansion and historic monument was once owned by corsair (privateer) François Auguste Magon. Guided tours are knowledgeably presented but…