Its beaches and mild climate make it a holiday destination, and this has resulted in the town having a variety of famous visitors and residents.

With its international film festival, villas, sumptuous hotels and casino, Dinard is regarded as one of the most prestigious seaside resorts in all of France.

In modern history Dinard was first settled by Saint-Malo's shipping merchants, who built some of the town's larger houses, very few of which survive.

In the late 19th century, the resort became popular with wealthy British nationals who built villas on the coast.

Dinard lies on the Gulf Stream which means it enjoys a warm climate, several degrees warmer than the surrounding areas.

The Yacht club has fine examples of tropical palms and plants, which stretch round the coast on the Promenade du Clair de Lune.

The most exclusive hotels are the Grand Hôtel Barrière (5-star) which overlooks the Rance Estuary, and Castelbrac (5-star), the former Villa "Bric à Brac".

The abundance of beaches coupled with a consistently sunny weather, however, attracts many visitors during the summer holidays.

The nearby towns of Saint-Briac-sur-Mer and Saint-Lunaire also feature respectively a fairly large golf course and the beach of Longchamp, renowned as a "surfers' spot".

While the number of films produced in Great Britain doubled in the early 1990s, the Festival saw its reputation and attendance grow.

True to its original spirit, the Dinard Festival has become an important vector for all films wishing to conquer the European market.

The most popular, the Collège Le Bocage, is a state school (the other being private) and has an estimated 700 pupils from Dinard and its vicinity.