Once in the cozy capital of Brittany with its half-timbered houses on cobbled streets, you will fully experience the atmosphere of medieval France. And this is not a sleepy town, but a real center of active university life and a popular tourist destination. Rennes, France – it is about this city that the maximum amount of useful information is collected here.
Informational help
Rennes or Rennes is the administrative center of Brittany, located in the northwestern part of France. The city covers an area of almost 50.5 km2, and its population as of 2023 was more than 217,000 people.
Rennes is a beautiful city located at the junction of the Ile and Vilaine rivers. On its territory there are a large number of parks and various institutions for a pleasant pastime. There are 90 historical monuments in the Old Town, where half-timbered houses and Medieval churches stand next to 18th-century mansions.
The western side of Rennes is the most “modern”, there are several large-scale factories and industrial organizations. There is also a football stadium “Stade Rennes”, named after the city’s football team.
Ren is a university city, which means it is a fun and dynamic city. It is also recognized as one of the most comfortable places to stay in France.
Rennes tourist attractions
Wren boasts streets with amazing houses, green parks, interesting museums, historical sites, sidewalk cafes. Which sights of Rennes deserve priority attention?
Old town with gate Port Mordeles
In 1720, there was a terrible fire that almost completely destroyed Rennes. After that, the city was rebuilt, the architecture of new buildings was designed in the classical style. That is why Rennes has such a large number of grandiose buildings of the XVIII century. But one medieval quarter is still preserved, it is located on the territory of the Old Town. The most beautiful medieval streets are Rue de la Psalette and Rue du Chapitre. There are quite a few half-timbered houses there, and the city’s fortifications have partially survived.
In the Old Town there is the Ristalisz Square, which is transformed into a bustling market every Saturday.
Another medieval attraction is the Postes Mordelaises gate, built in the XV century and once served as the main entrance to the city. The structure is a gate with two towers, which are protected by a drawbridge and two smaller gates.
From Postes Mordelaises, the road led to St. Peter’s Basilica.
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Basilica is a true masterpiece of neoclassical architecture, dating back to 1845. The interior is incredibly luxurious: a lot of gilding and marble are used in the design. The altar, created in the Flemish style, is decorated with 80 figures of saints. The beautiful decorated ceiling also attracts attention.
In the second half of the 19th century, an organ was installed in the church.
Although the main architectural style of the cathedral is neoclassical, one of its elements-the rotunda-was built in the Renaissance style. In the rotunda, hidden behind a tapestry of the XVII century, the Holy Gifts are preserved.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, St. Peter’s Cathedral received the status of a national-level historical monument.
- Address: Rue de la Monnaie, 3500 Rennes, France.
- The cathedral is open every day from 9: 30 to 18: 00.
Palace of the Parliament of Brittany
According to many tourists, the most impressive in the city of Rennes is the architectural ensemble known as the Palace of the Parliament of Brittany.
Built in the 17th century, the palace successfully survived the fire of 1720, but was damaged by fire in 1994. It was accidentally set on fire during a demonstration of fishermen. Then the roof of the building collapsed, but many of the tapestries and paintings inside were removed. Reconstruction lasted 5 years, the palace was restored, but they deliberately did not remove some traces of the fire.
The exterior and interior decoration of the palace focuses on two themes: the omnipotence of law, the union of France and Brittany. The roof is crowned with gold-plated sculptures of Power, Law, Justice, and Eloquence. The central staircase rises to the second “floor of the nobility”, and on the lower floor there was previously a prison, and there is an entrance only from the courtyard.
All rooms of the court have a luxurious interior: gilded wood panels, French ceilings with numerous coats of arms, paintings and tapestries of the XVII century on the walls.
- The Brittany Parliament can be visited on a guided tour. To do this, you need to make a preliminary application at the tourist office of Rennes.
- Place of interest: Pl. du Parliament de Bretagne, 35000 Rennes, France.
- Website: https://www.cours-appel.justice.fr/rennes.
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday-from 8: 45 to 12: 00 and from 13: 45 to 17: 00; Saturday and Sunday-closed.
Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts, also known as the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Rennes, is considered one of the most prestigious art museums in France. It has a rich collection of works of art covering a wide period of time from the Middle Ages to the present day, representing different styles and trends. Among the expositions are paintings, sculptures, engravings, drawings.
The list of the most outstanding works kept in the museum includes paintings by Pierre Maupassant, Jacques-Louis David, Eugene Delacroix, Camille Corot, Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin.
The Museum of Fine Arts also organizes temporary exhibitions, photo projects, and other cultural events.
- The attraction is located in the former university palace. Exact address: 20 Quai Emile Zola, 35000 Rennes, France.
- Website: http://mba.rennes.fr/.
- The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10: 00 to 18: 00, closed on Monday.
- Permanent collections can be viewed for free. Admission to temporary exhibitions is free for people under 26 years of age, while for others admission costs 4 €.
Tabor Park
Tabor is an elegant and romantic park that occupies a 10-hectare plot on the north-eastern side of Rennes. This former garden of the monks of the Benedictine Abbey was transformed into a park by the famous 19th-century landscape designer Denis Buhler and opened to the public in 1868.
Tabor Park contains large landscaped French and English gardens, a cave, fountains, an outdoor bandstand, and an exceptional rose garden with over 2,000 varieties of roses. The territory is also equipped with aviaries, which are home to colorful birds of several imported species.
After a walk through the park’s alleys, you can relax right on the green lawns. There is a spacious playground for children, and a cafe is located near the entrance from Palestine Street.
- Address of the place of interest: Place Saint-Melaine 35000 Rennes, France.
- There are several entrances to the park: from two squares – Saint-Melun and Lucien Rose, Avenue Jeanne Guyon, Boulevard Duchesse Anne, and from two streets – Paris and Palestine.
- The park is open daily throughout the year, but the schedule is seasonal. From October to February inclusive – from 7:30 to 18:30; in March-April and September-from 7: 30 to 20: 00; from May to August inclusive – from 7: 30 to 20: 30.
Basilica of Notre-Dame-en-Saint-Melanie
On the edge of the Tabor Park, near the entrance from Place Saint-Melaine, there is a unique architectural monument of Rennes – the Basilica of Notre-Dame-en-Saint-Melaine. It was built in the XI century, and then belonged to the Benedictine monastery and stood on its territory. The tower and transept have retained their original appearance since its construction. In the XIV century, an arcade was completed to the basilica, its architecture is designed in the Gothic style. Even later, in the XVII century, a colonnade was built. The main decoration of the church is a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary, installed on the bell tower in the XIX century.
The interior of the basilica is no less fascinating and diverse. Its “highlight” is a fresco of the XV century, which depicts the baptism of Christ.
Geel Park
North-east of Rennes is the largest urban park with an area of 100 hectares. Geel Park, founded in 1967, is now very close to the natural forest. The result is a natural landscape with alternating woodlands, ponds, and grassy lawns.
Numerous activities make Geel Park a popular recreational area. There is a cafe with an outdoor area Au Parc des Bois, Le Blizz and Gayeulles pools, Gayeulles camping, picnic areas and barbecue facilities on site. There are also playgrounds for children of different ages, multi-sport playgrounds and a mini-golf course, there is a ramp for roller skating and skateboarding. Bike paths are provided for cycling in the park, and visitors can relax on the green lawns, but swimming in reservoirs and fishing are prohibited.
- Address: Rue du Professeur Maurice Audin, 35700 Rennes, France.
- There are several entrances: Avenue des Gayeulles, Rue du Patis-Tatelin, Rue du Professor Maurice Audin, Chemin des Louvries.
- Geel Park is open around the clock at any time of the year.
Places to stay in Rennes
Rennes has fewer accommodation options than other popular tourist destinations in France. However, even in this city there is a lot to choose from – in total, the site Booking.com It offers about 60 hotels of different levels. Among them there are modern hotels in some distance from the central part, there are several good hotels in the historical part of the city. Mostly in this Rennes there are 2-3* hotels offering decent conditions and good service at fairly reasonable prices.
Accommodation for two people per night will cost approximately this amount:
- 3* hotels – from 110 to 165 €;
- 5* hotels – 230 €;
- apartments-from 80 to 190 €.
As in any city in France, it is advisable to book your accommodation in Rennes in advance.
How to get to Rennes
The city of Rennes has a well-established railway connection to the following cities in France: Saint-Malo (1 hour, 15€), Quimper (2 hours 30 minutes, 36 €), Brest (2 hours 30 minutes, 33€), Van (2 hours, 28€), Saint-Brieuc, Nantes.
The bus runs between Rennes and the following cities:: Nantes (2 hours, 20€), Dinard (1 hour 45 minutes, 15€), Dinant (1 hour 15 minutes, 10€), Mont Saint Michel (1 hour 15 minutes, 13€), Pontorson (1 hour, 12€).
The best way to get to Rennes from the French capital, Paris, is by train from the Gare Montparnasse station. TGV trains depart every half-hour, travel time is 2 hours, and the ticket costs between €25 and € 65. There are also 4 direct flights per day from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (Terminal 2), a trip lasting approximately 3 hours.
Interesting facts and useful tips
- At the beginning of July, the fun festival des Tombees de la Nuit takes place in Rennes. Acrobats, jugglers, musicians, and actors perform on city streets during the festival. All entertainment is free, so the streets are full of people.
- Rue Saint-Michel is affectionately called the “thirst trail” by city residents. The explanation is simple: there is an endless string of bars – they are literally in every house. And every evening locals come to spend time there, so all the bars are filled with visitors.
- On Rue Saint-Michel, among the many buildings of the XVI-XVII centuries, stands the oldest house of Wren, built in 1580.
- The famous trial of Alfred Dreyfus, which caused a pan-European resonance and went down in history as the “Dreyfus case”, was held in Rennes.
- Rennes, with only 15 metro stations, was the smallest city in the world to have a metro until 2008. Since 2002, the city metro has been fully automated, there are no drivers.
- On Saturdays, Place Lices turns into a huge market square. The marche aux Lices market is popular with both city dwellers and tourists.
- Guests of the city are recommended to try buckwheat pancakes (galette de ble noir). The streets of Rennes, especially the historic city center, are full of pancake houses serving this signature dish of Haute-Britannia.
- In 2007, an incredibly daring crime was committed in Rennes. The thieves hid in St. Peter’s Basilica, waited until nightfall, stole some of the altar decorations and took them out of France. Stolen artifacts were found in the Netherlands and returned to the French cathedral.
- The central tourist office in Rennes, France, is located at 11 Rue St-Yves. From October to March, the office is open from 9: 00 to 18: 00 all days of the week, except Sundays. From April to September, the schedule is as follows: Monday-Saturday – from 9: 00 to 19: 00, on Sunday from 11: 00 to 18: 00.
