Description:

Rennes has been an important strategic city since roman times and is now the capital city of Brittany.  The city is the administration centre of Brittany and home to the 'prefecture de region' and the 'conseil regional'.

Most of medieval Rennes was destroyed by a fire in 1720 and so the city is characterised by 18th centre architecture.  However, pockets of the original Rennes remains such as Place de Lices which used to hold jousting tournaments.  The north of the city is considered the 'old city' whilst the south is more modern.

Rennes has two universities and has a large student population of over 60,000.  Because of the number of students the city has a young atmosphere and a lively nightlife. 

In keeping with its modern and ancient foundations Rennes is considered both a place of history and art as well as the rock music capital of France.

Rennes is in department Ille et Vilaine to the east of Brittany and covers and area of 50.39 km².  There are excellent transport links both in and out of the city with Paris just 2 hours away by train.

The ancient city centre is built on a hill at a confluence of two rivers, the Ille and the Vilaine.  The city is consequently crisscrossed by canals and waterways.

Rennes has lots of markets all over the city every day of the week many of which are on all day rather than the customary morning only.  You can find markets for everything from food, books, clothes to antiques.  Rennes is also home to Frances second largest market every Saturday in the old city at Place de Lices.  Here you can browse over 300 stalls.  For all other groceries there are 29 supermarkets in the Rennes area as well as a boloungerie on every corner.

Rennes is perfect for shopping.  Visit one of two modern shopping centres at Rue Marechal or Rue de Nemours or alternatively shop in the older part of the city such as Place Rallier du Baty or Rue Saint-Georges for unique boutiques.

The city contains all the facilities and services you would expect including numerous schools, doctors, dentists, a hospital, a train station and an airport. 

You can also find an Opera House, fourteen Théâtres, four Cinemas and several bowling alleys.

Rennes is best explored on foot as many of the best attractions are centralised. 

A walk around the old, prefire Rennes is highly recommended.  Take yourself back to the 15th century and walk through the Les Portes Mordelaises, the city ramparts through which royalty enterted the city, followed by the Cathedrale Saint Pierre which dates from 1540.  A visit to look at the 16th century architecture of Place des Lices is essential - go on a Saturday morning when the Place holds the largest market in France and is a real spectacle!

As the capital of Brittany, Rennes is also home to the Parlement de Bretagne (1618-1655) which is now used as the Court of Appeal.  The building was gutted by a fire in 1994 but has undergone over 10 years of careful restorations to return it back to its former state with sumptuous interoirs and ceilings.

There are several good museums in Rennes.  The Musee des Beaux Arts (Fine Arts Museum) contains works of art from some of the greats including Leonardo de Vinci, Botticelli, Rubens, Picasso, Donatello, Le Brun & Philippe de Champaigne as well as modern French art.  While the Musee de Bretagne (Museum of Brittany) at the Champs Libres has both a 'espace of sciences' and a planetarium which both adults and children can enjoy.

For nature lovers in the city there is the 'Jardins du Thabor'.  These renowned award winning gardens are set in 10 hectares and were originally part of the Monestary of St Melaine.

Rennes also has a great nightlife scene due to its large student population.  Try Rue St Michel and Rue St Malo for a lively night or for something quieter visit Rue St Georges. 

Rennes hosts several festivals which are well known throughout France.  In July the spectacular openair  'Festival des Tombees de la Nuit' celebrates theatre, music, film, poetry and dance in locations all over the city.  In December big name music acts from all over the world play at the 'Transmusicales'  rock festival.  While in April the 'Festival Gourmand' celebrates regional cooking with over one hundred chefs from around Rennes.  

Worth a visit:

• Visit the Hotel de Blossac one of finest mansions in Rennes
• If you visit the Musee des Beaux Arts or the Musee de Bretagne pop into the beautiful church of St Germain which is just opposite to look at its stunning stained glass windows.
• Walk down the Rue du Champ Jacquet, containing some of Rennes oldest and most beautiful traditional half timber houses.
• Musee des Transmissions (Museum of Broadcasting) at Cesson Sevigne, west of Rennes center.
• Just outside Rennes drive to the 'Ecomusee de la Bintinalis' a living farming museum showing the history of rural folk life in Brittany.
• Spend a day in the Forest of Rennes full of walks and tranquil rest places.  Many walks are on marked trails.

Rennes has a wealth of sporting activities to suit everyone including 54 sports stadiums, 70 gyms, 4 swimming pools and an ice rink.

The local football team, Stade Rennais FC, is in the French Division one and play at the Route de Lorient stadium which has a capacity of 31,000 seats.  Results and matches are regularly featured on international news channels such as Sky.

Rennes has over 300 sports clubs including Golf, Moutain Biking, Rowing and Fishing.