Rennes

During the Gallo-Roman era, Rennes was an important urban center. The town was equipped with a solid fortification in order to protect itself against barbarian invasions. The different incursions or invasions that went through Rennes throughout the centuries have shaped the history and the architecture of the place.
Capital of Brittany and student city, Rennes is an active and dynamic metropolis with a mix of architectural styles of different eras, from the medieval era to the most contemporary constructions.

While wandering across the narrow streets of the old Rennes, filled with history, one can admire the timbered medieval houses. Many of them were destroyed in a huge fire in 1720 but luckily, a part of the center was preserved.

Along the main pedestrian streets, the classical style predominates with the Parliament of Britany (Parlement de Bretagne) that dates back from the 16th century and that was also saved from the fire. Following this fire, several parts of the town have been built according to the Palais du Parlement's style.

The architectural diversity is also displayed on the religious edifices like the Saint-Pierre Cathedral that features a neoclassical architecture or the Sainte-Thérèse church with its decorative art style.
"Les Champs Libres", the Museum of Fine Arts, has many paintings of great painters. Visitors can lean a lot also about history, sciences and literature while visiting the Brittany's Museum, the Eco Museum of Rennes, «La Cirée» Contemporary Art Center.

Rennes cultivates its cultural diversity through its festival like the famous « Trans Musicales » that takes place each year, the first week of December during 4 days. One can see there a great number of avant-garde pop rock's names.

The quays of La Vilaine and the edges of the Island, the numerous green spaces including the extraordinary garden of Thabor, one of the most beautiful of France, make of Rennes a pleasant city to live.

Bontourism®, the Art of Traveling to Rennes in Brittany