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Rennes, France
Rennes in France with e-travelguide.info
Welcome To the e-travelguide to Hotels, guest houses and attractions in Rennes.
Make the most of your time in Rennes, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links above to plan your visit.
The city of Rennes is the capital of the north-western Brittany region, a popular hotspot for many a holiday-maker from the United Kingdom and beyond. Many people visit the beaches and coast of this French peninsula and Rennes serves as a fitting alternative with its historic buildings and its art and culture from its position inland in the eastern part of the region.
Rennes is placed on the confluence of two rivers – the Ille and the Vilaine, while in its wider metropolitan area there are no fewer than 37 towns and villages. It is also fairly near to Brittany’s border with the beautiful Loire part of the country and so there are further reasons to visit the north-west region’s capital. Rennes is popular for its extensive history which is thought to span more than 2000 years and which has seen the likes of the Parlement building, festivals, squares and other buildings come to the fore.
Indeed, there has been much investment in the areas of art and culture over the years which has led to the increase in the number of festivals among other things. There is Les Transmusicales music festival, Les Tambees de la Nuit and a festival known as Travelling, the latter of which is a cinematic festival.
Rennes is privileged to be near good road connections to other parts of France; there are helpful links to capital city Paris, the region of Normandy to the north-east and also to the southern parts of the country. The city has an airport which is to be found approximately five miles from the centre, while inside the city itself there is a driverless metro system in operation with a second system in the planning stages.
Brittany, with Rennes as its capital, is thought of as a top gastronomy region. It is the Festival Gourmand which consolidates this fact further about the capital; the festival welcomes hundreds of chefs each year who showcase their styles, designs and flavours. There are several local specialities in addition, among them are Coucou chicken, buckwheat pancakes, parlementin and petit gris.
In the middle of the city are the Thabor Gardens, while on the edge is a symbolic gateway into the city with walls which formerly served as fortifications. Within Rennes’ boundaries there are some interesting houses, some of which are made of cob due to the city’s clay soil and some of which are timber-framed, dating back to the 17th century. The Parlement is the most famous 17th century building in the city though, and is joined by the likes of the Palais du Commerce, the Opera, the Saint-Georges swimming baths and a selection of churches including the Saint-Pierre cathedral, all of which are among the historic buildings in the area.
Les Champs Libres brings together the city library, the museum of Brittany and the science museum to offer a choice of places to visit and study, while adding further to the city’s reputation as a haven of art and culture there are the fine arts museum and La Criee contemporary arts centre in addition.