Things to see and do in Rennes

Things to do
France
6 min read

Soak up history and culture, and experience one of France’s greatest markets, in the capital of Brittany.

If you’re looking to explore the delightful region of Brittany in northern France, then make your first stop its capital – the historic, cosmopolitan, bustling city of Rennes.

Where is Rennes?

Rennes is 326 miles from Calais, and the largest city in Brittany. It’s a part of France that historically has close ties to the UK, and is proud of its distinctive culture, language and traditions. Rennes is situated where the Ille and Vilaine rivers meet in the east of the region. It is around an hour’s drive from Rennes to both Mont Saint-Michel and Saint-Malo, two of Brittany’s most popular destinations.

Rennes tourist attractions and sightseeing highlights

Half-timbered buildings in Rennes, France The quirky half-timbered buildings of Rennes

Rennes Old Town and half-timbered houses

Rennes was devastated by a major fire in 1720, losing many of its medieval buildings. Those that remain are what many people come to Rennes for – narrow, cross hatched timber framed houses that lean at odd angles. The narrow cobbled streets of the old town are dotted with them, like Rue du Chapitre and Place du Champ-Jacquet. Walking through this maze of tightly packed streets with their tall overhanging buildings, you get a real sense of what living in medieval Rennes would have been like.

Parc du Thabor and green spaces

Formal public gardens, Rennes, France Parc du Thabor

Parc du Thabor is the main public park in Rennes and is the biggest green space in the city. It’s an elegant mix of parkland, formal gardens and wooded areas, and has some lovely spots to walk and relax. The Orangerie and the French Garden, where you’ll find the bandstand, a pond and numerous follies and statues, are utterly charming and a perfect escape on a summer’s day. There is a children’s playground, table football and stone tennis tables, and an aviary where you might catch sight of some rare birds.

Rennes museums and cultural attractions

Lovers of art, culture and architecture will enjoy their time in Rennes. The city’s mix of neo-classical and medieval buildings means that no street here is ever dull! Some of the main attractions include:

Cathédrale Saint-Pierre – the cathedral in Rennes can claim to be the place where the Tudor dynasty was born, because it was here in 1483 that the exiled Henry Tudor agreed to marry Elizabeth of York.
Place du Parlement de Bretagne – the parliament building for Brittany, dating from the 17th century. There are guided tours of the exceptionally decorative rooms every day.
Musée des Beaux-Arts – the fine arts museum of Rennes contains a wide-ranging collection of works from antiquities to Old Masters and modern art. Look out for the ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, a collection of rare and exotic objects from around the world, begun by one man in the 18th century and added to since by travellers from Brittany.

Place des Lices and market traditions

The market held every Saturday at Places des Lices is one of France’s biggest, and a legendary affair in Brittany. Traders from all over the region set up their stalls by 5am, with fruit and vegetables, cheeses, bread, meat and fresh seafood the most popular stalls under the covered market areas. Marché des Lices is where Rennes really comes alive – there are musicians and street performers, and a weekly tradition where random, anonymous messages placed in mailboxes in local bars are read out loud.

Best things to do in Rennes

Shuttered windows on buildings in gently sloping street in Rennes, France History comes alive on the medieval streets of Rennes

Walk a Rennes city itinerary through the old town

Start your walk at Portes Mordelaises, the medieval stone gateway to the old Roman city. This is where Dukes of Brittany had to swear an oath of allegiance before being crowned, and where royal processions through the city began. You can see remains of the old Roman wall. Walk through the arch and the atmospheric cobbled lane, and before you is the cathedral.

Stroll through the maze of historic streets with their crooked timber-framed buildings. This is an area where you’ll find bars, creperies, little shops and restaurants – a great spot for lunch. Head past the Place des Lices, where the outdoor market is held every Saturday, and along the Rue Nationale towards the parliament building. You’re now in the main shopping streets of Rennes, and a little further to the east is Parc du Thabor.

Explore local food and cafés in Rennes

If you’re out and about in Rennes, you’ll see crêpes and galettes on the menu everywhere. The crêpes in Brittany are something else – you can have them sweet, made with wheat, or savoury (buckwheat), and eaten either plain or filled with a fried egg, tomatoes, cheese, smoked salmon, ham – or anything you fancy. Galettes are Breton specialities, like a pancake made from buckwheat flour. Get one wrapped around a sausage (galette-saucisse) for tasty food on the go!

Market stalls being set up in early morning, Rennes, France Traders start setting up early on market day in Rennes!

Enjoy family-friendly things to do in Rennes

Taking the family to Parc du Thabor is a good way to let the kids burn off some energy. There’s another park on the outskirts of the city centre at Parc des Gayeulles, with rope climbing courses, pedaloes, a petting zoo and adventure playground.

If the weather is not so good, then head to Les Champs Libres, the cultural centre of Rennes. As well as housing the city library and museum, it’s also the home of the science museum and planetarium – an audio-visual experience giving children demonstrations about the planets and the solar system.

Get active along the Vilaine Valley and canals

The Vilaine river was one of the first in France to become integrated into a canal network, linking Saint-Malo on the coast with Rennes and the Atlantic coastline. The river and the canals offer excellent opportunities for boat trips, cycling and walking holidays. You can take a sightseeing river cruise or hire your own houseboat. Popular destinations for boating holidays is the beautiful village of Dinan, about 4-5 days from Rennes.

Rennes itineraries and short trips

Saint-Malo is only an hour’s drive away One day in Rennes – what are the best things to do in Rennes in one day?

If you’ve only got a few hours in Rennes, here’s what you should do:

Marché des Lices – start your Saturday morning at the market
Go for a stroll around the Old Town, especially Rue du Chapitre
Visit Cathédrale Saint-Pierre and the fine arts museum
Admire the gardens in Parc du Thabor
Enjoy dinner in a typical Rennes bistro

A weekend in Rennes – is a weekend in Rennes enough?

Yes, a weekend should be enough to see all the major sights in Rennes. It will mean you’re in the city for market day – Marché des Lices – always a highlight, and you’ll see the city at its most vibrant, when the terrace cafés, bars and restaurants will help to create a typically Breton atmosphere.

What are the best day trips from Rennes?

Rennes is superbly placed for day trips to some of Brittany’s most popular destinations.

Mont Saint-Michel – the fairytale holy island, around 1 hour’s drive from Rennes
Saint-Malo – historic port and maritime city, just under an hour’s drive away
Dinan – romantic medieval town on the river Rance, 50 minutes drive from Rennes

Drive to Rennes

To drive to Rennes from the LeShuttle terminal at Calais takes around 5 ½ hours. The most direct route to drive to Rennes from Calais take the A16 towards Abbeville, and then pick up the A28 and A29 towards Caen. From Caen it's the A84 autoroute from Normandy to Brittany all the way to Rennes. Tolls for this route from Calais to Rennes will be around €30 each way, with 5 toll plazas.