France

Brittany's capital is a hive of activity thanks to its buzzing university student population. A crossroads since Roman times, the city sits at the junction of highways linking northwestern France's major cities. Its contemporary and medieval quarters are woven with waterways best explored by renting a boat. At night, Rennes has no end of lively places to pop in for a pint.

Before the 20th century

Situated at the confluence of the rivers Ile and Vilaine, Rennes has been a strategic crossroads for over 2000 years. In 1835 and 1941, large numbers of coins were unearthed, dating from the 1st century BC, when the town was part of the Gaul region of Armorica.

The locals joined others from the region to defend themselves against Rome, but eventually the area was absorbed into the Roman Empire and remained that way until the end of the 5th century.

A brick wall was built around the city in 275 to provide protection from marauding barbarians, and later attacks by Franks and Visigoths.

In the early 5th century, Bretons invaded and occupied the west of modern-day Brittany while Franks claimed the eastern part, including the stronghold of Rennes. Rennes eventually became part of Brittany when it obtained de facto independence from Frankish king Charles the Bald, in 851. Rennes later resisted invasion by Normans, who had created a fiefdom to the east (the area today called Normandy).

The Duchy of Brittany was led by Conan of Rennes from 990 and then by his heirs until 1066. The seat of power moved elsewhere until its return to Rennes in 1156 under Conan IV.

During the Breton War of Succession (1341-64), Rennes fell to John of Montfort before swiftly falling to Charles of Blois a few months later. From 1356-57, Rennes was under siege from the English. Treaties were made and broken, and battles fought until Charles was killed in action. A peace treaty was subsequently signed and Montfort regained control of Brittany. The new Duke of Brittany, John V, declared himself a vassal of France. His daughter Anne succeeded him at the age of 11. Three years later, Charles VIII, King of France, invaded Brittany and forced her to marry him, thus bringing Brittany under his control. An intelligent leader, Duchess Anne is still revered by Bretons. In another political pairing, her daughter Claude married Francis I, King of France, and, after her death in 1532, Brittany was joined with France for good.

Much of Rennes was gutted by the great fire of 1720. The cobbled streets of Rue St-Michel and Rue St-Georges in the old city are lined with the surviving houses.

In 1857, the Rennes train station was built, further cementing its importance within Brittany as a crossroads for transit and trade.

Modern history

During WWII, heavy German bombing struck a trainyard where many French and English troops, as well as refugees, were killed. German forces entered and occupied Rennes on 18 May 1940. When they retreated they blew up Rennes' bridges in an attempt to slow approaching American forces. With the arrival of the first American tank on the morning of 4 August 1944 Rennes became one of the first French cities to be liberated.

In 1961, a Citroen plant opened in Rennes - today it is one of the largest employers in the region. The food industry is also important in the region, as are the communications and IT sectors.

TV Rennes was first broadcast in 1987, making Rennes one of the first towns in France to have its own television channel.

Recent history

Rennes was plagued by another major fire in 1994. This time the 17th-century Palais du Parlement de Bretagne was the victim. But this was no accident - demonstrating fishermen started the inferno. Now restored, it houses the Court of Appeal.

In 2002, Rennes became the smallest city in the world with a subway system, known as the VAL.

The capital of Brittany and the second-largest city in western France, Rennes has been labelled as France's most livable city. Reasons for this include its great public transport infrastructure, its ranking as the safest city of its size in France and its clean air.

With two major universities, students account for more than 25% of the population in Rennes, ensuring a vibrant social and cultural scene.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Rennes can get really hot in July and August. The highest recorded temperature is 38°C (100°F). However it's not unheard of for Rennes to be wet and overcast for days on end, whatever the time of year. In winter Rennes boasts a remarkably mild climate. Snow is rare, but you can expect rain at least a few days each month.

Average weather

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Transport

Getting there and away

Destinations with frequent train services include St-Malo (1hr), Dinan (1hr, requires change), Vannes (1.5hr), Nantes (1.25hr), Brest (2hr), Quimper (2.5hr) and Paris' Gare Montparnasse (2.25hr).

Among Rennes' many bus services, Illenoo (08 10 00 35 00) runs five times daily to Dinard (2hr) via Dinan (1.5hr). TIV (02 99 26 11 26) serves Paimpont (1hr).

Allo Stop Bretagne (02 99 35 04 40) in the Trois Soleils shopping centre matches up hitchhikers with drivers for a small fee.

Getting around

Rennes local transport is run by STAR (08 11 55 55 35). It has an efficient local bus network with 38 different routes. Buses travel every five minutes on the main lines. The hub is at Republique.

Rennes also has its own single-line metro (called VAL). Bus and metro tickets (single, 10-trip or 24hr passes available) are interchangeable. The metro line runs northwest to southeast. Main stations include Gares, République (Place de la République) in the centre, and Ste-Anne (old town).

Ring 02 99 30 79 79 for a taxi.

ADA (02 99 67 43 79), Europcar (02 23 44 02 72), National Citer (02 23 44 02 78) and Hertz (02 23 42 17 01) all have car hire offices at the train station.

For information on boats, moorings, and locks for touring the region by canal boat, contact the Service de la Navigation (02 99 59 20 60).

Rennes has plenty of cycle lanes and a free bike service (05:00-23:00) is available from the 'Nord' train station (Place de la Gare).