Rennes is a city in France on the map. French city of Rennes (Brittany region). Education and culture

The capital of Brittany, the small city of Rennes (Roazhon), lies almost on the hypotenuse of a triangular peninsula, at the confluence of the Ille and Vilaine rivers.

For a city that has been the capital of Brittany since 1532, the architectural appearance is quite simple and atypical for the capitals of French regions. It's all because of the devastating fire of 1720, which wiped out almost the entire historical core of the city, except for the Les Lices quarter, which lies right on the arrow of the rivers. The reconstruction of the city was entrusted to Parisian architects, and as a result, the entire northern part of Ren turned into a kind of “patchwork quilt” of vast squares in the classical style of the 18th century interspersed with small streets and alleys lined with semi-stone buildings, reminiscent of half-timbered architecture.

Attractions

The old part of the city, bounded by a canal to the west and a river to the south, lies beyond the city gate of Port-Mordeles with two towers and drawbridge , to the northeast of which the old neighborhoods of Les Lycées which host a lively street market every Saturday Les Halles Martenot(XIX century) - one of the largest in France.

One of the few buildings that escaped the fire of 1720 is the palace Palais du Parlemain(Palace of Parliament) on rue Hoche. However, it was also almost destroyed by a very strange fire in 1994 (Breton fishermen, whose demonstrations literally took over the city at that time, are suspected of arson) and is still being restored (the general reconstruction is almost completed, and various exhibitions are now regularly held here). From the palace you can go out onto the picturesque embankment of the Vilaine River, which flows through the center of Ren in the form of a canal sandwiched between stone banks. On south coast located Museum of Fine Arts(open daily except Monday from 10.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to 18.00; entrance €5.3) with its fine collection of works by old masters and local impressionists.

The city's attractions also include the town surrounded by the most picturesque semi-wooden houses of the 16th-18th centuries. Place Sainte-Ann, tower of Jean-Duchesne(XVI century), old (XV century) ramparts east of the Gallo-Roman fortifications on the Place Rallier-du-Baty, former Basilica of Saint-Ives(nowadays there are travel agencies and Rennes Historical Museum), Basilica of Saint-Sever, Sainte-Ann complex(church, hospital and convent XIV century), Notre Dame Cathedral And Church of Saint Michel(XI-XVII centuries), majestic Palace of Justice, richest Museum of Brittany www.musee-bretagne.fr, Palace of Science in the "palace of museums" Champ-Libre and the magnificent Tabor Park. Also worth attention promenade Mot-e-Madame(XVII century), Palace Saint-Georges with a beautiful park, town hall And Opera on the square of the same name, Church of Saint-Germain with the pedestrian bridge of the same name and located nearby Museum of Modern Art on the Quai Émile Zola, Champ-Jacquet Palace and the Mercure Hotel complex.

Around the city

There is a forest 30 km west of Ren Fort de Paimpont www.broceliande-tourisme.info, better known by its ancient name Broceliande (Broseliande), is the legendary forest of Merlin. The most popular tourist attractions here are the village Fol-Pense with the nearby "Merlin's spring" - Fontagne de Barenton, pond Pas du Hou, valleys Val Sens Retour(“Valley from which they do not return”) and Treorentek(here is the church of the same name, amazing in its simplicity and elegance of decoration), the so-called "Merlin's grave", Guillotin oak(according to scientists it is more than a thousand years old), rocks Rochers-des-Faux-Amant, locks Comper(now home to the Arthurian Center www.centre-arthurien-broceliande.com) and Trequeson, as well as many picturesque paths, as if specially laid along the most beautiful places this forest-park, almost every corner of which is well known to the Bretons from ancient legends.

The citadels are also worth visiting Fougere, Vitre And Dol-de-Bretagne. Moreover, the town Vitre(30 km east of Rennes) is considered a direct competitor to Dinan as one of the best preserved medieval cities in Brittany, and the huge cathedral Dol-de-Bretagne(42 km north of Ren) is surrounded by a whole complex of medieval buildings in a characteristic local style. Many are attracted here by legends about a battle between the Archangel Michael and the devil that supposedly happened near the island of Mont-Dol, which guards the city from the sea. Now the top of the rock is crowned by a granite tower with a white statue of the Madonna and Child, and just below the slope there is a tiny chapel.

What to look at: being the official capital of Brittany, Rennes is devoid of national features. Instead of traditional Breton granite houses there are quite Norman half-timbered houses, and in the central squares there are attempts at the classic splendor of Paris. And no sea (at least a 40-minute drive to it). There is only the narrow river Vilen, which in the 19th century in the city center was dressed in granite embankments.

How to get there:
- by plane: Rennes "St-Jacques airport is located 6 km southwest of the city. Bus number 57 from pl. de la Republique. http://www.rennes.aeroport.fr/
- by train: from Paris (Gare Montparnasse) TGV, travel time 2 hours, ticket price 60 euros; from Saint-Malo – 1 hour, 15 euros; from Vannes – 2 hours, 28 euros; from Brest – 2 hours 30 minutes, 33 euros; from Quimper – 2 hours 30 minutes, 36 euros. From the station to pl. de la Republique can be reached by bus no. 1, 17, 20 or by metro.
- by bus: from Nantes by bus Caraine Atlantique – 2 hours, 20 euros; from Dinan by TAE bus – 1 hour 15 minutes, 10 euros; from Dinard – 1 hour 45 minutes, 15 euros; from Pontorson by Couriers Bretons bus – 1 hour, 12 euros; from Mont Saint-Michel – 1 hour 15 minutes, 13 euros.

City landmarks

From the train station to the city center there is av. Jean Janiver, which crosses the Vilaine River, which previously divided the central part of the city into two parts. Today the river flows through a concrete channel, which goes underground at pl. de la Republique. To the square from the bridge over the river. Vilen goes quai Emile Zola. Carefully recreated quarters of the Old Town lie north of the river.

Central Tourist Office
Where is: 11, rue St-Yves
How does it work: from April to September Mon.-Sat. 9.00-19.00, Sun. 11.00-18.00, from October to March Mon.-Sat. 9.00-18.00.
Website

Urban transport
City system ground transport includes metro and bus. Metro VAL is one line with 15 stations (12 of them underground), running from northwest to southeast.

Poterie elevated station and underground viaducts were designed by Norman Foster. Until 2008, Rennes was the smallest city in the world with a full-fledged metro (the Lausanne metro took the crown). The Rennes metro has been in operation since March 15, 2002. It is based on Siemens VAL technology and is fully automatic, without drivers. The stations are closed, with sliding doors that open simultaneously with the doors of the arriving train.

The system is controlled by a minimum of 4 people at the central command post in the Chantepie depot; The metro is monitored by 120 surveillance cameras. It is planned to build a second line in the 2010s. Signs on the metro are in Breton or Gallo.

STAR buses. Tickets cost 1.5 euros (10 carnet tickets – 10 euros).

Story
The city of Rennes, at the confluence of the Ill and Vilaine rivers, was founded by the Redon tribe in the 2nd century BC. Then it was called Kondat. After the conquest by the Romans, Rennes developed as a city that stood at the intersection of important trade routes for the ancient world. Since the 5th century, Rennes has housed a bishop's see.

During the time of the independent duchy, it became the center of both ecclesiastical and secular power. New fortress walls were built, and the coronation ceremonies of the Dukes of Breton, who permanently lived in Nantes, took place in the cathedral.

On December 19, 1490, in Rennes, representatives of Maximilian of Habsburg and Anne of Brittany entered into an absentee marriage, after which Anne, as the wife of the heir to the throne of the Holy Roman Empire, began to bear the title of Queen of the Romans.

Commemorative plaque for this event:

The French perceived this marriage as a violation of the Treaty of Verges (according to which the choice of a groom for Anna had to be approved by the King of France), and, moreover, as an openly unfriendly act - the empire at that time was hostile to France. In the spring of 1491, after a series of victories, the troops of Charles VIII and his commander La Tremouille besieged Rennes; They already controlled the rest of the territory of the duchy. This time, King Charles VIII personally sought the hand of the 14-year-old duchess. Maximilian did not have time to come to the aid of his wife, and after a difficult siege, exhausted Rennes surrendered. His mistress also agreed to dissolve the absentee marriage and become the French queen.

On November 15, 1491, peace was concluded, Anna was engaged to Charles in the chapel of the Jacobin Order in Rennes and, accompanied by the army of the duchy (as a sign that she was not traveling as a captive, but as an empress of her own free will), went to the castle of Langeais, where her wedding to the king was about to take place.

In 1532, Brittany lost its independence, but under the terms of Anne of Brittany, the city retained a parliament, and residents enjoyed tax benefits. Parliament existed until the 18th century.

The city, connecting the northern (Saint-Malo) and western (Brest) ports with Nantes, was built up with beautiful mansions - the architects closely followed the most fashionable trends in metropolitan architecture. In the 19th century, embankments appeared on the Vilen River. A new railway station was built in Rennes and tram lines were laid. At the same time, universities were expanded, which brought world fame and glory to the city. During World War II, Rennes suffered greatly, but was quickly restored.

Around town

Most of the ancient medieval city buildings were destroyed in a fire in 1720. The fire was so destructive that residents still call it “the great misfortune” (le grand incident). They say it started because a drunken carpenter inadvertently set fire to wood shavings in his workshop. Whether this is true or not, Ren’s half-timbered houses have survived only on the streets of the Old Town, the most picturesque of which are rue St-Michel and rue St-Georges, located north of the tourist office.

From the city fortifications of Ren, only a few gates have survived, which are associated with the coronation ceremonies of the Dukes of Breton. The dukes lived permanently in Nantes and arrived in Rennes only during the coronation. The coronation procession encamped at the city walls, and then through Portes Mordelaises Gate, which were preserved on the street of the same name, followed the cathedral. Survived and Triumphal Gate of the Future Dukes of Brittany (Porte Triomphale des futurs ducs de Bretagne).

Long Place des Lices- this is medieval Rennes. Once upon a time, knightly tournaments were held here, where the star of 17-year-old Bertrand du Guesclin rose, but now the main event is the Saturday market (the pavilions were built by the local architect Martenot, who imitated the Parisian “womb” of Victor Baltard).

Most impressive architectural ensemble is located pl. de la Mairie, which is limited on the east by the city hall building, and on the west by the city theater (Theater de Ville) and pl. du Palais. In the northern part of the square stands Palace of the Parliament of Brittany (Palais du Parlement de Bretagne), which can be visited on a guided tour.

The building of the Parliament began to be built by the architect Glautier in 1618, but it acquired its appearance after Salomon de Brosses (author of the Luxembourg Palace in Paris) rebuilt the facade in 1655. The most famous masters of that time took part in decorating the palace. The stacked wooden ceiling of the Meeting Room (Grande Chambre) was designed and installed by Charles Erard. The decoration of the premises was completed only in 1709. Since 1804, the Court of Appeal of Rennes has been sitting in the building of the former parliament (abolished in 1790). Subsequently, the palace was rebuilt several times; Thus, under Louis Philippe I, one of the walls was dismantled so that police vans with criminals could enter the court. In 1883, the courthouse was declared a national treasure after restoration.

On February 5, 1994, during a demonstration by fishermen protesting against tax increases, one of the protesters accidentally set fire to parliament with a flare. Due to the demonstration that continued at night, firefighters were not immediately able to approach the building. Despite the fact that the roof collapsed, some of the tapestries and works of art that decorated the interior of the palace were saved. The restoration took 5 years and cost 35 (according to other sources - 54) million euros. Now the building has been completely restored, but during the restoration they deliberately left traces of this fire.

In the external and internal design of the palace, the main role is played by two themes - the power of law and the union of France and Brittany. The roof is crowned with gilded allegorical figures of Strength, Law, Eloquence and Justice. The balustrade is decorated with alternating coats of arms of Brittany (ermine) and France (fleur-de-lis). Before the fire in 1994, the supporting structures were wooden; after restoration they were made metal.

The main staircase leads to the second floor (“floor of the nobility”, according to Western European accounts - the first), the first floor in the old days served as a prison, it is not decorated, and has an entrance only from the courtyard. Among the court premises restored after a catastrophic fire are extensive court lobbies, a hexagonal Great Chamber, council chambers of the Grand Chamber, Court of Appeal, jury trial. In all these halls, the ceilings are richly decorated with allegorical paintings and coats of arms, and there are tapestries on the walls of many halls.

Tourist excursions are organized around the Parliament of Brittany. In 2003, 30 thousand people visited it.

Before the revolution pl. du Palais was called Royal (pl. Royale). Then it served as a kind of “frame” for the equestrian statue of Louis XIV (destroyed during the revolution). The City Hall complex (Hotel de Ville, architect Gabriel) includes the town hall (1722), the Palace of Justice and the clock tower.

West of pl. de la Mairie goes to rue St-Georges. She goes out to Cathedral of Saint-Pierre.
How does it work: 9.00-12.00 and 14.00-19.00.
The modern cathedral was built in the 17th century. The neoclassical interior is distinguished by an abundance of gilded decor.

North of the cathedral is worth exploring Maison du Giechlin– the home of a famous Breton knight of the 14th century. It is decorated with stone carvings, which, unfortunately, have suffered greatly over time.

Museum of Brittany and Museum of Fine Arts (Musee de Bretagne, Musee des Beaux-Arts)
Where are they located?: 20, quai Emile Zola, in the University building.
How they work: 10.00-12.00 and 14.00-18.00. Closed on Tuesday.
Price issue: 4 euros and 6 euros, you can buy single ticket to 2 museums – 8 euros.
What to look at: The Museum of Brittany displays exhibits related to the history, culture and customs of the region. In 2003, the exhibition was updated. In "zarechny" southern region there is a new building of the Museum of the History of Brittany (2003, architect Christian Porzampard; a huge exhibition dedicated to everything related to the region).

In the Museum of Fine Arts, the Picasso room is noteworthy, as well as Rubens' "Tiger Hunt", "Born Again" by Georges de la Tour, "Perseus Saving Andromeda" by Veronese, drawings by Leonardo da Vinci and paintings by artists of the Pontaven school.

In the eastern part of the city, city parks can be distinguished. First - Parc du Thabor, with an area of ​​10 hectares, which was landscaped in the 19th century. Interesting are the metal lace gazebos, the monumental staircase at the entrance, the rose garden, and the botanical garden.

Parc Oberthur smaller, but more comfortable. Nearby are the Saint-Georges Palace - an administrative building, which is a restored 17th-century abbey with 19 arcades, and the new Magellan residential complex on the banks of the Vilen - four snow-white seven-story buildings in the shape of ships built by Alan Sarfati.

Nature lovers can go to Bintin farm (ferme de la Bintinais). Here you will find the Eco-Museum of Brittany, where you can see traditional Breton dwellings, a garden of Breton flora, black and white roosters (a special local clucking breed) and a display of the cider making process.

The installation “Megaliths of the 21st Century” is also interesting.

Neighborhood

Becherel– the picturesque town stands on a hill 176 m high and is famous for two things: the Caradoc castle (1723, built for the royal prosecutor of Brittany with the chic corresponding to the official rank; a park with statues around the castle can well be considered the younger brother of Versailles) and the phenomenon of the “book capital” France", born recently (since 1989, a book festival has been held in Bechrel every Easter, and in the summer there is a book market on every first Sunday of the month).

Caradoc Castle.

Chateaugiron- a typical provincial town with a castle, clock tower, half-timbered buildings, parks and a lake.

Langon– the local chapel of Sainte-Agathe is unique (it was converted from an ancient Roman tomb), and the church is one of the oldest in the country (IX century).

Loheac– a rural echo of the nearby city of Le Mans. Here you can visit the sports car museum. His collection contains about 250 samples of different ages and nationalities; nearby there is a workshop for the restoration of old cars.

Rennes is the capital of Brittany, and this is where we started our cycling trip French region. I’ll say right away that I expected a little more from the capital, but Rennes did not live up to my expectations. As I understand it, the main problem is that at the beginning of the 18th century the city center burned down, so not much of my favorite half-timbered timber and other antiquities have survived here. I’ll probably leave most of the antiquities for the next episode, but now I’ll tell you what else you can see in Rennes besides my favorite lopsided half-timbered houses.

Making a map with the sights of any city in France is not the most rewarding task; there are excellent tourist offices in every village, so you can always find your way around normally even without prior preparation. But still, for the sake of order, I will continue to post them, especially since I already had them ready at the stage of preparation for the trip.

A short introduction to the topic of how we got to Rennes from Moscow. Let me remind you that the trip around Brittany was planned as a bicycle trip, and with my own bicycles, which had to be brought from Moscow. To make my life as easy as possible, I bought a direct Aeroflot ticket to Paris. Further to Rennes from Charles de Gaulle Airport there was a direct high-speed TGV train, i.e. it was possible to go straight from the plane to Brittany without stopping in.

I often manage to literally jump into doors that are slamming in front of my nose, such is my slobby nature. But at the same time, I have never been late for a plane or train in my life. So, this time we handed in our bikes one (!) minute before the end of registration, but we still made it. I was a little worried that because of this they would forget to load the bikes onto the plane, but I relied entirely on Aeroflot, which never let me down.

I think you have already guessed the further course of events, right? Of course, we didn’t get any bikes in Paris. There were some other poor souls from our flight who had lost their baby stroller. In principle, there was no disaster, Aeroflot has four flights to Paris a day, ours was the first, so they should have brought us. But it was a pity for the expensive TGV tickets to Rennes, which were now disappearing.

Having registered the loss of luggage with the sweet girl Irina, whom Aeroflot delegated to the hellish Parisian airport to solve such problems, we calmly went to drink coffee and wander around Charles de Gaulle. By the way, she offered to deliver the bikes to us at our place of residence in France, to which we laughed and showed a plan according to which the place of residence changed every day. The only option is to wait all the way at the airport, and you will be kind enough to notify us when the luggage shows up. And Irina turned out to be kind within literally 15 minutes; we only had time to pour ourselves some coffee. She called me, met me and escorted me back through customs to the arrivals area. On the way, I scolded very much the lazy and stupid Parisian porters, who, it turns out, simply left the luggage somewhere below and did not lift it to the arrivals area. She herself went down to this basement and found our bikes and stroller. In general, Aeroflot did a great job, they worked efficiently, and the French are fools, however, when I saw these loaders, I was also glad that they didn’t take the bikes home, they had such gangster faces.

Thanks to Irina’s efficiency, we still caught the scheduled train to Rennes, with about five to ten minutes left. But out of habit, I was stuck for a very long time in the slow-moving French machine for buying train tickets. A characteristic detail is that no one from the queue behind me tried to help me, they just muttered something and were indignant. Yes, I love the French, you understand. Somewhere in Germany, half a station would have come running to help me even without asking.

The slight deviation from the plan due to this incident did not affect the first day of the trip. We made it safely to Rennes on the next train, fortunately they run every two hours, and checked into a hotel that I wisely chose right opposite the station. Already at six in the evening we managed to go for a walk. And by and large, by eight in the evening we had walked around the main attractions of Rennes. The next morning we rode around Rennes on a bike for a couple more hours and returned to the capital of Brittany on the very last day of our trip, so we still managed to walk around one evening, but we preferred to spend it on local bars. What I mean is that you shouldn’t spend a lot of time on Rennes, half a day here is easy, you can also pop into a couple of museums.

I just read that Rennes turns out to be not such a hole as I thought. The tenth city in France by population for a moment. There is even a metro here, at one time it was the most Small town Europe with its own metro line. But still, if I had very little time for Brittany, I would have thought a hundred times whether to include Rennes in the route; there are much more interesting places here.

Okay, enough ranting, it's time to start walking. Nearest interesting place next to our hotel there was a modern complex called Champs Libres, consisting of the Museum of Brittany, by the way, a very worthy place, judging by the descriptions, a library and a scientific center.

All this modern beauty is located around such a lonely and deserted huge square (Charles de Gaulle Esplanade).

Well, you never expect much beauty from the areas near the station, so we didn’t linger here and went towards the historical center.

On the way we came across strange naked women, or rather the madams themselves were made in a completely classic style, but their coloring, hmm-hmm.

So far typical France. You might think that you are in or in , for example.

The very center of Rennes begins immediately after crossing the Vilaine River.

Much of the center of Rennes is a minicopy. The same grid of identical faceless cream buildings.

Here is also a typical example. Honestly, I’m not a fan of such correct city landscapes.

In this area, the petit basilica of Saint-Sever is of interest. Unfortunately, it was closed when we were there, and this is perhaps the most interesting temple Renna. At least four miracles happened here. Allow me a little copy-paste.

Inside is a statue of Our Lady of Miracles and Virtue. It was installed in 1876 to replace one that had been revered since the 14th century and destroyed during the French Revolution. Popular rumor associates four miraculous events with the statue. The first occurred during the War of the Breton Succession, when Rennes was besieged by British troops. According to legend, on the night of February 8, 1357, the candles in the temple suddenly lit themselves and the bells began to ring. The defenders of the city drew attention to the statue of the Mother of God, which pointed to the ground with a finger. Thus, an underground gallery was discovered through which British troops planned to enter the city. The invasion was prevented.

The second miracle happened in 1720, when during a fire, despite extensive damage and the collapse of the roof, the statue survived. Residents of Rennes were sure that it was she who stopped the fire. The saved residents of the Lis quarter completed a watercolor depiction of the Mother of God as a vow. The original from 1721 is kept in Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle. In the southern side nave of the Basilica of the Holy Savior there is an enlarged version of it.

Another miracle involved the instant healing of a young woman, Marie Richeleau, who had suffered from unbearable pain in her knee for several years. She was miraculously delivered from it during mass on February 18, 1742. A painting depicting these events has been preserved.

A certain Magdalena Maurice was also healed of gangrene on her leg during Easter Mass in 1761, as there is a corresponding entry in the parish register.

The basilica is distinguished by its special interior decoration. The canopy over the main altar and the wrought iron pulpit look especially impressive.

My companion Olka became interested in more mundane matters.

However, more humane streets are starting to come across.

City Hall of Rennes. It was built after the fire of 1720, which destroyed the historical center of the city. The City Hall building immediately set an example for the rest of the city's development.

Interesting structure. Yes, the symmetrical buildings are connected by the Clock Tower. Please note that at the bottom of the tower there is an empty niche. First, a statue of Louis XV was installed there, then after the revolution it was destroyed. At the beginning of the 20th century, a monument was erected here, symbolizing the unification of Brittany and France. The sculptor depicted Brittany as Anne of Brittany... kneeling before a symbolic image of France. It is clear that the local separatists did not like the sculpture at all. And on the 400th anniversary of the unification, right during the holiday, they demonstratively destroyed the monument, which ultimately stood for only twenty years.

At the end of the street, the pretentious Exchange building peeks out.

And right there in the yard you can see such beauty. No matter how Rennes puffs himself up, one still feels his provincialism.

My biggest disappointment was that Cathedral Renna is not at all ancient and gothic, but just so neoclassical.

I wasn't too impressed inside the cathedral either. The most offensive thing is that its main value - the 16th century Flemish altar with 80 figures of saints - was under restoration, and I did not see it.

View of the towers of St. Petra.

Stadiums Square, now here instead knightly tournaments market and cafes.

Rennes has its own bike rental network.

It is very significant that this part of the city is dying out in the evening. Locals they prefer to sit in bars and restaurants in the half-timbered part of Rennes, it is much more comfortable there.

The next attraction of Rennes is the building of the Parliament of Brittany. It was one of the only ones that survived the fire of 1720, but it burned down today. During a demonstration of fishermen (fishermen, Charles!), one of the protesters launched a firecracker, it hit the window of the building and burned it, although not completely, but thoroughly. So the cheap firecracker cost local taxpayers 50 million euros.

On the square in front of the Parliament, I saw the familiar inscription Lumieres. And in France it means that there are light shows in the evening. And sure enough, at ten in the evening they began to project pictures on the Parliament buildings accompanied by music, a fair crowd gathered, in general, it was interesting, but I was too lazy to take pictures.

In Rennes, at the beginning of the century, an amazing public swimming pool was built in the Art Nouveau style.

Square de la Motte.

Palace Saint-Georges.

The historical center is dominated by the modern residential complex Scarlet Sails.

Rennes or Rennes [source not specified 279 days] (French Rennes, Brett. Roazhon) is a city in France, a prefecture of the department of Ille-et-Vilaine and the administrative center of the region of Brittany. The city is located in western France, at the confluence of the Ille and Vilaine rivers. As of 2009, Rennes had a population of 206,229 inhabitants.

Historical reference

The name of the city was given by the Celtic tribe of Redons, who lived here in ancient times. The capital of the Redons, which gave rise to Rennes, stood at the crossroads of the main roads of the Armorica region. The diocese of Rennes dates back to the 4th century. In the Middle Ages, the counts of Rennes challenged the counts of Nantes for supremacy in Brittany. The rivalry between Nantes and Rennes continued after the annexation of Brittany to France at the beginning of the 16th century.

Medieval Rennes was destroyed by the great fire of 1720, but the Palace of the Parliament of Brittany with its lavishly decorated main hall survived. The city center, rebuilt in the 18th century, can serve as an example of the urban planning policy of classicism with wide streets located perpendicular to each other. The city hall represents the ceremonial buildings of the times of Louis XV. At the same time, the Vilen River was canalized.

During the French Revolution, it served as a springboard for the suppression of the Vendée rebellion. During the Second World War, Rennes suffered greatly from the bombing of both the Germans and the Allies: thousands of citizens were killed, many ancient buildings were destroyed, including the city museum.

Attractions

• Monuments civil architecture old order: Palace of the Parliament of Brittany (1618-1655), Rennes Town Hall (1722), university buildings, Episcopal Palace (1672), theater.
• Religious monuments are the Gothic Church of Saint-Aubin and Rennes Cathedral. The latter was founded in the 12th century, partially collapsed in 1490, a new façade was erected in the 16th-17th centuries, dismantled in the 18th century for fear of a new collapse, and by 1844 it was rebuilt in the style of classicism.
• Tabor Botanical Garden, opened to the public in 1868.

Education and culture

In the 19th century, universities (about 60,000 students) consisted of faculties of law, philosophy, physics, mathematics and pharmacy. At the end of the century, the city had a public library (600 thousand volumes), a conservatory, an art school, a teachers' seminary (male and female), and an agricultural school. Currently, the University of Rennes I and the University of Rennes II of Haute-Brittany operate.

On April 25, 2010, the international rock festival Thrash and Burn European Tour 2010.

France is an ideal country for tourists and travelers from all over the world. The developed transport and hotel infrastructure allows you to travel around the whole country and see cities and their attractions quite easily. The climate and weather in the country are mild, there is a beautiful and clean Mediterranean coast, where you can have a beach holiday.

The history of the country is very rich, kings and governments have changed, and each of the links left behind masterpieces of architecture, monuments and much more that tourists are so used to admiring now. Rennes is a city in France that is one of these places. There are historical sights, original culture and traditions of local residents.

Cities of France

The main attraction of France is undoubtedly its capital - Paris. All the main architectural monuments are concentrated here; all history happened in this city. However, France is famous not only for its capital. Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Bordeaux and many other cities are also interesting to visit. For example, Nice and the rest of the coastal cities have always been very famous and popular seaside resorts with a clean coastline, many hotels, restaurants and bars. Lyon is the third largest city in the country and the most attractive for living, according to the ranking of the famous company PricewaterhouseCoopers. Marseille is the business center of the south of France due to its large port, while Bordeaux is famous for its high-quality wine production. This is far from full list popular tourist cities in France.

Rennes France

Information about Rennes

Rennes, or in English transcription Rennes (France) is a city in the west of the country, the center of the Brittany region. The city's population is 221 thousand inhabitants. The settlement is located at the intersection of the Vilen and Ill rivers. Language of communication is French. The current currency is the euro.

Location of the city on the map of France

Rennes has a continental climate with hot and dry summers and relatively warm winters, when temperatures rarely drop below zero degrees Celsius. Spring is warm and precipitation is rare. Autumn is rainy and humid, with most precipitation falling at this time of year.

Average temperature and precipitation per month:

• January - 5.1 °C, 62 mm;
• February - 5.5 °C, 65 mm;
• March - 7.9 °C, 53 mm;
• April - 9.1 °C, 43 mm;
• May - 13.5 °C, 63 mm;
• June - 16.5 °C, 46 mm;
• July - 18.3 °C, 39 mm;
• August - 18.3 °C, 41 mm;
• September - 16.1 °C, 47 mm;
• October - 12.5 °C, 62 mm;
• november - 8.26 °C, 69 mm;
• December - 5.8 °C, 63 mm.

Important! The best time to visit Rennes is from the beginning of May to the end of September, when the temperature does not reach very high levels and there is not much precipitation.

How to get there

Getting to Rennes is no problem even for an inexperienced tourist or traveler. Any type of transport in France is ideally developed; high-speed railways have been laid in almost all cities and run fast trains. Any Big City It has international Airport and bus service across regions and provinces. There are several ways to get to the city:

• Airplane. All tourists and travelers arriving in Rennes by air transport, arrive at Rennes-Saint-Jacques airport. It is located six kilometers from the city and has about 25 flights on its schedule. You can get from the airport to any point in the village by taxi, transfer or by regular bus;
• High speed trains. From Paris and others major cities There are high-speed and regular trains running to Rennes. Their schedule is quite extensive; you can get there from Paris in a few hours;
• Bus. The bus network in France and the Brittany region is very well developed, the buses are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable trip. From the capital the journey will take about 3.5 hours;
• Personal car. You can rent a car at one of the rental points and go to independent travel. This is the most convenient way movement, you can stop at any time and see the attraction you are interested in;
• Metro. There is a metro in Rennes, with its help it is quite convenient to move between interesting objects on one's own.

Important! When traveling on the metro, it is much cheaper to buy a card for several trips than to pay for each one separately.

Attractions, holidays and events

Rennes (France), whose attractions are included in the list national treasure The country is rich in architectural monuments. Among them are the following:

• Palace of the Parliament of Brittany. Built in 1655, the building is used for meetings of the region's parliament. The architect was Germain Gautier. The building was rebuilt several times, since it also houses a court. So that convicts could be brought to the hearings, one of the walls was dismantled. In 1883, the building was included in the list of national treasures of France. In 1994, the building was badly damaged by fire and was restored.

Palace of Parliament of Brittany

• Rennes Cathedral and Saint-Aubin Church. The Gothic-style buildings are iconic religious buildings throughout France. The cathedral was built in 1845 and is decorated with 80 figures of saints.
• University of Rennes in modernist style. There are two universities in the city, which will be interesting to see for lovers of modern architecture.
• Tabor Botanical Garden. Operating since 1868, it is one of the oldest in Europe. Great place for hiking in nature. The garden is planted exotic plants. There is a shop and a hospital on site, and a school is located nearby. A great place to see the life and culture of the local people.

Among the events held in the city, one can highlight the market, which meets once a week for central square: You can buy a lot of interesting goods and souvenirs there.

Interesting! IN botanical garden Every summer there is a flower festival that will be interesting to admire. For football fans, it is recommended to attend a match of the local team Rönn, which plays in the major league.

• There is a metro in Rennes. It is noteworthy that all cars are completely tire-driven and operate without drivers.
• There are several very stylish apartment hotels in the city. Among them we can highlight Aparthotel Adagio Access Rennes Centre. This is a luxurious hotel with excellent interior design and luxurious furnishings.
• Locals have great respect for tourists who try to reach out to them. French. It is recommended to have a phrasebook with you to make a translation.

Rennes is a very popular city among tourists and travelers. It is of great importance for the culture of France. The transport and tourism infrastructure is well developed, making it easy to visit this hospitable city.