Rennes, Gateway to Brittany (but worth a visit for itself too!)
Brittany, France is on my radar. Is it on yours?
Some people aren’t sure where Brittany is, like a woman I spoke to just today about France. In the past, Brittany wasn’t on my radar as much other places, except for two towns I knew I loved…St. Malo and Dinan. This year, Brittany was my theme region for my trip, and I can wholeheartedly say, now I’m a FAN.
I began my trip with a few days in Paris. As much as I love Paris, when I left the bustle, noise, and crowds to travel to Brittany, I encountered a peaceful smaller-town contrast and rhythm. I felt less hurried. Though it’s a popular area for French and other European tourists, Brittany offers a gentler contrast, with smaller towns, rolling hills, and unique cuisine.
After a one-and-a-half-hour train ride, we started our journey in the city of Rennes. Rennes is the largest city in Brittany and its capital. I expected a large, impersonal city with little character because I knew an 18th-century fire had destroyed parts of the city. But my expectation was wrong! I was delighted with Rennes! Much of the Old Town was preserved. There’s a lot of history evident on every street of the Old Town, as these photos will show you. Half-timbered buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries line many of the streets in central Rennes.
Note: Before leaving on the trip, I stated I would be posting on Facebook and Instagram during the trip, to give photos of each step of the trip. Unfortunately, I was unable to access Instagram on either my phone or laptop, so I only was able to post on Facebook. My apologies to anyone who was searching IG for a photo! I plan to make up for that now that I’m back and able to post again.
The Saint Pierre Cathedral is worth seeing, with its Neoclassical façade. In a different style, visit the Basilica de Notre Dame de Bonne Nouvelle, which has a more attractive exterior.
I had my first crêpe of the trip in Rennes at a place recommended by someone at the tourist office. You may remember that crêpes come from Brittany. That reminds me to say that dropping in at a tourist office in whatever town you’re visiting is a great way to get oriented and learn about the must-see features.
In Rennes, there’s a simple metro, called STAR, with two lines (A and B) that get you easily from the train station into the center of the Old Town. It also covers buses. Short-term bike rentals are also available all over town. I recommend getting a hotel or apartment rental near the Old Town so you can easily access the best of Rennes.
You can get one ticket for 1€70 which lasts one hour. You can do a lot in that period, especially if you have a couple of short errands. You can also charge your STAR card with a few trips. Day passes are also available for 1, 3, or 7 consecutive days. Currently, one day is 4€70, and a 3-day pass costs 13€10.
On the eastern side of the Old Town is the Parc Thabor, an extensive green space that includes grassy areas to take a nap or have a picnic, canals, a kids’ play area, walking paths, and fountains. Of course, trees everywhere provide shade and flowers bloom in manicured areas.
If you want to do Rennes justice, I recommend two nights (or more). That will give you time to wander the medieval paths, take in some crêpes and street entertainment, and visit the monuments, parks, and the Brittany Museum as well.
Not far from Rennes and an easy drive are the smaller towns of Vitré and Fougères. Vitré is the smaller of the two. After a night in Rennes, we picked up a rental car at the train station and were on our way to Vitré. Despite the small size of the town, there is a significant 11th–century fortress you can visit. Admission is 7€. Get a ticket in the gift shop.
Vitre
After your visit, you can stroll up and down several charming streets with the help of a suggested walking tour on the map you can get at the tourist office. You’ll find several eateries scattered around, especially on the Rue d’En Bas (or the Lower Road.)
Fougeres
The last stop for the day on this part of the journey was Fougères. Though the town is larger than Vitré, it is still rather small to boast the largest fortress in Europe. The fortress is truly large, extending in a big circle visible around the town. You can walk on the town ramparts to get a great view of the town and fortress.
One of the purposes of the trip was to get more detailed information about each town on the Brittany Road trip described in the book, Hit the Road in France. The entire book will be updated, not only Brittany, within about a month, so stay tuned!
Also, stay tuned for more posts about my trip to Brittany. There’s more to discover and to share!
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