Best Things To Do in Rennes, France

Are you looking for what to do in Rennes?

PLACES TO SEE

  • Thabor: A beautiful nature park with many species of flora and fauna. It is a popular tourist attraction within the city.
  • Le Parlement: A 17th century structure overlooking the stately town square.
  • Historic centre: An ancient centre located on the ramparts of the hill, and is one of the most important places to see in Rennes.
  • Hotel de Blossac: An 18th century townhouse located in the historic centre of the city.
  • Notre-Dame-en-Saint-Melaine basilica: A church dedicated to St. Melaine, constructed between the 11th and 17th centuries.

GUIDED TOURS

  • A tour of the Parlement: A tour of the parliament and town hall along with experienced travel guides. You need to book the tickets in prior at the tourist information centre’s box-office. 11, rue Saint-Yves - 35000 Rennes.

The French Ministry of Culture gives certification to tour guides who offer tours of various places in the city.

Below we have a list of things to do in Rennes and the places where you want to spend the best moments of your trip. At the same time, the city offers you the best neighborhoods to explore and new foods to try.

This list should help you in deciding and prioritizing what you should plan on your Rennes getaway. Find a mix of must-see tourist spots, underrated local hangouts, and maybe even a few new experiences you can try out.

Make the most of your trip to Rennes with confidence.

Tourist Attractions in Rennes

Here is the list of things to do in Rennes and tourist attractions in city.

  1. Parc Du Thabor

    4.7 (561 Votes)
    Parc Du Thabor

    Park

    This is one of the best garden parks you’ll ever see. Built into Rennes’ highest hill, it’s not very large – only about ten hectares – but even so, it has a great wealth of plants. The park gets its name from Mt. Tabor in Israel, the place where Christians believe Jesus was transfigured. Exotic trees, fountains, circular pathways, rose gardens, French gardens, Engl...Read more
  2. Parlement De Bretagne

    Ancient Ruin, Historical Site

    This was the court of Justice during France’s old regime. Today, you’ll only find the last building of the parliament still standing; it houses the court of justice. The interior décor is very royal, Parisian, and 17th century. The gilded wood panelling is superb. Then Grand Chamber, with its French style ceilings, is exquisite. It’s a beautiful, beautiful palace.
  3. Centre Historique De Rennes

    Ancient Ruin, Historical Site, Market, Heritage Building

    In 1720, a fire raged through Rennes and burnt most of the old city down. There are still some of the really old buildings around though. You’ll find random groups of half-timbered houses around Place Ste-Anne. On Saturday mornings you can visit Place des Lices for one of the region’s biggest weekly markets (did you know they once held jousting competitions here)? Check out Port Mor...Read more
  4. Brain

    4.8 (213 Votes)
    Brain

    Entertainment, Games

    Escaping dungeons remains a past time lost to history (or confined to video games). But you can experience just a bit of the same thrill in this terrific puzzle room challenge. Don’t be afraid of cramped or dark spaces. The handling crew is great. Just make sure you go with friends – it’s better. 
  5. Cathedrale Saint-pierre De Rennes

    Religious Site, Cathedral

    This lovely neo-classical 19th century Roman Catholic Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Rennes. It’s not the first building on the site – the first cathedral here was built in the 6th century. From the outside, it looks sombre and granite. It’s when you step in though, that the sheer sumptuous decorations blow you mind – rare marble, and gilt, and stucco, and pa...Read more
  6. Musee Des Beaux-arts

    4.3 (290 Votes)
    Musee Des Beaux-arts

    Art Museum, Museum

    Outside of Paris, this is one of France’s most important fine arts museums. It has a brilliant collection of prints, paintings and drawings. The paintings are mostly between the 14th and 20th centuries, with a truly rich 17th century collection. Most of the paintings are from the French and Italian Schools. There is also a small antiquity collection – Egyptian, Greek and Roman. 
  7. Parc Des Gayeulles

    4.4 (409 Votes)
    Parc Des Gayeulles

    Park

    Rennes’ largest park is mostly forested fields and five lakes. It is a pleasant enough outdoorsy place – fitness trails, tree climbing equipment, sports courts (tennis, squash, soccer, rugby), pedal boats, a skating rink, a swimming area, campgrounds, and two gardens, and even a farm with animals. Outside the farm, you’ll find squirrel, deer, ducks and rabbits. Come and have a...Read more
  8. La Roche-aux-fees

    4.5 (382 Votes)
    La Roche-aux-fees

    Outdoors, Geological Formation, Ancient Ruin, Historical Site

    Rennes may not have the same megalithic richness that central and western Brittany are renowned for, but this Dolmen holds it own reputation. It is basically a 20 metre long passage of purple-hued stone. The stone was mined from Theil-de-Bretagne, only a few miles away, 5000 years ago! They’re call the Rock of the Fairies, because it’s believed that only fairy magic could have moved...Read more
  9. Spa Aquatonic

    4.2 (319 Votes)
    Spa Aquatonic

    Leisure, Spa

    There’s three parts to this – the Aquatonic, the Spa and the Fitness. The centre is arranged in the form of various logical and natural ‘course’ packages. Water exercises, sauna, steam room, hammam, massage, aromatherapy, gymming… there’s nothing they don’t try and provide. The staff is wonderful. A day here is one of the best ways to pamper yourself i...Read more
  10. Ecomusee Du Pays De Rennes

    4.4 (113 Votes)
    Ecomusee Du Pays De Rennes

    Museum

    This farm is one of the oldest in Brittany–it was founded about seven centuries ago! Its museum, traces the development of Rennes, especially it’s rural surroundings, from the 12th century to the present through areas such as science, tech, nutrition and agriculture. The museum has gardens, orchards, an apiary and fields of traditional crops. There’s also a mini-farm of sorts ...Read more
  11. Esplanade Charles-de-gaulle

    Leisure, Square, Shopping Center

    Not quite as glamorous as its namesake in Montpellier, this large square is nevertheless popular with the locals and an excellent place to people watch. Concerts and flashmobs are regular occurrences. You can catch popular sporting events here – they’re projected on giant screens. A number of cool looking buildings surround the place, and also a couple of shopping centres. It’...Read more
  12. Musee De Bretagne

    4.3 (282 Votes)
    Musee De Bretagne

    History Museum

    This history and ethnography museum was begun in 1794, when confiscations and spoils from the Revolution were moved from place to place, in search for a permanent home. Today, it’s 200,000 objects and about 400,000 negatives and prints make up an incredibly rich collection. The permanent exhibit spans from the prehistoric age to WWII. The presentation is excellent! The temporary exhibits ...Read more
  13. Marche Des Lices

    4.6 (76 Votes)
    Marche Des Lices

    Market, Street Market, Street Food

    1483, that was the first time this market was held. It has changed forms many times since then, and its current form was established in 1965. Farmers, florists and artisans all descend here on Saturday mornings to sell their stuff – it’s easily the most exciting time of the week in Rennes. Meats, cheese, baked goods, confections, fish – everything the local life needs for the ...Read more
  14. Place De La Mairie

    Outdoors, Food And Drinks, Cafe, Restaurant

    The mayor of Rennes refers to both – the city hall building and the elected officials who work there. It’s enough to see the building from the outside. What you’ll really love here square, which is a popular gathering place, and surrounded by beautiful buildings like the City Hall and the Opera. There are cafes and shops a-plenty nearby, and eating at any one of the terraces i...Read more
  15. Jardins Rocambole

    4.5 (82 Votes)
    Jardins Rocambole

    Outdoors, Garden, Park, Picnic Spot

    About 20km south east of Rennes, this small but highly unusual ecological park mixes science and botany. It’s mostly for kids. There’s a herb garden, solar greenhouse dome, water circuits, an aromatic garden, a picnic area, giant board games and so on. There is a recycling exhibit; frescoed paths; old abandoned machines; and flowering gardens. You’ll also see some willow and c...Read more