2022 - September - Rennes

Rennes is the capital of Brittany and is located in the top left of France, it looks like a peninsula and is directly on the Atlantic Ocean.

With this information in mind, we also thought of rough coastal climate and cliffs when it comes to Rennes. However, the city is far from that, as it is located inland and exudes a very urban lifestyle. The metro alone is remarkable, it is highly modern and efficient. Additionally, everything is well-maintained and clean. Furthermore, public transportation is also expanded with buses.

In addition, Rennes is a very young city with many students. There are small bistros and bars everywhere, filled with young people. And there are noticeably many 'nerdy shops'. By that I mean stores that offer merchandise for movie fans (e.g. Harry Potter broomsticks), gamers (typical Big Bang games), or even music CDs or LPs (vintage stuff). With about 68,000 students out of 220,000 inhabitants, this might not be surprising.

But the city also has a rich history. It actually had different names throughout the centuries: The Romans knew it as Condate, the Celts as Resnn, and it is called Roazhon in Breton. In fact, Breton is still very important for the population. There are many bilingual street signs and the language is partly taught again.

And did you know that Bretagne means 'Little Britain' and comes from the fact that immigrants from the British Isles named it that?

So you can wander here on historical traces and enter, for example, through the old city gate. Rennes is also well-known for its half-timbered houses. They may look crooked and uneven, but they have successfully withstood centuries in this condition.

In fact, the old town can be explored entirely on foot. You can easily add a walk along the quay as well. And if you want, you can relax in the beautiful Thabor Park.

In any case, Rennes is not overcrowded with tourists and is a nice stopover to places like Saint-Malo.

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