Rennes in 10 Days- Summer Festivals, Places to Visit and 11 Delicious Desserts to try !
RENNES
Rennes, is a Capital City in Brittany, located in Northwestern France. Stepping into the streets of this intriguing city felt like stepping into a beautiful fairy-tale! The narrow maze of cobbled streets, fascinating cathedrals and churches, and little quaint restaurants serving some of the best classic French cuisine (you will experience ever!) will take you back in time allowing you to experience the laid-back, fascinating Northern French culture, that is a whole lot different from the fast paced Parisian culture!
People so laid back and enjoying a music band perform.
People in Brittany hardly speak or understand any English (so be prepared for a culture shock) but you will survive and learn a sentence or two in the process 🙂
TRANSPORT FROM PARIS– We took the TGV (speed train) from Paris, Gare Montparness Station to Rennes Station. As it was out first regional train in France our inbound travel was by first class. Very comfortable and plenty of luggage space. Our return journey was in the general class, the obvious difference was the leg space. Still very comfortable for the 2 hour journey.
WHERE WE STAYED– We stayed at Novotel Spa Rennes Centre Gare that is conveniently located and walkable to the Rennes Train station. The family rooms are luxurious in comparison to Paris- we were given a two story loft for the same single room price paid in Paris. The service though, is as crappy as it can get! The hotel was short on staff and room service was always delayed. Expect 40-60 minutes for a bottle of water to be delivered to your room-like that bad! They hardly spoke or understood any English and we found it difficult to address our concerns. The hotel though is pretty luxurious and comfortable with an indoor pool (that the kids loved) and spa. It is located very central and close to many touristic sites like the Old Town, Thabur Park and Champs Library with the museum is only one block away!….. The area is abundant in restaurants , many of which are open way past midnight !! 🙂
USEFUL APPS– Trainline Eu (formerly Captain Train) app allows you to conveniently book your tickets online.
- Google play- Download Here for Android
- iTunes- Download Here for iPhone
If you are looking to indulge in Classic French food culture, visit Brittany!!! You wont want to leave this City…. especially after eating this classic Brittany grilled four- cheese toast (bottom left in the picture) !
The “French” fries tasted so good- lighter, crispier and so fresh !!
These are some of my favorite foods from Rennes…. the list goes on! I’m trying to focus on “Desserts” here, so let’s move on 😉
SUMMER FESTIVALS IN RENNES
We were lucky to witness and experience the two biggest festivals of Rennes, One of which was the Summer Music Festival where the first day of summer is marked with a full city holiday shut down and the entire city comes out to the streets for fun, laughter, food and music…
As we strolled around the bustling streets, we saw bands perform and groups or people cheering around in little groups….. Every nook and corner had a band or music group perform! ….around these groups were local food stalls selling fresh crepes. This event went past midnight , we could still hear the music, cheers and laughter as we returned to our hotel!
The other big event that seemed more like festival was the Foot Ball Match!!!….. where France was hosting the world series this time ! The best part of this event was that Televisions were put up (hostel by restaurants) on the streets where all the people gathered with their beer and street food to cheer for their country. We celebrated with them the semi-finals, where France won. Unbelievable energy through those 90 minutes, a memory we still treasure !
Next come the sights and desserts experienced during our stay in Rennes. Enjoy reading !! 🙂
Sathya Kandasamy
September 20, 2016
Appetizing food pictures!!!! Beautifully written too…
Thulashitha RD
September 20, 2016
Thank you Sathya ! 🙂
Vanessa G
September 30, 2016
Hey Thula,
I love love love these desserts… I’ve never had the last one but I can imagine it already….
About the vanilla… I’ve used Vanilla beans to make my Eggnog for Christmas… and it’s super rich and addictive… mostly because I hate essence… so if you can’t get the bean itself… it’s always really handy to use Real Vanilla EXTRACT. You also get the artificial extract that doesn’t even come close..
As for the dessert….. I waaaaaaannnttt!!!!
Bharu
September 20, 2016
Reading through this I felt I was there with you . I’m sure your personal accounts will help many travelers who are lucky enough to find your blog 🙂
Thulashitha RD
September 20, 2016
Thank you Bharu ! 🙂
ugohawkk
February 10, 2020
When visiting Rennes, the Thabor gardens are a must-see of Brittany s capital. This nature-filled setting also has a little outside terrace to have a drink, a coffee, lunch, enjoy the traditional market menu on a Saturdays or a brunch on Sundays. Its name? La Terrasse, quite simply. With its 300 seats, it is one of the largest in town, facing South and therefore in the full sun all day. The tall trees offer a few pleasantly shaded spots, where you can gaze out on the stunning flower gardens and music pavilion. Located at the northern entrance, just next to the orange grove, La Terrasse is a chic yet relaxed cafe where you can have lunch or a cup of tea in a quiet setting.
Medicaltourismby.com
March 3, 2020
Clafoutis is a flan-like dessert cake that is usually made with black cherries. It s from the Limousin region so if you re ever in that neighborhood, give it a try.