What to See in Rennes, France: Free Audio Guide

Rennes is the capital of Brittany, a city shaped by medieval streets, classical architecture and a long cultural history. Its half-timbered houses, historic churches, market halls and museums make it one of the most rewarding places to explore in Brittany. Neywo has a free audio guide for Rennes with 104 narrated places, so you can discover the city while walking at your own pace.

What to See in Rennes

Rennes Cathedral

Saint Peter’s Cathedral, or Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, stands in the heart of Rennes. Its imposing granite façade and classical interior reflect centuries of rebuilding. The cathedral’s history reaches back to the sixth century, while the present building was completed in 1845 after successive interruptions and reconstructions.

The façade was built in four stages between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, and its two towers rise to 48 metres. Today, the cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Rennes, Dol and Saint-Malo, and one of Brittany’s nine historic cathedrals.

The Palace of the Parlement of Brittany

The Palace of the Parlement of Brittany is one of Rennes’ most important heritage buildings. Built in 1655 under the direction of Salomon de Brosse, it became the seat of Brittany’s Parlement, where the province’s nobles defended their rights and privileges.

The building survived the Great Fire of 1720 and has served as a Court of Appeals since 1804. Its interior is especially remarkable: the Great Chamber features a coffered ceiling decorated with painted canvases by Noël Coypel. The palace stands on Parlement Square, close to Town Hall Square.

Place de la Mairie and the Rennes Opera House

Place de la Mairie brings together two of Rennes’ best-known civic and cultural landmarks: the town hall and the Opéra de Rennes. The opera house occupies the eastern side of the square, directly facing the town hall.

Designed by Charles Millardet and built in the 1830s, it is an Italian-style theatre with a horseshoe-shaped auditorium. Its first performance took place on February 29, 1836. The elegant façade and roof have been protected as historic monuments since 1961, and the entire building was listed in 1975.

Église Saint-Germain

The Église Saint-Germain stands beside Place Saint-Germain in Rennes’ historic new town. Construction lasted from the fifteenth century into the seventeenth, giving the church its flamboyant Gothic character.

Inside, it preserves the oldest stained-glass window in Rennes. Its organ is also considered one of the finest in the city, adding a musical dimension to the church’s architectural history.

Saint George Palace and the Abbey of Saint-Georges

Saint George Palace occupies the site of the former Benedictine Abbey of Saint George, founded between 1024 and 1034 by Alain III, Duke of Brittany. The abbey was established for his sister Adèle, who became its first abbess, and remained a community for women religious until the French Revolution.

The palace was built in 1670 as a replacement for the older abbey residence. Its long gallery is framed by nineteen windows set into granite arches, with a double staircase leading up to it. At each end, a pavilion rises beneath the mansard roof. The façade also preserves the name of the abbess who commissioned the rebuilding in its ironwork.

Hôtel de Blossac

The Hôtel de Blossac is a grand private mansion built in 1728, after the fire that devastated Rennes in 1720. Designed for Louis Gabriel de La Bourdonnaye, Count of Blossac, the building is attributed to the architect Jacques Gabriel.

Two wings frame the central courtyard, while the garden side has a formal façade and entrance staircase. On the courtyard side, a ceremonial staircase combines marble columns and wrought-iron balustrades. A statue of Themis, the goddess of justice, is set into the wall. For almost two centuries, the mansion served as the official residence of the commander-in-chief of Brittany.

Halles Martenot and Place des Lices

Place des Lices is one of Rennes’ liveliest historic squares. Before it became a market, it was a tournament ground: the name refers to the barriers that separated medieval knights during contests. The site became a market in 1622 and developed into the square seen today in 1658.

The Halles Martenot house the Marché des Lices, one of France’s largest farmers’ markets. Since 1622, producers and artisans have gathered here on Saturday mornings. The two iron-and-brick market halls have stood on the square for more than a century and a half, continuing a tradition closely associated with daily life in Rennes.

Notre-Dame-en-Saint-Melaine

At the northeastern edge of the medieval centre, Notre-Dame-en-Saint-Melaine occupies the site traditionally linked to Saint Melaine, the city’s first bishop. It was once the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery and later became a parish church.

Between 1803 and 1844, while Rennes Cathedral awaited reconstruction, the church served as the city’s pro-cathedral. Its architecture combines a medieval nave and transept with later Gothic details and a classical bell tower. The tower was heightened in 1855 and crowned with a dome and a gilded statue of the Virgin, now one of Rennes’ recognizable landmarks.

Basilique Saint-Sauveur

The Basilique Saint-Sauveur is a Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Miracles and Virtues. Its origins reach back to before the twelfth century, although the present building was rebuilt in an eighteenth-century classical style between 1703 and 1768.

Inside, look for the baldachin over the high altar, the ornate wrought-iron pulpit, the organ and the numerous ex-votos. These offerings reflect the church’s long history of devotion to the Virgin Mary and the events regarded as miraculous.

Théâtre du Vieux Saint-Étienne

The Théâtre du Vieux Saint-Étienne began as the church of Saint-Étienne, dating from the twelfth century. It once served as the chapel of an Augustinian convent and still retains elements of its religious past.

The building stands below Place Sainte-Anne, opposite the former Ambroise Paré military hospital. It was classified as a historical monument in 1926 and now serves as a theatre.

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes

The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes occupies the former University Palace on Quai Émile Zola. The building dates from 1847, while the museum’s collection was established in 1794 from artworks confiscated during the French Revolution.

Its holdings were expanded by the collection of Christophe-Paul de Robien, president of the Parlement of Brittany. The museum now brings together works ranging from ancient Egyptian artefacts to modern art, including drawings, prints, paintings, antiquities and sculptures.

Église Toussaints

The Église Toussaints began as the chapel of Saint Thomas College, built between 1624 and 1651. Its architecture reflects the Counter-Reformation Baroque style and the influence of the Jesuits.

In 1803, it became a parish church, replacing an older Église Toussaints located nearby. Its balanced classical proportions make it a quieter but significant stop in the centre of Rennes.

Explore Rennes with a Self-Guided Audio Tour

A Rennes self-guided walking tour is an easy way to connect the city’s monuments without following a group. Neywo offers four walking tours, one bus route and one bike route in Rennes. Together, they cover routes from 1.2 to 3 km and from 12 to 87 minutes, with between 7 and 10 narrated stops per tour.

The walks include the city rebuilt after the 1720 fire, the market halls and cathedral, the half-timbered squares and Thabor gardens, and the museums and theatres around the Champs Libres. The bus route covers 2.7 km in 12 minutes with 7 stops, while the bike route covers 3 km in 15 minutes with 7 stops.

Download Neywo and explore Rennes with a free audio guide. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Its narration is available in 11 languages. You can also continue discovering Brittany with Saint-Malo or Vannes, or browse the wider guide to France.