FRANCE - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 203

The part of the wooden town destroyed by that fire was rebuilt with granite
arches and stone along well-ordered lines. Gabriel, architect to the French king
Louis XV, then designed a new Town Hall. Thus, Rennes developed its “New Town”
that stands yet today and awaits your inspection following your arrival in its ul-
tramodern train station designed specifically for the high-speed TGV Atlantique.
Rennes's aesthetic value embraces its vibrant past, present, and future by offering
visitors a wealth of architectural variety. It rightfully claims to be one of the prettiest
cities in Brittany.
With a population of 200,000, Rennes describes itself as youthful, well estab-
lished, and dynamic. Well equipped with prestigious theater and museum facilities
and augmented with a city orchestra and the National Centre for Dramatic Art,
the city plays a major role in the cultural activities of the region.
In the first week of July, during the Tombées de la Nuit (Summer Festival),
Old Rennes is illuminated with spotlights while ballets, songs, plays, or visual-arts
presentations are performed. Daytime attractions include the contemporary archi-
tecture of the Law Courts, Le Triangle , and the cultural center. Saturday mornings
are always special with the open-air market.
Guided tours depart from the main tourist information office at Pont de Nemours
daily at 1100 (also at 2100 on Tuesday and Thursday) and at 1500 July 1 through
August 31. City tours in English are offered Wednesday at 1500 during summer
months.
Evenings in Rennes are pleasant. The city is home to numerous eating places
offering a wide range of local or exotic cuisine—each establishment exhibiting a
character all its own. Located close to the Atlantic Ocean as well as the English
Channel, Rennes offers a selection of seafood second to none. For fine seafood
served in an authentic 15th-century house, dine at l'Auberge St. Sauveur, at 6
rue St. Sauveur ( Tel: [phone]). As this is a university city, the bars in rue
Saint-Michel and rue Saint-Malo attract the younger set, and there are plenty of
concerts, plays, or films to keep the elders fully occupied, too.
TGV Atlantique service to Rennes opens up another day-excursion opportunity,
Mont-Saint-Michel, one of the great wonders of France. Operated by Les Courriers
Bretons, a special luxury bus runs between the rail station in Rennes to Mont-
Saint-Michel, taking only 1 hour and 10 minutes. The bus runs daily during summer
and Friday through Sunday during the balance of the year. For details check with
the House of Brittany in Paris, the Tourist Information Office in Rennes, or Les
Courriers Breton in Saint Malo ( Tel: [phone]); www.lescourriersbretons.com .