Rennes, a city on the rise
The city of Rennes has been designated as city of Art and History and offers a number of major cultural sites (opera, theaters, symphony orchestras, the Parliament, museums, libraries, etc.). Like the university, the cultural programming of the city and the region is constantly changing and diverse.
Over the last decade, the city has heavily invested in urban revitalisation of the city-centre and the surrounding infrastructure. These ambitious plans, combined with the rich cultural and social offering of the city, has produced substantial results. For a number of years, the city of Rennes has been steadily climbing the ranks of the most desirable cities for quality of life in French surveys. In 2018, Rennes was named as the most-enjoyable French city in which to live.
The New York Times also recently published an article titled, "36 Hours in Rennes and St.-Malo."
In 2020, Rennes was named as one of the most student-friendly French cities in which to live!
Every year, the magazine l'Etudiant ranks the most student-friendly French cities. For this year's edition, a total of 44 cities were screened in terms of five major criteria: attractiveness, education, student life, living environment and employment. Criteria such as air quality, the presence of night transportation and the proportion of international students were also taken into account.
Brittany, a region to discover
While Rennes may be the urban centre of the region, it’s far from being the only place with interesting things to do in Brittany. The region’s cities and ports have put tourism and culture at the top of the agenda. They’re jam-packed with interesting things to do. Brittany has an exceptional number of charming cathedral cities, what the French call cités de caractère, perfect for carefree weekend getaways.
Brittany has also preserved a fair amount of its natural country heritage, notably its small characteristic farms, courtyards, tidal mills and windmills. With nearby destinations like:
Rennes is now easily accessible by a high-speed train which connects it to Paris in less than 90 minutes.
