1. Visit Rennes on foot
Rennes is easy to visit on foot. The old town with its pedestrian backstreets are perfect for exploring as a family. The beautiful timber-framed houses, with all their intricate details and sculptured façades, are sure to captivate adults and children alike. If you want to delve deeper into the heritage, there are a number of guided tours offered by the Tourist Information Centre throughout summer. Iconic buildings such as the Parlement de Bretagne (Parliament of Brittany) or the Mairie (the town hall) are a good starting point for introducing younger visitors to history and architecture. The guided tour on the theme of Rennes in the middle ages enchants younger visitors with its magical stories about Duchess Anne and Duguesclin the knight.
2. Breaktime at les sales mômes restaurant
“A quirky restaurant” where you can relive your childhood. Les Sales Mômes, it’s not just for children! The energetic atmosphere and numerous school references, found even in the menus (primary for starter, middle school for mains and high school for desserts) and the plates, will get the whole family reminiscing. Even during the holidays, children will be delighted to be back at school, where a world of fun surprises awaits. A restaurant with playground decor – marbles, hopscotch and books. A fun setting in which to relax while waiting to be served some delicious food, such as the home-made foie gras and the must-try burgers. All at very appealing prices. A restaurant to be enjoyed by the whole family, just beside Place des Lices.
- Les sales mômes, 16 rue nantaise, +33 (0)299313636.
The city can also be explored from a more unusual perspective with tours devoted to street art, nightfall tours as part of the Transat en Ville event (before the Parliament Illuminations) or even uncovering the city’s most well-kept secrets. And let’s not forget to do some Pokémon hunting with the teenagers!
3. Shopping for all ages
In Rennes, shopping is child’s play. With designer boutiques including Tipi (6, rue des fossés) a treasure trove of children’s clothes, the Courte Echelle (26 rue Vasselot) a wonderful children’s bookshop offering lots of books and games for the holidays, and the maison de Zazou (12 rue Bertrand) full of unique objects and baby equipment just waiting to be discovered. For toys and teddies, look no further than Jouets Leconte(4 Rue d’Isly). For baby equipment, soft toys and clothing, there is Nookie’s (12 rue Pont aux Foulons). in the city centre (12 Rue Pont aux Foulons). For older children, card games, role play and board games can all be found at Temple du jeu (14 rue du Capitaine Dreyfus), Terre de Jeux (on the same street, number 26) and l’Amusance, 18-20 rue d’Isly (in the 3 Soleils shopping centre)..
Finally, enter a magical world reserved for princesses, at Comme une fée (19 Rue Salomon de Brosse, behind the parliament building).
4. Visit museums and exhibitions
Head over to the Champs Libres for a cultural interlude : the Musée de Bretagne, the multimedia library and the Espaces des sciences with the Merlin’s Laboratory and the Planetarium, offering a world of discoveries for children. So many things to experience as a family.
The Musée des Beaux Arts (Fine Arts) also offers a range of workshops and entertainment for children allowing them to discover the works and the arts, pencil at the ready ! Some works, including the The Tiger Huntby Rubens or the well-preserved Egyptian mummies, will pique the curiosity of younger visitors.
The Ecomusée du pays de Rennes immerses you in a local working farm with its many animals just waiting for the children and their parents.
- Find out more about the mainmuseums and exhibition venues
5. Tree top adventure at the parc des gayeulles
Looking for an adrenaline rush ? The Gayeulles Park (the Renne’s “Central Park”) tree top adventure offers circuits at different heights so you can get up close and personal with the local biodiversity while having fun and getting some exercise. This immense park of over 100 hectares offers a range of activities and games for the whole family : the swimming pool, the ice rink (the Blizz) with late-night openings, a mini golf course and even a petting zoo.
For water sports enthusiasts, head for the Cesson-Sévigné watersports centre with advanced or beginners’ kayaking down the Vilaine or from the town down the river, or the Saint-Grégoire watersports centre for a bit of canoeing or kayaking.
6. Concerts and workshops for youngsters
In summer, the Transat en ville festival offers a number of events for children and young people. From 4pm every Sunday in summer, the Parc du Thabor hosts concerts, story-telling and creative workshops, the perfect excuse for spending a little longer in the gardens.
Le Loft, one of Rennes’s leading coworking venues, is also getting into the summer spirit with a Summer Camp running from 8 July to 27 August full of creative workshops and entertainment for children. Give it a try!
7. Rennes for children : bursting with ideas for summer
Concerts, exhibitions, films, sports, outdoor activities… The full programme for younger visitors is available in our “Le Rennes des enfants” guide. Read it online for all the useful info. You won’t be bored in Rennes this summer !
