Medieval Houses Walking Tour (Self Guided), Rennes

From the late Middle Ages through to the end of the Ancien Régime (the period of Bourbon rule in France, from 1589 to 1789), a multitude of half-timbered houses were built in Brittany, and particularly in Rennes. Even today, the Breton capital is where half-timbered houses remain the most prevalent style of architecture, and a key element of the cultural heritage of the region reiterated in many of its locations.

In Rennes, dotting here and there, there are in total up to 370 ancient houses of this type, lining the streets, preserved at their best, and spectacular both inside and out. Strolling around the city's historic center, you can't help noticing these picturesque marvels everywhere you look, leaning against one another or tilting questionably as if about to collapse, creating a rather fairytale-like atmosphere.

Wandering through the streets of Rennes is like taking a step back in time. Your mind is easily drawn to imagine how life might have been back in the Medieval era when you step into a bar, shop or restaurant set in a vibrant building of nearly six centuries of age.

At Place du Champ Jacquet these furnished dwellings once served as accommodation for the lawyers who flocked here to work at the local Parliament.

In Place des Lices you can't miss the eye-catching twin mansions, the Hôtel Racapée de la Feuillée and the Hôtel de la Louvre; their vertical bay windows and sweeping, double-flight staircase in front of the entrance are reminiscent of the stairs at Parliament.