Nantes and Rennes, a tale of two cities

Nantes and Rennes are not on everyone's must-see list in France. However, a visit to both cities is worth the detour, as travel expert Bernard Sabbah found out. He chatted to an expert from both destinations for this first edition of France 24's travel programme "Rendez-vous in France".

THE PRESENTER PORTRAIT Bernard Sabbah, travel guru

Jean Blaise, Director, “Journey to Nantes”
"A journey through Nantes is remarkable because each district represents a different century and its history. Le Bouffay dates to medieval times. It is home to the castle which, with rebuilding taken into account, moves us into the 18th century. Then there is the Place Royale, also rebuilt. And then the 19th century Place Graslin, with its shops and opera house. You can take a short stroll over to the Ile de Nantes, via once-industrial and now-modern Nantes. Here, the Law Courts designed by Jean Nouvel and the Architecture School designed by Lacaton-Vassal are part of a fascinating succession of buildings that make up the new Nantes town centre".

Jean-Yves Chapuis, Town Planner in Rennes
"Visitors to Rennes move unmistakably from one century to another. Setting off from the Town Hall square you are in the 18th century, then you come to Medieval times, then the 19th century. There are three or four centuries of architecture to admire in just the blink of an eye. The city is bursting with architectural gems, the most emblematic being the Brittany Parliament. Though it burnt down in 1994, it’s been re-built. The parliament building dates from the 17th century - from before the fire of 1720 - which gives Rennes the unusual feature of having 18th century architecture in the town centre and medieval buildings at the edges".

And this rich heritage combines wonderfully in both cities with a culture for the arts.

Jean Blaise, Director, “Journey to Nantes”
"We've created major festivals and extraordinary venues, such as the ‘Lieu Unique’ which is a National Theatre venue and a very, very unusual place, quite unlike any other, with a large bar and restaurant and even Turkish baths in the basement. It was built in the former LU biscuit factory. LU, in the 19th century, stood for Lefèvre-Utile, the brand owners' names. Nowadays it stands for Lieu Unique (Unique Place). Nantes is constantly evolving to keep pace with its highly-distinctive cultural and artistic inventions, such as its Elephant - a truly amazing creation. We created a Biennale of Contemporary Art here a few years ago, in 2007. It’s an opportunity to ask internationally-renowned artists, such as Daniel Buren, whose work you can see here, to create works based on the Loire Estuary, all the way along the 60 kilometres of its banks, and to create them ‘in situ’. And so here you have a place with historic, enchanting and nostalgic dimensions, as well as an extremely contemporary side. Nantes today is a creative city.

Jean-Yves Chapuis, Town Planner in Rennes
"There is a wonderful blend of the arts, heritage and architecture in Rennes. Must-see projects include the Parmiggiani fountain, the Wall of Water and the Art Deco swimming pool by Odorico. One of France's leading architects Roland Simounet took inspiration from the bands of granite in the local tuffeau stone of one the buildings in the Place des Lices for one of his contemporary buildings. And more recently, we’ve created the landmarks of the 21st century with the Champs-Libres buildings and cinemas, both by Portzamparc, around the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle.

While contemporary art has an important place, we mustn't forget that - in Brittany - the love of good food and fine dining comes before all else.

Jean Blaise, Director, “Journey to Nantes”
"Fine dining is important to us here in Nantes but this is a region above all known for its incredible produce. We have everything from fruit and vegetables to seafood, and we have Muscadet wine. And that's what’s really special about our region. It’s given us our own culinary traditions, with recipes such as Brill in white butter sauce, and oysters, not forgetting that Nantes also played a role in the cocoa trade. Hence, the presence of major chocolatiers in Nantes. It therefore goes without saying that Nantes also has an exotic dimension.

Jean-Yves Chapuis, Town Planner in Rennes
"Rennes' extraordinary feature is the Marché des Lices, France’s second-largest food market. The variety and contrast of the architectural features around the square - half-timbered buildings, the stone and metalwork - give it a very special atmosphere. And I think the bright colours are a striking part of the contrast. And then you have the remarkable range of regional produce which adds to the very special atmosphere within this architectural diversity, and which differs enormously from the town centre and Parliament, with its 18th-century square and extremely-ordered layout. Rennes hosts its own "Festival Gourmand" food festival because enjoying the town is not only about wandering the streets and admiring the architecture but also about being able to enjoy fine food and beverage. The festival is a showcase for established chefs and also promotes some of the region’s simpler offerings, such as crêpes. They, though, are not so simple anymore as there is a whole new trend in crêperies these days. You might even wonder what has become of the crêpe itself with all the ingredients that now come with it".

While Rennes and Nantes have succeeded in developing their traditions over time - whether in the arts or gastronomy - both cities have also managed to safeguard their natural environment and future. Nantes has been elected European Green Capital for 2013. As for me, my wander comes to its end here in Rennes' sumptuous Thabor park, which was designed by the landscape artist Denis Bühler in 1867 and covers a whole ten hectares. That’s it for this edition of "Rendez-vous". Join us again for another wonderful wander in France.