When you tell people you are moving to Bretagne, the first thing you hear is: “oh, but the weather is awful, why are you doing this?”. In my case I had a pragmatic reason to offer, studies in a particular field. But there was also a desire that was born during a tourist trip a few years before. Now, after one year living here, I can say something about this mix: the tourist, a role that I still play from time to time, and the resident.

For someone who arrives for the first time, Bretagne’s identity appears in the flag, in the street names and some words in Breton in the subway, in the caramel beurre salé, in the galette de sarrasin… And, above all, in its welcoming people, willing to smile and help you sometimes beyond what you asked them.

Rennes is big enough to be very attractive to students, to provide job opportunities, to have a great cultural atmosphere, with music, museums, libraries, but not as big to lead to all the stress that usually comes with it. It is, in addition, close to the campagne, that is, to small villages, forests, parks, opening the possibility for hiking trips, for bike rides in amazing areas.

Let’s talk, then, about two cities. One that you discover in winter and during the rainy season and one that you see in summer. I can say a lot about indoor activities in Rennes. Starting with my favorite: The Champs Libre. A super library, a museum, a café. A library that has one whole floor only about the history of Bretagne, with an amazing view from the 6th floor. Many resources for language learners, ateliers… a lot to discover. If you go to the museum, you can learn a lot about Bretagne. You will thrive to visit different cities. If you are lucky or organized enough you can get a guided tour, like the one I had, with a choir, singing interesting songs in Breton. In the affordable café, we find people of all ages and styles sharing a nice place, where you can have a coffee, a beer or some wine. Sometimes, you can be surprised by incredible tango, flamenco, Brazilian music soirées.

A lot must also be said about the Théâtre National de Bretagne. I was so fortunate to watch classic plays, from Brecht and Shakespeare, an incredible presentation of Nosferatu followed by the Orchestra National de Bretagne. You can also find more conceptual and modern plays, as well as an international festival in November. If you are an enthusiast, you can do a backstage guided tour which will show you the behind the scenes. Oh, and our beloved TnB has also a café and cinema. Speaking of cinema, you will be fine. The Cine Arvor has a great program and Pathé is there for more commercial options.

For more culture, you can buy used books in Place St Anne, or new ones in the Library Failleur. Big, beautiful and well-organized, this library offers you also meetings with authors. For a wide variety of subjects, passing from literature to current affairs, you can enjoy the discussions organized by the Space Oest-France.

So many cultural centers, like Brequigny offer activities all the year, as well as associative bars that have free concerts. Many charming coffee shops and tea houses are expecting you.

As someone that comes from a big city, one of the first questions I asked, when deciding to come to Rennes, was about its cultural life. Let’s say I was not disappointed.

Going out to meet your new friends at Place StAnne is always cool. Even more when it gets warmer. In fact, in summer, Rennes has another atmosphere. You can spend a lot of
time in parks like Thabor and Gayeulles, among others. Picnics are a must in the season. The city moves. Péniches are boats where you can drink something and enjoy the freshness. Guinguettes is also another name to know. Many walks close to rivers. Several ephemerous spaces open only in summer, with free concerts and a cool atmosphere. For those more sportive, it’s time to move. You can make tours in the Canal St Martin, follow a bike trail, do some randonnées (hiking trips). Braderies, or what you might call street sales or flea markets, happening all the year, flourish in summer. Imagine huge sales of clothes, books, devices, for blocks… It is the case of the Braderie de St Martin. Many small and cheap trips to nearby cities, like Dinan, Dinard, St Malo. And the incredible Broceliande Forest is just nearby. I guess that gave you an idea of how life can be interesting at Rennes, where you can learn, open yourself to the difference, and still enjoy the coziness of a not so big city. So yes, as you can see, rain is not really a problem after all.