Rennes, a city of northwestern France, is a city that has been the capital and power centre of Brittany since the 1532 union with France. Population of the city of Rennes at the 1999 census was 206,229 inhabitants and 209,100 inhabitants as of February 2004 estimates. Population of the whole metropolitan area at the 1999 census was 521,188 inhabitants, and 588,684 inhabitants as of 2007 estimate.

Rennes was the capital of a Celtic tribe, the Redones. In spite of having been the capital of the old province of Brittany, Rennes is essentially a modern town. What potential it had to be a picturesque tourist spot was destroyed with a fire broke out in December 1720 and burnt for a week; almost 900 half-timbered houses were reduced to ashes. Only the area known as Les Lices, at the junction of the canalized Ille and the River Vilaine, was undamaged. The remodelling of the rest of the city was handed over to Parisian architects.

The city is an important economic base and is the main commercial centre for western France. It produces chemicals, electronics, cars, railway equipment, agricultural machinery, and food products. There are also printing works and nearby Vern-sur-Seiche has an oil refinery. The city was the capital of the former province of Brittany.

Colorful traditional timber frame houses are situated primarily along the roads of Saint-Sauveur, Saint-Georges, de Saint-Malo, Saint-Guillaume, des Dames, du Chapitre, Vasselot, Saint-Michel, de la Psallette and around the plazas of Champ-Jacquet, des Lices, Saint-Anne and Rallier-du-Baty.

The places in the historic centre are mainly Basilica Saint-Sauveur, place des Lices and surrounding area, place Saint-Anne, area from Saint-Mélaine to Place Saint-Mélaine, rue Saint-Georges and rue Gambetta, place de la Mairie, place du Vau-Saint-Germain, and place du Champ-Jacquet.