Quartier Saint-Anne is the most atmospheric of old Rennes's historic neighbourhoods, a tight grid of medieval streets running uphill from Place des Lices toward the church of Saint-Anne. The colombage houses here — timber-framed with painted plaster panels, their upper stories projecting over the narrow lanes — are among the best-preserved in Brittany, and several streets have barely changed in four centuries.
The neighbourhood has a strong Breton identity. Signs appear in both French and Breton, and the bars around Place Saint-Anne tend toward folk music and cider rather than wine and jazz. The atmosphere is convivial and unstuffy. Sunday afternoon, when the market crowd has gone and the streets are quiet, is a good time to wander.