48h in Rennes

Two days in Rennes, the Breton capital rebuilt in stone after the 1720 fire that destroyed the timber centre. The trip opens at the Parliament of Brittany and its painted seventeenth-century ceilings, moves on to the Parc du Thabor, ten hectares combining formal garden, rose garden and aviary, then to the Marche des Lices, France's second largest market every Saturday morning. The Rue Saint-Michel, nicknamed the street of thirst, lines up the half-timbered houses that survived the fire. Mont-Saint-Michel, an hour's drive away, provides the day trip. The Marche des Lices runs from 7.30am to 1.30pm on Saturdays and is worth staying at for a galette-saucisse. The Parliament can only be seen on a guided tour booked through the tourist office.