Parc du Thabor

The Parc du Thabor is the great public garden of Rennes, covering about ten hectares just east of the old town, and it is one of the most beloved green spaces in Brittany. It occupies the former gardens of the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Melaine, whose church still stands beside it. The name Thabor refers to Mount Tabor, the hill of the Transfiguration in the Bible, a name given to the high ground of the old monastic garden. After the Revolution, the land passed to the city, and in the 1860s it was transformed into a public park by the landscape designer Denis Bühler, who made it into the elegant garden that visitors enjoy today.

The park combines several garden styles in one. A formal French garden occupies the lower part, with straight paths, clipped hedges, flower beds in geometric patterns and statues, and it gives the park its structured, symmetrical core. Next to it, an English-style landscape garden spreads over the slopes with winding paths, a small lake, a grotto and large trees, such as cedars, giant sequoias and beeches, laid out to look like a natural landscape. A botanical garden, with labelled trees and plants, adds a learning dimension, and an orangery shelters tender species through the winter.

The rose garden, planted with a great variety of roses, is one of the highlights in late spring and summer, when the scent and colour are at their peak. There is also an aviary, a bandstand where concerts are held in summer, a children's play area and wide lawns where people picnic, read and play. On warm days, the park fills with students, families and walkers, and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. Entry is free, and the park opens early in the morning and closes in the evening, with the hours changing slightly with the season.

The park sits next to some of the main sights of Rennes. The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes, with its Georges de La Tour and Rubens, the Musée de Bretagne, the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Rennes and the timber-framed houses of the Rue Saint-Michel are within easy walking distance, and the La Vilaine River Banks offer another green route through the city. The abbey church of Saint-Melaine, on the edge of the park, is among the oldest churches in Rennes.

Allow two or three hours to see the whole park, or an hour for a stroll. It suits families, garden lovers and anyone needing a break from sightseeing. Spring and early summer are the best seasons for flowers.