The Rue de Rennes
History & Real Estate
Rue de Rennes, Paris 6th
Aliving and emblematic part of Parisian heritage
In the heart of the 6th arrondissement, the rue de Rennes connects two worlds: that of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, refined and historic, and that of Montparnasse, artistic and modern. This wide and bright artery, which stretches from Boulevard Saint-Germain to the Montparnasse train station, embodies the vitality of the left bank. Its rectilinear perspective, rare in Paris, makes it a structuring and lively axis where residential elegance, quality shops and urban animation are combined.
A street born of the Second Empire
The rue de Rennes is a creation of the Second Empire, designed in the continuity of the Haussmannian excavations to connect the boulevard Saint-Germain to the Rennes station — the current Montparnasse station — from where trains left for Brittany. It owes its name to this former station.
Its excavation began in 1853, first between Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Vaugirard streets, then a second phase in 1866 extended the street to Saint-Germain boulevard. This vast project profoundly modernised the Faubourg Saint-Germain and led to the disappearance of several small old streets.
- The rue de Beurrière,
- The rue du Neuve Guillemin,
- The Rue de l'Egout,
- The Saint Benoît crossroads.
An unusual detail still bears witness to the initial project today: the street was originally intended to be extended to the Seine. Numbers 1 to 40 had therefore been reserved for this portion... which was never carried out, because it would have required the destruction of the Institut de France.
Thus, the first building on the road still bears the number 41, a singularity very well known to Parisian urban planning enthusiasts.
This partial, wide and rectilinear layout, characteristic of the nineteenth-century excavations, made the rue de Rennes a structuring axis of the 6th arrondissement, linking Saint-Germain-des-Prés to Montparnasse while affirming the architectural and commercial modernity of the left bank.
Architecture between tradition and modernity
The rue de Rennes perfectly illustrates the transition between classic Haussmannian Paris and the modernity of the turn of the twentieth century. The buildings that border it display the codes of the Haussmann style: dressed stone facades, continuous balconies on the second and fifth floors, ornate cornices, monumental carriage doors and artistic ironwork. But some buildings stand out for their architectural audacity
Félix Potin Building – 140 rue de Rennes
a major architectural landmarkof the 6th arrondissement, amongthe most remarkable buildings of the rue de Rennes, n° 140, former Félix Potin department store, occupies a singular place. Built in 1904 by the architect Paul Auscher, it is one of the first commercial buildings in Paris to be made of reinforced concrete, mixed with dressed stone – a rare innovation for the time. Its Art Nouveau façade adorned with mosaics, chiseled railings and spectacular bay windows, as well as its corner turret topped with its famous "champagne cork", make it a major visual landmark of the Left Bank. Listed as a Historic Monument, this building bears witness to the golden age of commerce in the district, at a time when the Potin brand was revolutionizing food distribution in Paris. Today restored but still intact in its architectural identity, it alone symbolises the spirit of the sector: heritage, elegance and urban dynamism. An address that tells the story of the district as much as it embodies its real estate prestige.
Emblematic establishments and neighbourhood life
The rue de Rennes is not only a residential axis; It is also a vibrant place to live, animated by its shops, bookshops and cultural institutions.
At 76 rue de Rennes, the L'Arlequin cinema is a true institution of the 7th art: opened in 1934, it established itself as an emblematic arthouse cinema.
A few steps further, at 136 rue de Rennes, is the Fnac Montparnasse, one of the first Fnac stores to open in Paris, a symbol of Left Bank culture.
Real estate on rue de Rennes
A contrasting market that is sought after by families
Between the Boulevard Saint-Germain and Sèvres-Babylone, luxury Haussmannian buildings dominate : marble fireplaces, moldings, herringbone parquet floors, high ceilings and long balconies. These family apartments — 3, 4, 5 rooms and more — embody the elegance of the left bank and are commonly priced from €15,620 to €17,200/m², and easily beyond for renovated properties on a high floor, with a balcony or unobstructed view.
Going up towards Notre-Dame-des-Champs and the Montparnasse outlet, the landscape remains mostly old: post-Haussmannian, late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, sometimes punctuated by Art Nouveau / Art Deco touches (bow windows, floral decorations, ironwork). Here, there are more rational surfaces (3-4 rooms through, beautiful 2 rooms) in buildings with character, at prices generally between €13,330 and €15,460/m² depending on the condition, the floor and the exposure.
This heritage coherence — almost exclusively old properties along the entire axis — maintains a fluid and tense market: well-located, renovated and properly distributed apartments are selling quickly. Family-owned supermarkets remain highly sought after, which sustainably supports values.
The rue de Rennes thus connects two faces of the 6th: Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the historical and cultural centre, and the Notre-Dame-des-Champs / Montparnasse sector, lively and practical. This positioning, added to the architectural quality of the buildings, makes it a safe heritage axis for both buying and selling.
Your expert real estate agency in the Luxembourg Gardens
A stone's throw from the rue de Rennes, Materre & Mollica Immobilier has been supporting a family clientele in the district and international buyers for more than fifteen years in their purchase, sale and investment projects in the 6th arrondissement.
Our strength: a fine reading of the micro-sectors (from Boulevard Saint-Germain to Sèvres-Babylone, to Notre-Dame-des-Champs) and a control of prices building by building, floor by floor — exposure, views, quality of the commons, plan, renovation potential.
For sellers : reasoned estimate, enhancement strategy (photo, home-staging, work if useful), controlled distribution and contact with qualified buyers already active on the rue de Rennes.
For buyers : (families, pied-à-terre, patrimonial investors): priority access to targeted properties, often in pre-marketing, and tailor-made advice to arbitrate between location, floor, work and liquidity on resale.
Because the rue de Rennes is a market of address – old, rare and demanding – the difference is based on local expertise and the network. This is precisely where we come in: securing your decision, optimising your price and enhancing the value of your assets.
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