BRADERIE DU CANAL SAINT-MARTIN

September weekends are great for strolling and bargain hunting! In Rennes, the biggest braderie is the one on the Canal Saint Martin, where you can lose yourself in the local streets or stroll along the banks filled with people and vendors. The "Foire aux objets insolites" is launched at this flagship event of the Rennes year. It's true that this is France's second-largest braderie, after Lille's, and it's a source of great pride in the Breton capital. Organized for the first time in 1968, this annual garage sale attracts over 200,000 bargain hunters along the Canal Saint-Martin, in search of a rare object, a golden bargain, a toy for the kids, or simply a stroll along the canal. The stallholders offer surprises and items from their attics, some of which are highly unusual, others totally surprising. Although the Braderie du Canal is an institution in the Rennes town square, it has lost some of its lustre over the years: for security reasons, the perimeter has tended to shrink. But it's still a must for shopping, strolling, drinking, seeing friends, eating and having fun. The people of Rennes love this long day in September, which sounds like a reminder of the vacations and whispers in their ears the imperative need to take time out and indulge themselves at very reasonable prices.