Passage des Carmélites, Historic passageway in central Rennes, France.

The Passage des Carmélites is a pedestrian walkway in central Rennes running from Rue d'Antrain to Place Hoche, designed with a gentle slope and stairs throughout. Local shops and workshops line the passage, giving it the character of an everyday neighborhood route.

The site has been occupied since Antiquity; excavations there yielded several pieces of samian ware (sigillata pottery). The passage itself survives from the Carmelite convent of Rennes, whose grounds it crossed. At No. 2 stood a monumental gateway dated 1666; it collapsed in 1972 during its restoration, killing two workers, and the decision was then taken to build another building with a gateway on the spot.

The passage is home to one of Rennes' last silversmith workshops, where craftspeople continue to practice traditional techniques by hand. This type of skilled work has become rare in urban areas and gives the passage a particular character.

The passage stretches about a hundred meters and links different parts of northeast Rennes, making it a direct route through the older quarter. Regular maintenance and visible staircases help with navigation, though the slope can be slippery when wet.

The name comes from the Carmelite convent that once stood here, of which the passage is a remnant. At No. 2, a monumental gate dated 1666 collapsed in 1972 during its restoration, killing two workers; a new building with a gate was then erected on the spot.