Nantes

A creative city on the Loire estuary, where the giant mechanical elephant on the Île de Nantes stands alongside the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, a summer arts festival fills the streets, and Clisson, the Guérande salt marshes and Puy du Fou are nearby.

Nantes lies on the lower Loire in western France, about 50 km from the Atlantic. It is the capital of the Pays de la Loire region and France's sixth-largest city, and historically was the capital of the Duchy of Brittany and a major French port. After industrial decline, Nantes became known for its cultural revival: the old shipyards have been turned into Les Machines de l'Île, the "Voyage à Nantes" arts festival fills the city with installations every summer, and a green line painted on the pavement links the main sights. There are three main areas to explore: first, the old town, where the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, the cathedral, the Bouffay quarter, Place Royale and the Passage Pommeraye are all within walking distance; second, the Île de Nantes in the middle of the Loire, with the Grand Éléphant, the Hangar à Bananes and the Anneaux de Buren, and the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery at its western tip, from where a ferry crosses to the colourful fishing village of Trentemoult; third, the Jardin des Plantes, the Musée d'Arts and the Île de Versailles on the Erdre to the north. For day trips: the old town of Clisson and the Muscadet wine region 30 km southeast; the Guérande salt marshes and medieval walled town and the Saint-Nazaire submarine base to the west; and the Puy du Fou theme park about 60 km southeast (open Apr–Sep, worth an overnight stay). The climate is mild and oceanic, with mild, rainy winters and summers that are not too hot. May–Sep is the best time to visit, with the Voyage à Nantes in Jul–Aug. The TGV from Paris Montparnasse takes about 2 hours, and Nantes Atlantique Airport is linked to the city by tram and airport shuttle. The tram network makes getting around easy. Allow 2–3 days. Local specialities include LU Petit Beurre biscuits, Breton butter galettes, fish in beurre blanc and Muscadet white wine.

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Itineraries