Nantes

• RegionPays de la Loire
• From Paris~2 h by TGV
• AirportNantes Atlantique (NTE)
• Visit1–2 days

Nantes was the seat of the Dukes of Brittany, and Anne of Brittany was born in its castle. In the 1940s the Loire-Atlantique department was separated from the administrative region of Brittany, a decision many locals still debate. Today Nantes is a creative, green city on the Loire with excellent connections to Brittany and the west of France.

Things to do

• The Château des ducs de Bretagne, a moated fortress-palace housing the Nantes history museum. You can walk the ramparts for free.
• The Machines de l'Île, a workshop of giant mechanical creatures inspired by Jules Verne and Leonardo da Vinci, including the 12-metre Great Elephant that carries passengers around the island.
• Follow the green line of Le Voyage à Nantes, a painted trail linking artworks and sights across the city.
• The Passage Pommeraye, a 19th-century shopping arcade, and the Belle Époque brasserie La Cigale.
• The Jules Verne Museum, near where the writer was born.

Nearby

The walled town and salt marshes of Guérande and the beach at La Baule are under an hour west. The Loire Valley's vineyards (Muscadet country) start at the city's edge.

Getting there

TGV trains from Paris take around 2 hours, and Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE) has flights across Europe. Rennes is about 1 h 15 by car or train, Vannes about 1 h 30.

Header photo: Photo: MHM55, CC BY-SA 4.0

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