Nantes, the large city of Loire-Atlantique, blends historic heritage with contemporary creativity on the banks of the Loire. The Castle of the Dukes of Brittany, the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, the Passage Pommeraye and the Graslin district tell the city’s story, while the Voyage à Nantes, a summer art trail marked by a green line, reveals the city from another angle.
The Île de Nantes is home to the Machines de l’île, a park of mechanical inventions inspired by the world of Jules Verne and Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, with the Great Elephant and the Marine Worlds Carousel. Markets, restaurants and riverside terraces complete a lively stay.
An hour from the coast, Nantes is a practical starting point for the Atlantic coast: La Baule, Pornic, the Vendée or the Nantes vineyards. Its international airport and railway station make it an ideal gateway to western France.