Place Graslin - Nantes, France

©Nasbe Photography/500px

Loire-Atlantique

This bite of the Loire-Atlantique département, where the Loire empties into the ocean, might as easily be termed 'lower Brittany'. Breton in every sense – cultural, architectural and historical – its centrepiece is Brittany's former capital, Nantes.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Nantes, France - September 17, 2022: The Great Elephant animated giant puppet, part of the Machines of the Isle of Nantes artistic and tourist attraction, wanders slowly amid onlookers on a sunny day.; Shutterstock ID 2220543875; your: Sloane Tucker; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI 2220543875

    Les Machines de l’Île de Nantes

    Nantes

    Nantes' quirkiest sight is this fantasy world – a serious and seriously wacky workshop with mechanical contraptions galore displayed in plant-filled…

  • Château des Ducs de Bretagne

    Château des Ducs de Bretagne

    Nantes

    Forget fusty furnishings – light-filled rooms inside the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany house multimedia-rich exhibits detailing the city's history. Look…

  • Musée d’Arts de Nantes.

    Musée d’Arts de Nantes

    Nantes

    A six-year renovation job by London architects Stanton Williams has done wonders for Nantes’ art museum, open again since 2017 inside the historic Palais…

  • Jules Verne museum in Nantes.

    Musée Jules Verne

    Nantes

    Overlooking the river, this is a magical museum with 1st-edition books, hand-edited manuscripts and cardboard theatre cut-outs. Child-friendly interactive…

  • Jardin des Plantes

    Jardin des Plantes

    Nantes

    Opened in 1860, this exquisitely landscaped park is among France's most interesting botanical gardens. Century-old magnolia and mulberry trees, Japanese…

  • Cathédrale St-Pierre et St-Paul

    Cathédrale St-Pierre et St-Paul

    Nantes

    Inside Nantes' Flamboyant Gothic cathedral, the tomb of François II (r 1458–88), Duke of Brittany, and of his second wife, Marguerite de Foix, is a…

  • Le Cale 2 Créateurs

    Le Cale 2 Créateurs

    Nantes

    Edgy temporary art exhibitions, events and happenings fill this old industrial slipway, shaped like a wedge of cheese at the foot of Île de Nantes'…

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Loire-Atlantique and beyond

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