The best way to discover the city is to follow a green line on the ground that stretches over some 20 kilometres, guiding you to major architectural, artistic, cultural and historic sights. Street after street, you’ll be struck by Nantes’ historic, architectural and artistic treasures, from the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany to the Passage Pommeraye shopping centre, including the Grand Musée d’Art Nantes museum and Les Machines de L’ile, an art installation and amusement park. Take a walk in Jules Verne’s shoes and explore Les Machines de L’ile atop their giant mechanical elephant.
Every summer, since 2012, Le Voyage à Nantes, a tour offered by the city’s tourist office, has been showcasing the city, offering a diverse range of free cultural events. For two months, art runs free throughout the city. Artists, architects, designers and gardeners vivify and bring new colour to the green line that marks the adventurous trail throughout Nantes. Cultural sights open their doors wide to welcome many visitors all week long. At the end of each summer, some of the works become permanent fixtures along the green line. This has turned Le Voyage à Nantes into a year-round itinerary, featuring around 60 works of art. To the west of the city, this artistic trail stretches broadly out of town, with a collection of open-air works of art: Nantes Estuary <> Saint-Nazaire. 33 large-scale works by major artists of international renown are dotted along the Loire estuary. These installations were created on site and can be accessed on foot, by bike or by car. They show off a coastal part of the Loire Valley that is little known, boasting natural spaces, marshes, fishing areas and industrial landscapes to be explored.
To the south of the city, winding through the Muscadet vineyards, between the banks of the Sèvre and the Maine, are some remarkable view points and sights: Clisson, Moulin du Livau, Château de Goulaine, Chaussée aux Moines, La Frémoire and more.
Nantes’ cuisine draws on a huge network of high-quality producers, agriculturists, workers in the fishing industry, farmers, refiners and winegrowers. You will not find many places that represent Nantes more than the Talensac market, with its selection of fish from both the Loire and the Atlantic, its wide range of seafood as well as an array of fresh fruit and vegetables, and garden products, including carrots from the Nantes region, lamb’s lettuce, radishes, salads, strawberries and raspberries, local wines, including the famous Muscadet wine, as well as Nantes’ signature almond and rum cake.
Want to see what’s on offer? View even more budget flights with the help of our Low Fare Finder.
