Nantes

Understand

"Des principaux de cité rebelée / Qui tiendront fort pour liberté rauoir / Detrencher masses infelice meslée, / Cris vrlemens a Nante; piteux voir." "From the principle ones of the city rebellion / Who will strive to cover their liberty / The males hacked to pieces, a futile conflict, / Cries, lamentation, at Nantes; piteous to see." - cheery prophesy of Nostradamus, Century V, Verse 33

The River Loire is navigable by shallow-draught boats for 140 km upstream. Nantes 50 km upstream is at the confluence with the small River Erdre, which has dumped its silt to form river islands and break the Loire into a leash of channels. The Namnetes were a Gaulish tribe; their name likely meant "river" or "stream". The Romans took control in the 1st century BC and stayed until the 5th century AD. In medieval times the town belonged to Brittany, whose dukes built up the castle and resisted the growing power of France, until a dynastic marriage of 1491 united the realms. In 1598 the town gave its name to the Edict of Nantes, which granted tolerance of Protestants or Huguenots; this ended religious wars in France but displeased many and horrified the pope. It was revoked in 1685, leading to a mass exodus of Huguenots and the blighting of French industry.

Nantes became a major port during the 15th century, and was the country's largest by 1700. It then grew rich from the Atlantic slave triangle, exporting manufactured goods to West Africa, thence slaves to the Caribbean, and back to Nantes l…

Get around

thumb | 300px | Cathédrale de Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul

See

thumb | 300px | Place Graslin and Théâtre Graslin Jardin des Plantes is a bosky park just north of the railway station, bounded to the west by Rue Stanislas Baudry and east by Rue Frédéric Cailliaud. It's free to enter in daylight hours. By its northeast corner is the back entrance to Bouteillerie cemetery, with elaborate 19th-century ornaments, and First World War graves in regimented rows. Miroir d'eau is an ornamental pond south side of the castle with a pleasing reflection. Place Maréchal-Foch is the broad pleasant square just north of the cathedral, named for the French military commander of the First World War. The fellow teetering atop the column with his head still on is Louis XVI, one of the few such statues to survive Revolutionary zeal. Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-l'Immaculée-Conception is from 1470. It's in the block south of the Fine Arts Museum on Rue Malherbe. is an island in the River Erdre 1 km north of city centre, take Tram 2. The entire island is a Japanese garden and a pleasant place to relax. thumb | 300px | Belfry of Église Sainte-Croix Musée Thomas Dobrée at 18 Rue Voltaire holds the vast personal art collection of Dobrée (1810-1895). It's closed for reconstruction, probably until 2024. was built from 1669 in classical style, with a richly decorated interior. The elaborate belfry-cum-clocktower was added in 1860. is a city landmark for all the wrong reasons. It's a 144-m skyscraper built on a postwar gap site and completed in 1976, when its slabby m…

Do

thumb | 300px | Nort sur Erdre Festival Le Lieu Unique is a cultural centre at 2 Rue de la Biscuiterie, 200 m west of gare sud entrance. It has exhibitions, expositions, sauna, restaurant and bar. You can pay €3 to ascend its Tour LU. Planetarium is at 8 Rue des Acadiens next to Jules Verne Museum, open M-F 10:00-12:30, 13:30-18:00, Sa Su 13:30-18:00. Football: FC Nantes were relegated in 2026 and now play soccer in Ligue 2, the second tier. Their home ground Stade de la Beaujoire (capacity 35,300) is 5 km northeast of the city centre, off the bypass N844. Take Tram 1. Cinemas near the centre are Le Cinématographe north of the castle, Gaumont just south of Place Royale, and Katorza just north of Place Graslin. Hellfest is a heavy metal concert held in June in nearby Clisson. La Nuit de l'Erdre is a music festival in Nort-sur-Erdre in July. Stade Nantais the rugby union club play away down in the regional amateur leagues, at Stade Pascal-Laporte. Boat trips ply the river between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire. They sail May-Oct several days a week, daily in August, taking 2 hr 30 min each way. The riverbank is dotted with wacky artworks. You can return on the train, which you'll have to do if you take an afternoon boat.

Buy

Supermarkets north flank of the station are Carrefour Express, Delices Alimentation and Apéro Factory. South flank is the larger Carrefour City, open M-Sa 07:00-22:00, Su 09:00-19:00. Marché de Talensac is the principal fresh food market. It's in a covered hall on Rue Talensac 500 m north of the cathedral, open Tu-Su 08:00-13:00. Les Rigolettes Nantaises sells Nantes candies, chocolates and other local specialities. It's at 18 Rue de Verdun, 100 m north of the castle entrance, open M-Sa 10:00-19:00.

Eat

thumb | 300px | Stylish dining at La Cigale

Drink

thumb | 300px | Place Royale by night Buck Mulligan's is an Irish pub at 12 Rue du Château near the castle entrance, open daily 16:00-00:00. Le Live is at 7 Rue des États by the castle entrance. It has food and live music and is open M-Sa 14:00-02:00, Su 14:00-00:30. Le Bar du Coin, east side of Église Saint-Croix, has an old-fashioned interior and occasionally an in-house DJ. It's open M-W 14:00-02:00, Th-Su 12:00-02:00. John McByrne is the name of two entirely separate Irish pubs along Rue de la Juiverie, midway between castle and Église Saint-Croix. Only in Ireland, eh? John McBryne & Co is the one mid-street, jostled by two Japanese and one Lebanese restaurant and a curry house. John McBryne without the "& Co" is round the corner at 21 Rue des Petites Ecuries. They both have TV sport and English-speaking staff and are open late. Le Shaft is a small cosy bar nearby at 14 Rue Petites Ecuries, open daily 16:00-02:00. La Maison Café is a bar decorated as a 1970s house, so you can have a drink sitting in a bathtub in the "bathroom". It's at 4 Rue Lebrun, an alley connecting Rue Sully and Rue du Maréchal Joffre 150 m north of the cathedral, open M-Sa 15:00-02:00, Su 17:00-00:00. Délirium Café at 19 Allée Baco has a lively student atmosphere. It's open Tu-Sa 17:30-02:00. Fleming's is an Irish pub at 22 Rue des Carmes, corner with Rue des Trois Croissants, open Su-F 14:00-02:00, Sa 10:00-02:00. It's lined with books so they're aiming for literary Irish, and show TV sport. …

Sleep

thumb | 300px | Passage Pommeraye

Stay safe

thumb | 300px | Jules Verne grew up in Nantes Standard precautions about avoiding drunks, low-life and demos, any of which can turn violent. Central areas and the trams are well policed.

Connect

As of June 2022, Nantes has 5G with all French carriers.