Nantes

Officially, Nantes is not part of Brittany. Yet the city is at the heart of the region's history, and a visit to the Château des Ducs de Bretagne is a must. Both a fortress with its battlements and an elegant ducal residence in the flamboyant Gothic style, the château houses a fascinating museum of the history of Nantes and major temporary exhibitions.

In the heart of the Île de Nantes, the former shipyard is home to a truly unique exhibition. This is the home of the famous ‘Machines de l'Île’, an impressive monument that could have come straight from the imagination of Jules Verne, a famous son of the city. Embark on an amazing journey aboard the giant, articulated and rattling elephant or the almost 25 m high Carousel of the Sea Worlds. A truly extraordinary experience!

From Nantes, take the river shuttle for a short trip across the Loire to Trentemoult. You'll love this pretty fishing village with its old-world charm, colourful houses and maze of flower-filled alleyways. The people of Nantes love to come and sit down in one of the guinguettes on the banks of the Loire, and sample the local specialities of pike-perch and eel. 

Make your way to the outskirts of the city! Discover the estuary - a beautiful trail runs along the Loire, which focuses on the landscape and the river and also exhibits 33 works of art in the open air between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire. Or cycle through the vineyards of Nantes to the pretty medieval town of Clisson, where you can taste Muscadet, a famous white wine with a floral fruit flavour.