A little over two hours from Paris, I discovered Nantes, a city where history and whimsy coexist. I started at the Château des ducs de Bretagne, a 15th-century castle built by François II and Anne of Brittany, now housing a museum on Nantes’ past.
I wandered the medieval streets of La Bouffay, relaxed at Place Graslin, and admired public art like Philippe Ramette’s “Éloge du pas de côté.” I couldn’t miss Le Passage Pommeraye, the steampunk creations at Les Machines de l’Île, the restored Gothic Cathédrale de Nantes, and the lush Jardin des Plantes. Nantes is truly France’s underrated gem.
Stay in the city and you won’t need a car as just about everything you want to do is walkable and there are also tramlines, bus lines and water shuttles to get around. Bonus: public transportation is free on weekends.
Here are some highlights from my visit to Nantes.
Stroll the cobblestone streets at along the waterfront
One of my favorite things to do was just stroll around the city, along the waterfront and in La Bouffay district, with its medieval, labyrinth-like streets lined with shops, restaurants and the occasional timber-framed building. Unlike my usual must-have-a-map mentality, we wandered at will with no agenda or destination in mind. Day or night, the streets were lively with shoppers, diners, workers and wanderers like us.
Our hotel (more on that below) was just a few feet from the beautiful Place Graslin, one of the city’s prettiest squares and home to the 18th-century Théâtre Graslin and the famous La Cigale restaurant where we enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate one day.
Nantes is filled with public art, a lot of it evoking the city’s quirky, whimsical side. I instantly fell in love with the “Éloge du pas de côté” in the Place du Bouffay by artist Philippe Ramette. The name, which means Eulogy to Sidestepping, pays tribute to Nantes desire to embrace an identity aside from traditional French culture. I loved how at a quick glance it looks like any other statue of a white man standing, until you notice that one of his feet is dangling in the air.
For visiting Nantes’ major attractions, I recommend getting a Pass Nantes from Le Voyage à Nantes, the official tourism site of Nantes. They are available for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days or a week and include free or discounted entrance to attractions and discounts on food, drink and some gift shops. We used it for several things we did, discovering places we might not have gone otherwise.
Learn history while exploring a castle at Château des ducs de Bretagne
Our first stop in Nantes was at this medieval castle built in the late 15th century by François II, the last Duke of Brittany, and his daughter, Anne of Brittany, who was queen of France. Strolling around the castle and the grounds is worth a visit alone, but the castle also houses the history museum, Musée d’histoire de Nantes.
Spread over 32 rooms, the museum focuses on the history of Nantes with a focus on the Atlantic slave trade and the two world wars. We wandered up narrow winding staircases and through large rooms, giving us an idea of how it would have been to navigate such a large building back in the day.
Get out on the water and cruise the canal with Le Toue de Nantes
We definitely wanted to get out on the water, but during our visit in late fall, many of the boat rides were no longer running. We opted to go with Le Toue de Nantes on the Libellule, a traditional flat bottom barge with a hut on it.
The small wooden boat held just 12 passengers, and although the tour was advertised as being in French and we were the only English-speakers, our captain graciously translated for us.
It was a gorgeous, warm sunny day and the cruise was spectacular, taking us past gardens, ancient and new buildings and down the Nantes-Brest Canal lined with houseboats and into the Erdre River.
Wander through a 19th-century shopping gallery at Le Passage Pommeraye
This neoclassical shopping gallery has remained unchanged since it opened in 1843 and still attracts locals and visitors alike. The three-level building is stunning and worth strolling through even in shopping isn’t your thing.
It’s a good place to pick up souvenirs or a Hermes trinket or two. I had packed in a carryon for a three-week trip that included two different climates so had zero space for any purchases, but hey, window shopping is always free.
Interact with giant mechanical animals at Les Machines de l’Île
Don’t be shocked if you’re walking around Nantes and see a giant mechanical elephant hoofing its way past you. Made of 45 tons of steel and wool, the Great Elephant can carry 50 passengers and takes its daily walks from Les Machines de l’Île. This gallery of larger-than-life, interactive animals is housed in former covered shipyards and calls itself a “steampunk park.”
During a visit, machinists explain how the machines work and demonstrate them to the delight of visitors, some of whom are chosen to help operate the machines while riding on them.
View a historic church that survived bombing and fires at Cathédrale de Nantes
The third cathedral built on this site, the current Gothic structure is from the 15th century. The miracle of the building is what it has withstood. It was bombed in June 1944 when the Allies bombed the port seeking to destroy German vessels, its roof was partially destroyed by an accidental fire in January 1972, and it was deliberately set on fire in 2020. Priceless paintings and the organ from 1621 were destroyed.
The restored cathedral reopened in the fall of 2025, shortly before our visit. The soaring interior is beautiful, flooded with sunlight.
Wander through the gardens at Jardin des Plantes de Nantes
We had a perfect day to explore these charming gardens in Nantes, one of four major botanical gardens in France. Located right by the train station, the garden has 10,000 species of plants, greenhouses, ponds and large animal topiaries.
I loved the whimsical art installations, like the giant flowerpots in the children’s garden and playful steel cut-out figures by artist Jean Jullien.
Where to stay in Nantes
The location of our hotel, Hotel Voltaire Opera Nantes, was perfect for exploring the city. We could walk everywhere, including to our river boat when we boarded the Loire Princesse for a cruise with CroisiEurope. It was housed in a 19th-century building and our small but comfortable room looked out over the street.
Getting into the room was a challenge, however. While my husband went to return our rental car, I lugged all of our luggage into the phonebooth-sized elevator, then down twisty narrow hallways, taking a few pieces at a time, then returning for the rest. Fortunately, there were no witnesses to my gyrations.
For more on Nantes, please visit Le Voyage à Nantes and see their official tourism guide.
– Jan Schroder, Editor-in-chief. All photos by Jan unless otherwise noted.