Nantes is a charming town in western France situated on the banks of the Loire River, in 50 km from the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the good location, Nantes was formerly a large commercial port. It grew rich on the trade with the West Indies and Africa. Nowadays maritime and naval activity has moved downstream, mainly to the area around Saint-Nazaire. However, Nantes still remains a port of call for cruise liners.
Nantes is the capital of the Loire-Atlantique department as well as the Pays de la Loire region. The Loire estuary has combined efforts to turn Nantes-Atlantique into the great metropolis of the western France. A major redevelopment scheme made Nantes the second most important city in France for the service industry. Here you can find many organizations of this sector (finance, administration, transportation, medicine, trade, etc). The Loire estuary itself is home to numerous engineering firms, training and research centers, and companies working in food and timber industries.
Read further about Nantes in our City Guide ...