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Nantes

Culture of Nantes. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Place Royale - Nantes A significant landmark of the destination which will be of great interest for all tourists is the Castle of the dukes of Brittany. It was the main residence of dukes of Brittany since its establishment (the 13th century) till the 16th century. Then the castle stood abandoned for a certain period of time and at present this massive fortifying building is a place of the Nantes History Museum. Its collection includes 850 inestimable showpieces of different epochs.
The city of Nantes is of great popularity among shopping addicts as the destination features numerous original stores and shopping centers, foods markets and consumer goods markets. The most … Open
A unique landmark of the area is a cultural project named the Machines of the isle of Nantes. Its opening was held in 2007. A scale open air museum demonstrates incredible constructions made of metal and wood to its visitors. The most remarkable showpiece of the museum is the Great Elephant. The construction reaches 12m in height.
A cultural establishment of Nantes famous far beyond the boundaries of the city is the Jules Verne Museum. Nantes is the native city of the world renowned writer. The collection of the museum tells its guests about creative works of the writer and demonstrates a unique collection of private articles. The city of Nantes has preserved a house of Jules Verne but at present it is closed to the public. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
1. Travelers can get from the airport to the city center by bus running from 5. 30 till 23. 00. On weekdays the bus departs two times per hour and on weekends it departs once in an hour. The … Open
Painting admirers should necessarily visit the Musee des Beaux-Arts as its collection encompasses a large period of the 12th – 19th centuries. Apart from the collection of ancient paintings the museum offers an exposition of statues. Among other remarkable cultural establishments of the city the Musee Thomas-Dobree is best worth mentioning. It is housed in a majestic palace of the 19th century which was previously owned by Thomas Dobree.
visite dominicale The museum presents a rich collection of antique articles among which one will find art objects, antique arms and beautiful furniture. After the collection exploration the visitors of the museum may enjoy a walk through a scenic area of the museum and admire aged trees. Among religious landmarks of Nantes the Cathedrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul is the most remarkable one. Its construction was started in 1434 and lasted for more than four and a half centuries. The majestic cathedral performs a unique fusion of various architectural styles and features luxurious interior design.
Within a metropolitan area of Nantes, there is a picturesque and atmospheric village of Trentemoult interesting for its lovely colorful houses and restaurants, narrow winding streets, and wonderful gardens. The city also has several beautiful parks and gardens, each of which is worth a visit. One of these is Jardin des Plantes located next to the Railway Station (Gare de Nantes). In this garden, you can see many exotic flowers and medicinal plants. The route is built in such a way that visitors cannot miss anything interesting. A local “Bastion of Tranquility” is a Japanese garden with striking panoramic landscapes located on the isle of L'Île de Versailles. Parc du Grand Blottereau and Parc de la Gaudiniere are worth visiting too.
Nantes - Erdre A monument significant from a historical point of view is the Chateau de Goulaine, which belonged to the de Goulaine dynasty for about eight hundred years. It was built in the 12th century as a defense against attacks from Normandy. In 1788, the fortress was sold to a Dutch banker. Interestingly, this fact helped save the castle from destruction during the French Revolution. After half a century, the family of the marquis de Goulaine bought out the castle. Since then, it has been the property of the dynasty. Apart from the historical component, the castle is known for its exquisite wine and a long history of winemaking. Its visitors can also find a tropical butterfly garden and a museum of the world-famous French cookie producer Lefèvre-Utile (commonly known by the acronym LU).
Fans of shopping will certainly not be bored in Nantes. Here, interesting stores and shopping centers can be found in almost every district. The most attractive shopping street is Rue … Open
Porte Saint-Pierre is the best-preserved part of the city walls dating back to the Gallo-Roman period in the history of Nantes (3rd century AD). The current structure replaced an old 15th-century building, which, in turn, was erected on the site of a 9th-century fortification. Noble persons have repeatedly passed through the fortress walls. Among them is Henry IV of France who signed the Edict of Nantes in 1598 here. An equally important building is Hôtel de Ville that includes several buildings: Hôtel de Rosmadec, Manoir de Derval, and Hôtel de Monti de Rezé. In front of the Town Hall is a beautiful house entwined with ivy, which also deserves tourists' attention.
Limousine  lopera The grandiose Grue Titan is one of Nantes' architectural landmarks. This is a complex of two cranes - yellow and gray ones. The first crane (La Grue Jaune) was built in 1954 and worked until the closure of the yards in 1987. It has a weight of 400 tons, a height of 43 meters, and a carrying capacity of 80 tons. Another crane called La Grue Grise ("The Gray Crane") has a slightly lower lifting capacity - 60 tons, and a height of 47 meters. As for its operation, from the moment of its creation in 1966, it worked until 2003. These are some of the structures testifying to the rich industrial past of the city.
The city is located just two hours away from Paris and is considered the western capital of the country. The Castle of the Dukes of Brittany has always been considered the main symbol of … Open
Another evidence indicating that Nantes is a major river port is Belem Ship, which used to transport sugar from the West Indies to France, and coffee from Brazil and French Guiana. The three-masted barque almost became a victim of the Pele Volcano on Martinique in 1902, but a happy occasion saved the ship and his crew from the disaster. At different times, the ship belonged to Hugh Grosvenor, Arthur Ernest Guinness (who renamed the ship as Phantom), Vittorio Cini, until it again became the property of the Nantes Shipyard in 1972. Seven years later, the original name "Belem" appeared on the bow of the ship again.
Le Palais de justice (Nantes) An interesting engineering structure is Le Miroir d'Eau - a small pond designed by Bruno Fortier, Jean Max and Stéphane Llorca in 2015, which creates a mirror effect that gives a special charm to Square Élisa-Mercœur park. The surface reflects the Château des Ducs de Bretagne located on one side of the park and trams on the other side of Le Miroir d'Eau. While in Nantes, be sure to find out about upcoming events at Centre des Congrès and the Theatre Graslin, if you can't afford to miss interesting concerts or theater performances. Among the must-have museums are the Musee d'Histoire Naturelle de Nantes where you can find interesting information about the animals living in the region, as well as Le Grenier de l'Aviation displaying excellently executed model aircrafts.
The city of Nantes situated at the mouth of the Loire River is a tourist destination worthy of being explored. Besides the fact that Nantes boasts of a great many attractions and a rich … Open
In the city, you can find two important religious monuments: Eglise Sainte Croix and Basilique Saint Nicolas. The first one is a vivid example of the classicism style built in 1685, however, it was not always used as a temple. After the French Revolution, during the so-called "Terror" period, it serves as a prison (1794), and only in 1860, the building became a church again. The shrine is also noteworthy for its interior. Visitors will appreciate its magnificently executed altar, an organ, and the statue of Our Lady of Good Help (Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours). Basilique Saint Nicolas built in 1869 on the site of an old 15th-century church is considered a Neo-Gothic masterpiece. The building suffered from bombing during World War II. Its restoration began in 1953 and was completed only in 1974.
In the section below, you can get one of our excursion, activities or city discovery tours over Nantes and surroundings. Our website offers 10-30% lower ticket prices, when compared to the offline purchase on the spot.

City tours, excursions and tickets in Nantes and surroundings

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What to visit during two-day excursion in Nantes

Cathedrale Saint Pierre Saint Paul
Where: Place Saint Pierre, Nantes; More info: Tram stop;
Tour Lu
Where: Quai Ferdinand Favre, Nantes; Telephone: +33 (0)240 12 14 34; Tickets: 2 Euros; More info: Tram stop;
Quartier Bouffay
Where: Quartier Bouffay, Nantes; Tickets: free; More info: Tram stop;
Theatre Graslin
Where: Place Graslin, Nantes; Telephone: +33 (0)2 40 69 77 18; More info: Tram stop;
Musée des Beaux Arts
Where: 10, Rue Georges, Nantes; Telephone: +33 (0)251 17 45 00; Tickets: 3.10 Euros, concession 1.60 Euros; More info: Tram stop;
Musee Jules Verne
Where: 3, Rue de l’Hermitage, Nantes; Telephone: +33 (0)240 69 72 52; Tickets: 3 Euros, concession 1.50 Euros; More info: Tram stop;
Planetarium
Where: 8, Rue des Acadiens, Nantes; Telephone: +33 (0)240 73 99 23; Tickets: 5 Euro, concession 2.50 Euros; More info: Tram stop;
Jardin Des Plantes
Where: Rue Stanislas-Baudry, Nantes; More info: Tram stop;
Château des ducs de Bretagne
Where: 4, place Marc Elder, Nantes; Telephone: +33 (0)2 51 17 49 48 (from abroad) 0 811 46 46 44 (local rate call); More info: Tram stop duchesse anne;
Machines de l’ile
Where: Les Chantiers - Bd Léon Bureau, Nantes; Telephone: 0810 12 12 25 (local call rates); More info: Tram stop;
Reference information
Map of all art museums
Art galleries in Nantes and around
♥   Art museum 'Musée des Beaux-Arts' Nantes, 0.4 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Map of all churches
Cathedrals and basilicas near Nantes
♥   Basilique Saint-Donatien et Saint-Rogatien, Nantes, 1.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Basilique Saint-Louis-Marie-Grignon-de-Montfort, Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, 57.6 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, Moûtiers, 57.8 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Car rental on OrangeSmile.com Rentals in Nantes

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Photogallery of cultural heritage of Nantes

Landmarks of culture on Nantes map: art-galleries, monuments, palaces, etc

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Excursions over cultural sights of neighbours of Nantes

Culture guide to Nantes. Which fascinating sights to visit once you are in Nantes: temples, churches, museums, theaters and castles. Recommendations (with addresses, phone numbers and links) on the places 'must visit' in Nantes. Plan your own city excursion by using this page info!
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