With its rich history, pleasing surroundings, its gorgeous location on the River Loire and, er, a famous mechanical elephant, it is small wonder that Nantes is regularly touted as the best place to live in France. Indeed, in 2004 Time magazine decreed that it was the most ‘liveable’ city in Europe, while in 2013 it was nominated by the European Union as the European Green Capital.

And the good news is that Nantes is also a great place to visit, not just to live. The ambiance is set of course by the River Loire, France’s longest river, which flows through the heart of the city, providing a backdrop for Nantes’ long history as well as its current cultured and relaxed feel. Once known as the ‘Venice of the West’, Nantes is a great place to stroll around on foot, enjoying a walk through different layers of the city’s long past.

What to See and Do in Nantes

The Medieval City Centre

In the Decré and Bouffay quartiers or districts you’ll see something of Nantes’ medieval history and these are ideal spots to drop off for a coffee of something stronger. Just to the west it is the turn of the city’s fine 19th century architecture to take a bow. Check out La Cigale brasserie in Place Graslin and enjoy its wonderfully over-the-top décor. Then walk to the so-called Île Feydeau (it’s no longer an island) – head for rue Kervégan on your map – to see some stunning 18th century architecture that celebrates the wealth that the city’s maritime traders possessed at that period. If some of the houses look a bit wonky to you, do not adjust your glasses – some of them were literally built on sand and have subsided.

A Contemporary Art Centre in an old Biscuit Factory

Another unmissable landmark in Nantes is, believe it or not, an old biscuit factory. The LU building is now known as the Lieu Unique (‘unique place’) and is a contemporary arts centre. But the distinctive tower at the wonderful address of 1 Rue de la Biscuterie remains intact from its biscuit days and is both great to look at and great to go up, as it has wonderful views of the city. The LU brand of biscuits are, incidentally, still very popular in France; the name stands for Lefèvre-Utile, after the names of the original owners Jean-Romain Lefèvre and his wife and business partner Pauline-Isabelle Utile.

The Castle of the Dukes of Brittany, now Nantes History Museum

The most famous landmark and biggest tourist attraction in Nantes, though, is not a former biscuit factory but the Château des Ducs de Bretagne (‘The castle of the Dukes of Brittany’). This is not only a fascinating building in its own right but is also home to the Nantes History Museum. Read more. 

A Massive Mechanical Elephant

Another major attraction in Nantes could hardly be more of a contrast: a large mechanical elephant. This Mechanical elephant Nantes stunning 12-metre high contraption is the centrepiece of a world of fantasy and machines on the Île de Nantes.

The River Erdre: a stroll, or a dinner cruise

If, after the colourful and chaotic world of machines, you feel in need of some tranquility then take a stroll along the banks of Nantes’s other river – the River Erdre. This tributary of the Loire was described by French king François I (1494-1547), a contemporary of England’s Henry VIII, as being the most beautiful waterway in his kingdom (though he is also quoted as saying the same of the River Charente!). Take a walk by the river and see many of Nantes’ wonderful sights, including the lovely Japanese garden on the Île de Versailles. Incidentally, you can make use of Nantes’s tram system if you want to start your walk at the Île de Versailles. You can also take a boat on the river here, including lunch or dinner cruises.

Museums and Botanical Gardens

Another major attraction in Nantes is the Jules Verne museum at 3, rue de l’Hermitage. This is a tribute to the great writer and visionary who was born in Nantes on 8 February 1828 at 4 rue Olivier-de-Clisson on the Île Feydeau in the days when it really was an island in the middle of the Loire. His family then moved 100 metres to 2 quai Jean-Bart where he spent the first 14 years of his life, and so his early experiences were dominated by islands and water – constant themes of his later writings. You can reach the museum itself via Line 1 of the tramway, get off at ‘Gare Maritime.’ Note that it is closed Tuesdays and Sunday mornings.

Other places worth visiting include the botanical gardens the Jardin de Plantes, which are situated near the main railway station and which were modelled on Kew Gardens in south-west London. It has a play area, too, so is a good place to take children if they’re getting a bit restless with city sightseeing.

The 16th century St Pierre and St Paul Cathedral, commissioned by the ubiquitous Anne of Brittany, is also worth a look; this Gothic building boasts a fine if slightly over-the-top tomb devoted to Anne’s father, Duke François II.

The art museum, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, has some striking collections of modern art, including 12 works by Franco-Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky from his Bauhaus period, paintings by Monet and Kees Van Dongen, plus two late works by Picasso. Address: 10 rue Georges Clemenceau. Website: www.museedesbeauxarts.nantes.fr

The city’s natural history museum – Museum d’histoire naturelle – at Square Louis-Bureau, Place de la Monnaie in Nantes is also very popular with visitors. Learn more.

Getting about in Nantes – Navibus

As well as walking or taking the tram you can also use the city’s small river ferries provided by Navibus Loire. These take you across the Loire between Trentemoult on the south bank and Nantes’ river port on the north bank every 20 minutes – every 10 minutes in the rush hour. The Navibus journey time is ten minutes. Tel: +33 810 444 444

Things to See near Nantes

Half an hour’s drive south-west of Nantes is a safaripark called Planète Sauvage or ‘Wild Planet’ which covers around 320 acres (130 hectares) and which houses around 1,000 animals. Read more.

About 20 minutes to the east of Nantes, at La Boissière-du-Doré, there’s also a more traditional zoo – the Zoo La Boissière-du-Doré.

Getting to Nantes

By air
Nantes Atlantique Airport is 10 to 20 minutes south-west of Nantes by taxi, bus or shuttle service. It has regular UK flights to London City airport with CityJet, while Flybe has a service to Southampton and Manchester. There are also regular flights to and from Dublin and many other European destinations.

By train
Nantes is just two hours by high-speed TGV train from Paris, and four hours from Lille in northern France.

By road
The A11 connects Paris to Nantes via Le Mans and Angers. The distance is around 385 km and on average takes just under four hours. To get to Bordeaux you take the A 10 and A 83. The distance is around 350km and the journey time is around three hours 20 minutes.

By ferry
Nantes is well-located for the ferry to and from Britain via the ports at St Malo (190km, two hours by road), Roscoff (316 km, three hours 19 minutes by road) and Caen (290 km, two hours 55 minutes by road).

Photo 1 by Ye-Zu / CC BY 2.0 image cropped; Photo 3 by Falcon® Photography / CC BY 2.0 image cropped; Photo 4 by Rodolphe Breard / CC BY 2.0 image cropped; Photo 5 by patrick janicek / CC BY 2.0 image cropped; Photo 6 by Eric LF / CC BY 2.0 image cropped