Nantes at a Glance

For more information, visit the Nantes Tourism at www.nantes-tourisme.com.

City region: At the crossroads of Brittany and the Loire Valley / Pays de la Loire

Population & what they are called: 298,029 inhabitants (2014 census), called Nantais

Access from Paris:

• by road: about 3 h 45 min (238 miles) via the A11 autoroute L'Océane
• by train: about 2 h 15 min by TGV from the Gare Montparnasse
• by plane: about 1 h 15 min to Nantes Atlantique Airport

Famous native daughters & sons:

• Jules Verne, writer | Jacques Demy, French New Wave film director | Christine and the Queen, singer and songwriter

Most distinctive,trait, unique fact or little known fact:

• Nantes will be one of the nine host cities of the Rugby World Cup that will take place in France in the fall of 2023
• One of the best ways to discover Nantes is by following a green line along the sidewalk. It leads visitors to Nantes' architectural, artistic, cultural and historical highlights.
• Nantes is considered the birthplace of Surrealism, since André Breton (the founder of the movement) met Jacques Vaché (one of the movement's chief inspirations) here in 1916.

Notable sites:

• Les Machines de l’Île – quirky mechanical automatons, including a 39-foot-tall walking Grand Elephant, with a little something to satisfy adults and kids. lesmachines-nantes.fr
• Château des ducs de Bretagne – former ducal residence and now home of the Musée d’Histoire de Nantes with exhibitions about the city. chateau-nantes.fr
• Cathédrale St-Pierre et Saint-Paul – Flamboyant Gothic cathedral housing royal tombs from the Renaissance

Top annual events:

• La Folle Journée – the largest classical music festival in France. follejournee.fr
• Le Voyage à Nantes – a summer event highlighting contemporary art exhibitions across the city. levoyageanantes.fr
• Rendez-vous de l'Erdre – couples a free jazz festival with a pleasure-boating show on the Erdre. rendezvouserdre.com

Most notable museums:

• Musée d'Arts – an extensive fine arts collection ranging from Italian Renaissance paintings to contemporary sculpture. Musée d'arts de Nantes
• Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery – Inaugurated on 25 March 2012, it is the only memorial dedicated to slavery in mainland France. Mémorial de l'abolition de l'esclavage
• Musée d’Histoire de Nantes – located in the Château des ducs de Bretagne, the museum retraces the story of the city. Musem of the History of Nantes
• Musée Jules Verne – interactive exhibitions bring to life the work of Jules Verne, the city’s native son. Musée Jules Verne

Culinary specialties:

• beurre blanc – a butter sauce made with Muscadet wine and a popular accompaniment for fish
• biscuits – the Petit Beurre of Nantes (mass produced by the LU company) is the best-known shortbread in France
• caramels au beurre salé – salted butter toffees made with some world-famous product from the famous Guérande salt marshes

Local wines & spirits:

• Pays Nantais AOC wines – the largest vineyards of the Loire Valley and the heart of Muscadet country (the greatest single-varietal white wine vineyards in the world)
• Le Nantillais – a natural syrup that, when used in small quantities with dry white wine, results in a satisfying aperitif

Shopping:

• Marché de Talensac – a covered market, the largest and best-known in town
• Passage Pommeraye – ornate, old-fashioned (built in the mid-19th century) three-level shopping arcade with a glass roof
• Rue Crébillon – the street along which the most important designer stores are found, plus some interesting local labels

Most popular night spots:

• Le Lieu Unique – former biscuit factory converted into a space that hosts art exhibits, drama, music and dance performances
• La Cantine du Voyage – an outdoor (seasonal) bar/restaurant/shop on the quays of the Isle of Nantes
• Le Hangar à Bananes – a former banana warehouse that today hosts an exhibition hall, concert venue, restaurants and bars overlooking the Loire.

Local population’s favorite activities (or hangouts):

• Ile de Nantes – a wander on the Isle of Nantes takes in the creativity and modern architecture of this eco-friendly district, now a model of city living after 30 years of urban regeneration iledenantes.com (French language only)
• Estuaire Nantes<>Saint-Nazaire – with 30 permanent works of art, an open-air trail that provides an unusual way to discover the river estuary. Nantes<>Saint-Nazaire Estuary
• the beach – the Atlantic Coast at Baie de La Baule is a bay with five miles of fine sand

Local industries:

• Aeronautics – Airbus produces its fleet's wingboxes and radomes in Nantes, the second-largest center for aeronautics in France
• Atlanpole – a technopole that includes nearly 500 companies and research and higher-education facilities that specialize in biopharmaceuticals, information technology, renewable energy, mechanics, food production, naval engineering and creative industries

In Pop Culture:

• Jacques Demy movies – Lola (1964) and A Room in Town (1982) were both shot by this French New Wave director in Nantes, his native city
• Jacquot de Nantes – a 1991 French drama film directed by Agnès Varda recreating the early life of her husband, Jacques Demy, in Occupied France