City breaks in Nantes

Located in the south of Brittany, just 45 minutes away from the Atlantic Ocean, Nantes is a perfect base to explore the region. Whether you’re on a short break to discover the city or staying longer to visit the area you won’t run out of things to do and see.

From its magnificent chateau, seat of the Dukes of Brittany and the giant mechanical elephant that walks the streets spraying passers-by with water to the magical sculptures that line the art trail, Nantes caters for all tastes. Culture vulture, art lover, wine buff or shopaholic, read on to find out what Nantes has on offer for your amusement and delight.

Getting there is easy too. Hop on a Eurostar to Paris, transfer to Montparnasse station which is on a direct metro line from the Gare du Nord, and catch the TGV to Nantes. In just over two hours you’ll be arriving into the centre of Nantes and your adventure begins.

The food in Nantes focuses on local ingredients, and it’s perfectly located to access a wide range of top quality produce. Fish and sea food come from the Atlantic, just a few kilometres away. Fruit and vegetables grow abundantly in the rich Loire valley where livestock thrive, providing poultry, meat and dairy produce to the city’s markets. Wine comes from the local vines, primarily muscadet grapes that produce a delicious, dry white, that pairs particularly well with seafood.

Top 5 foods to try in Nantes

1. Petit beurre - the French equivalent of a rich tea biscuit, flagship of the iconic LU brand from Nantes. Plain, but great for dunking in tea or hot chocolate.

2. Rigolettes nantaises - a speciality of Nantes, these soft-centred, slightly retro, boiled sweets are made with natural fruit pulp and come in a wide variety of flavours.

3. Muscadet wine – a fruity white wine that is traditionally paired with seafood, but why limit yourself, it goes well with lots of other things too, including cake.

4. Gâteau nantais – talking of cake, this almond-flavoured, slightly dense, sponge made with a healthy slug of rum and topped with white icing, is moist and delicious and native to Nantes.

5. Breton crêpes and galettes – pancakes, both sweet and savoury are a major feature in Breton cooking. Galettes are made with buckwheat flour (gluten-free) and usually savoury, filled with ham, cheese or seafood. Crêpes are usually sweet, filled with fruit and cream or chocolate, or ideally a combination of all three.

If you are staying in the area for a bit longer, there are lots of places to visit outside Nantes within an hour or two’s drive, perfect for a day trip.

Head for the coast and La Baule to discover some fantastic beaches, drive across the salt marshes around Guérande or venture further afield, into neighbouring Normandy, to visit the famous Mont St Michel.

Public transport

Getting around Nantes is pretty easy, it has a good public transport network (TAN) with three tram lines and a large network of buses.

You may want to get yourself a Pass Nantes ticket. This gives limitless use of the TAN network, including the Navibus river ferries. The pass is available for 1, 2 and 3 days and includes:

- free admission to many of the top attractions including the Castle and Machines de l’Iles

- free bike rental

- discounts in many shops and restaurants.

You can get a family pass for two adults and two children or individual passes. They’re quite pricey, but worth it if you are planning on visiting a lot of the main sites.

Bikes

Nantes is the 7th most bike-friendly city in the world so if you don’t fancy doing too much walking and you have enough of public transport the rest of the year, rent a bike. You’ll find plenty of bike paths in the city and the flat land of the surrounding Loire valley makes it pretty pleasant on two wheels. You’ll find information about renting bikes and even trailers for smaller children on the Nantes Tourist board website.