Nantes · FR
Nantes City Highlights
From the Dukes' castle through medieval lanes to the elegant Graslin quarter.
What's the walk about?
Welcome to Nantes, a city that proudly calls itself the capital of the Dukes of Brittany and wears its long history with easy elegance. This gentle loop through the old town leads you from a rare royal column and a luminous Gothic cathedral to the moated ducal castle, then on through medieval lanes and leaning merchant mansions to the graceful squares and glittering arcades of the Graslin quarter. Take your time, look up at the carved stone faces and colonnaded facades, and let one of Frances most underrated cities slowly reveal its many layers.
What you'll see
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1
Colonne Louis XVI - Place Maréchal Foch
Column
A rare royal column soaring above a leafy square, crowned by a statue of Louis the Sixteenth. It is one of only four monuments to the guillotined king still standing anywhere in France.
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2
Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul
Cathedral
A soaring Gothic cathedral of dazzling white tuffeau stone, with vaults higher than Notre-Dame in Paris. Inside waits the exquisite Renaissance tomb of François the Second, last Duke of Brittany.
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3
Château des ducs de Bretagne
Castle
A great moated fortress of the Dukes of Brittany, birthplace of Anne of Brittany, twice Queen of France. Its half kilometre of ramparts can be walked for free, with sweeping views over the old city.
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4
Place du Bouffay
Square
The lively medieval heart of Nantes, ringed by leaning half-timbered houses and the city's oldest lanes. Once a place of castles and executions, it is now a buzzing hub of crêperies and bars.
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5
Île Feydeau
Island
A former island in the Loire where eighteenth century shipowners raised tall stone mansions carved with grinning mascarons. Stranded on dry land since the river channels were filled in, its grand facades now lean gently over quiet streets.
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6
Place du Commerce
Square
The bustling civic crossroads of Nantes, dominated by the elegant 1790 stock exchange that today houses a cultural store. Trams, cafés and the city's main shopping streets all meet on this broad, lively square.
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7
Place Royale
Fountain
A grand neoclassical square centred on a monumental 1865 fountain that celebrates Nantes and its rivers. A crowned marble figure of the city stands above allegories of the Loire and its tributaries.
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8
Passage Pommeraye
Passage
An opulent covered shopping arcade from 1843 that climbs three levels around a monumental wooden staircase lined with sculpture. It is widely considered one of the most beautiful passages in Europe.
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9
Place Graslin & Théâtre Graslin
Theatre
An elegant eighteenth century square dominated by the colonnaded Graslin opera house and the dazzling Art Nouveau brasserie La Cigale. It is the cultural heart of the refined Graslin quarter.
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10
Cours Cambronne
Garden
A serene tree lined promenade from 1791 framed by uniform neoclassical townhouses, with a statue of the Nantes born General Cambronne at its center. It is a green retreat in the heart of the Graslin quarter.
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