Nantes

Historically the capital of the Duchy of Brittany, Nantes is today the capital of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire as well as the department of Loire-Atlantique. The sixth largest city in France, it was once an important port city, situated some 50 kilometres inland and connected to the Atlantic by River Loire. Its position on the delta of rivers Loire, Erdre and Sèvre to the west of France earned the city its nickname "La Venise de l'Ouest" . Today, Nantes is a modern and industrialised town, yet very much culturally linked to the Breton heritage. Its most famous son is the writer Jules Verne, who brought us "Around the World in 80 Days".

Weather

Nantes is a temperate city with oceanic climate. Summer in Nantes is generally mild, with temperatures not exceeding 25 °C and at a minimum of about 15 °C. The months of June, July and August are also usually the sunniest with the least rainfalls. In autumn, it remains mild with intermittent sunny days and cool nights. Winter in Nantes is rainy and can be very wet, although the rain is often followed by clear skies. Winter temperatures generally hovers between 5 °C to 10 °C. Occasional frosts may also occur. Spring remains cool in temperature until around May. The change in the weather in Nantes can happen suddenly, from sunny to rain and sunny again within minutes.

Sights and activities

 

• The Château des Ducs de Bretagne, dated back to 13th century, was both a residential palace and a military fortress. Over time, the castle was constantly remodelled and very recently a major restoration was underway to return the site to its emblematic glory in the history of Nantes and Brittany. The doors to the castle was reopened in 2007 upon the completion of the restoration, and currently houses Musée d'Histoire de Nantes. The grounds of the castle, along with the ramparts, are free to visit on a daily basis except 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 25 December. The Museum collections (permanent and temporary) are, however, ticket requiring. A standard ticket to either the permanent or the temporary collection is €5, while a combination ticket for both is €8.

 

• Machines de l'Île (The Machines of the Isle of Nantes) hosts a number of mechanical animals including the Great Elephant which a ride can be taken. This giant mechanical elephant moves at a crawl of 250 metres per hour with a maximum of 49 passengers on board each time, with realistic flexes and movement, and the trunk will even spray water out every so often! Standard adult ticket is €6.50, and it includes the access to the terrace of l'Atelier de la Machine (the machine workshop) and to la Branche prototype de l'Arbre aux Hérons (the prototypic branch of the tree of herons).

 

• La Tour LU is a rather "pink" and picturesque tower that stands by the entrance of the former factory of Lefèvre-Utile (LU) Biscuit Company. The unused factory was rescued from demolition in the late 1990's. The tower offers a vantage viewpoint of the city, while the factory has since been renamed Lieu Unique (Unique Place) and it is now used as a cultural centre.