Nantes Travel Guide
Travel guide to Nantes, France with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Nantes sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.
Nantes Overview
Nantes is situated close to the Atlantic coast in western France and has a population of approximately 270,000 people. Historically it was a major port, with ships travelling in and out of the city all day long. The port remains in the area but it is now not so significant to the city's prosperity as many new avenues were explored that brought new expertise and industry to the area, allowing the city to develop several strands of financial independence.
Nantes is now recognised as the second most important city in France for service industries - medicine, IT and administration etc. and is also a significant power when it comes to engineering and food technology. The city is also renowned for bringing new talent to the fore, with a number of universities here generating thousands of graduates each year.
As a place of culture Nantes has a strong background, being the birthplace of the famous author Jules Verne - there is a museum dedicated to him and his house is also here, although it is not open to the public, being privately owned. There are also some wonderful examples of medieval architecture here in the castles and churches that stand nearby.
A couple of places that simply have to be visited here are the Natural History Museum and the Fine Arts Museum, that houses one of the best collections of works in France.
Nantes is a wonderful city to visit because it is full of surprises. It has the industrial and economic capacity to stand as a key factor in the growth of the area but combined with a deep cultural history and understanding.
Top Nantes Attractions
The Cathedral St Pierre is probably the best known sight here, which took over 500 years to finally complete and has an interior that is 100 metres long. Also here is the Chateau de Ducs de Bretagne, a medieval castle surrounded by a moat and housing artefacts of the time and a fine museum.
Shopping in Nantes
Style is a valuable commodity in France, and Nantes provides all that and more. In the Rue Crebillon can be found the most chic shopping street in the city, which leads into the Passage Pommeraye, a 19th century shopping arcade where the beautiful appearance of the shop fronts is not let down by the wonderful designs to be found within in this delightful area of boutiques.
Nantes Sporting Events
Football is a popular sport in France, with the city being represented by Nantes FC, a reasonably strong side in the French First Division. There are also many other sports to get involved with here, including tennis, golf and cycling.
