Tourism programme
Wednesday morning - Guided tours
Explore Nantes the way you want to with your own private tour guide! We propose you two different tourist visits: book your tour on our registration platform!
1/ Musée du Château des Ducs de Bretagne tour: a major theme, the history of the castle.
Built in the 13th century on the Gallo-Roman wall – still visible – of the city of Namnètes, the first ducal castle disappeared in the 15th century to make way for the current monument. This one is the work of François II, last duke of Brittany, and his daughter, Anne of Brittany, twice queen of France. A castle rich of six centuries of history, which shelters a residential palace with refined frontages with its loggias of Renaissance spirit.
- Reservation for a group guided tour at the Château des ducs de Bretagne for 20 people from 10:10 to 11:40 am (in English)
- Price: €13.50
- Tickets to be booked through the Eventbrite dashboard
The visit opens a right of entry to continue the visit of the Museum in autonomy in the slots of opening to the public. A temporary exhibition of Bathélémy TOGUO is currently held from 13/05 to 12/11/2023: Exposition Expression(s) décoloniale(s) #3 – Château des ducs de Bretagne | Musée d’histoire de Nantes (chateaunantes.fr)
Le Musée d’Histoire de Nantes
Several itineraries are available to discover this monument and its resolutely contemporary history museum.
At the castle, fall under the spell of six centuries of medieval history… Set in the historic heart of Nantes, the Château des ducs de Bretagne is the city’s most important historic building, along with the Cathedral St. Pierre.
2/ Machines de l’Ile tour: an invitation to dream and to travel
Les Machines de l’île is a totally unprecedented project. A product of François Delaroziere and Pierre Orefice’s collective imagination, it is the only place where you’ll find Jules Verne’s “Invented Worlds,” the mechanical universe of Leonardo da Vinci, and Nantes’ industrial history, all on the exceptional site of the city’s former shipyards.
- A grouped visit on 2 sites from 10h00 to 11h40: le Carrousel des Mondes Marins et la Galerie des Machines (en anglais). The Galerie is a living space showcasing a veritable bestiary of machines. The machines built in the workshops of theatre company, La Machine, are tested in this lab. Located on the banks of the Loire river, the Carrousel des Mondes Marins seems to have been born in the belly of the Île de Nantes. Adults and children are plunged into the same imaginary universe of this incredible mechanical aquarium, which you can discover at your own pace.
- Price: €18.90
- Tickets to be booked through the Eventbrite dashboard
Without taking the trip on board, you can also see the elephant as it strolls between the Nave and the Carrousel.
One day at the Machines
Under the Nave of the Parc des Chantiers, a team of crazy builders has set up their workshop. Their imagination explores the treetops, the savannah or the sea bed, they build a bestiary of living machines that escape from the workshop…
Wednesday afternoon – suggestions for self-guided tours
For all your tourist needs: A journey to nantes official website
Top ratted attractions :
MUSEUM
Musée d’Arts: Located in the heart of the city between the cathedral and the Jardin des Plantes botanical gardens, the Musée d’arts de Nantes sets the standard for French museums. A place for encounters, contemplation and exploration, it offers a significant collection of artworks dating from the 13th century to the present day in the luxurious spaces of the 19th-century Palais and the contemporary Cube built as part of the recent extension. -> permanent collection and temporary exhibition. More information
Memorial to the abolition of slavery: In the 18th century, Nantes became the most important slave-trading port in France. On a plant-covered walkway, 2,000 commemorative plaques remind the public of the slave ships that departed from Nantes as well as the major trading ports in Africa and America. A meditative promenade, marked with quotes on the subject of slavery from a variety of sources, runs alongside the Quai de Loire. More information
VISIT
City Tour Bus: A one-hour tour of Nantes on board of a minibus with 28 seats (no hop on / hop off ). Discover Nantes and enjoy unique views from the bus! Convertible minibus offering a panoramic vision on the city. Vehicle equipped with a multilingual individual audio system (French, Spanish, English, German) and of a panoramic roof foldaway. More information
Nantes by bike: Looking for a cycling route in and around Nantes? Located at the crossroads of two indisputable, international stars of bike travel beloved by the public – “La Vélodyssée” (EuroVelo 1) and “La Loire à Vélo” (EuroVelo 6) – and with its 586 km (364 mi.) of bike paths and more than 2,900 parking spots and 7,000 bike racks, Nantes and its surrounding region loves cycling! More informations
Sightseeing Cruises: Step aboard for a cruise along the River Erdre and discover the natural wealth of “the most beautiful river in France” (Francis I of France). Join Bateaux Nantais for a sightseeing cruise along the River Erdre aboard one of their modern boats. Enjoy a unique journey and a memorable cruise through the heart of Nantes aboard a Bateaux Nantais boat while listening to a commentary on the history of the river and its many châteaux. More information
ITINERARY AROUND NANTES
The journey in the Vineyards: From Nantes to Clisson, Le Voyage dans le Vignoble offers a welcome change of scenery: watching the sun set from the top of Butte de la Roche, walking along the Chaussée des Moines in Vertou, playing on the banks of the Sèvre, discovering Parc de la Garenne Lemot with a work by Eva Jospin, or the monumental Porte-Vue by Emmanuel Ritz in Château-Thebaud… These stops offer which are as many ideas for walks to discover the vineyards near Nantes and its exceptional wines! More information
Estuaire Nantes <> Saint-Nazaire: From deep in the heart of Nantes out to the shores of the Atlantic, Estuaire is an open-air art collection unlike any other. These 33 works offer 33 occasions to stop and appreciate contemporary art stretching over 60 kilometers of estuary. The Estuaire itinerary is the happy marriage between landscape, art and the river. More information
The journey in the Vineyards
From Nantes to Clisson, Le Voyage dans le Vignoble offers a welcome change of scenery: watching the sun set from the top of Butte de la Roche, walking along the Chaussée des Moines in Vertou, playing on the banks of the Sèvre, discovering Parc de la Garenne Lemot with a work by Eva Jospin, or the monumental Porte-Vue by Emmanuel Ritz in Château-Thébaud…
These stops offer which are as many ideas for walks to discover the vineyards near Nantes and its exceptional wines! Read more