If you’re considering a trip to France, Paris may already be on your list, but Nantes deserves attention. Just a two-hour train ride from the capital, this smaller, welcoming city blends medieval architecture with a modern creative streak. Its clearly defined quarters make it easy to explore in just two days. It’s enough time to cover the castle, the Machines of the Isle of Nantes, outdoor art connected to Voyage à Nantes, lively squares with fountains and street performers and some of the best food along the Loire River.
Château des Ducs de Bretagne. Photo credit: Jenn Allen.
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I visited in November and made most of both days, exploring the city’s neighborhoods and taking advantage of how walkable and well-connected Nantes is. Its free weekend tram, compact layout and steady display of public art help you move efficiently without losing the excitement of discovering something new around every corner.
Day 1
I stayed at the Oceania Hotel, which is an easy walk from the city’s central quarters and major sights. Its location makes it simple to visit key landmarks in a single day while leaving room to explore the smaller streets and public spaces that give Nantes much of its character.
Morning
Start at Le Voyage à Nantes tourism office beside the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, where you can pick up maps, check current information on art installations and plan your route through the city’s key sites. From there, head into the castle grounds, a free public space open most days of the year. Explore the courtyard, moat garden and the walkways along the walls. The elevated paths give wide views of the historic center, though visitors should be prepared for some steps.
The museum inside the castle charges a small entrance fee, but the exterior grounds alone offer a strong introduction to Nantes’ medieval core. If you happen to visit on the first Sunday of the month outside peak season, the museum waives admission.
Continue into the medieval quarter, a compact network of narrow lanes, small squares and half-timbered facades. Street musicians often perform around the fountains and plazas, adding to the neighborhood’s energy. Bakeries and cafes are easy to find, so you can pick up a baguette or simple sandwich for a quick outdoor lunch as you move through the area.
Afternoon
Cross the Loire River toward Les Machines de l’Île, the city’s imaginative showpiece and one of the most unusual cultural projects in France. The site blends Nantes’ shipyard past with a fantastical steampunk world inspired by Jules Verne, creating a space where engineering and storytelling meet.
The Grand Elephant is its most striking figure. This is a four-story mechanical creature that rumbles forward with surprising grace, releasing bursts of water from its trunk as onlookers scatter or lean in for the spray. You can take a 20-minute ride in the elephant; it can carry 50 passengers at a time.
The Elephant. Photo credit: Jenn Allen.
Nearby, the Carrousel des Mondes Marins turns the traditional carousel idea inside out with oversized sea creatures, layered platforms and intricately designed mechanical controls. The adjacent workshops give a close view of how these creations come to life, with half-built animals, moving prototypes and teams of engineers and artists refining the next addition to the island. It’s one of the rare attractions where industrial grit and childlike wonder coexist, and it has become a defining symbol of modern Nantes.
Evening
After a busy day wandering the city, enjoy a meal at a local favorite, Le Petit Boucot. Its chalkboard menu and wine list change with the season, and it often features regional Muscadet. The setting is relaxed and conversational, providing a fitting close to a day spent exploring the city.
Le Petit Boucot Restaurant. Photo credit: Jenn Allen.
Day 2
Today is a good day to follow the Green Line, the painted path that guides visitors through many of Nantes’ major landmarks, public squares and contemporary art installations. An initiative by Voyage à Nantes, the painted route winds for miles through the city and links historic districts with newer creative spaces. It passes through several central neighborhoods, allowing travelers to follow it at their own pace and step off whenever a cafe, garden or river view catches their attention.
Green Line. Photo credit: Jenn Allen.
Morning
Begin in Île Feydeau, known for its graceful facades and slightly curved buildings shaped by the island’s historical shifts along the Loire. The neighborhood is calm in the morning as cafes open and bakeries set out fresh pastries. From here, continue toward the Graslin district, where wide pedestrian streets and 18th-century architecture frame one of Nantes’ main cultural areas.
Place Graslin. Photo credit: Jenn Allen.
Late morning
As you continue along sections of the Green Line, the city’s emphasis on public art becomes more visible. Sculptures, murals and installations appear throughout plazas and pedestrian routes, many of them part of Le Voyage à Nantes. The maps picked up at the tourism office make it easy to follow these works in sequence and explain how contemporary art connects different neighborhoods.
Afternoon
Spend the afternoon outdoors. Jardin des Plantes is a botanical garden with formal plantings, ornate greenhouses and whimsical touches that show Nantes’ creative identity. For those who prefer an open path, the alternative is a walk along the Loire, where pedestrian routes follow the water and occasionally meet small pop-ups, buskers or seasonal displays. Both options provide a relaxed way to experience the city at a slower pace.
Late afternoon
Terrace cafes throughout the center offer a natural pause before the evening. It’s an ideal time to enjoy a glass of Muscadet, the Loire Valley white wine that is crisp, mineral and widely poured across Nantes.
Evening
End the day at La Cigale, the Belle Époque brasserie near Place Graslin. Known for its ornate tilework, murals and carved wood, the dining room is as much a draw as the menu. Classic brasserie dishes and lively service make it a fitting final meal and a strong finish to a two-day visit that highlights Nantes’ blend of history, design and neighborhood culture.
Place Graslin. Photo credit: Jenn Allen.
Nantes is easy to settle into, and two days give you enough time to see how the city balances its medieval heritage with a strong creative identity. Its compact layout makes major sites accessible on foot, and the Green Line provides a straightforward way to move between districts without losing the city’s natural flow. It also serves as a natural starting point for exploring the broader Loire Valley. Travelers can book private routes through Daytrip to reach nearby castles, palaces and small medieval towns, making Nantes both a destination of its own and a practical base for discovering western France.
Jennifer Allen is a retired chef turned traveler, cookbook author and nationally syndicated journalist; she’s also a co-founder of Food Drink Life, where she shares expert travel tips, cruise insights and luxury destination guides. A recognized cruise expert with a deep passion for high-end experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Jennifer explores the world with curiosity, depth and a storyteller’s perspective. Her articles are regularly featured on the Associated Press Wire, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, MSN and more.
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