Nantes: France’s centre of creative whimsy

One of the top-rated attractions in Nantes, the Jardin des Plantes is a beautiful place for an afternoon stroll. You’ll be able to see a 219-year-old Magnolia grandiflora as well as several other centuries-old species. Enjoy a fairytale date at the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, a storybook-worthy moated castle. Visit in the evening for award-winning illumination that provides the most romantic view.

Be wonderstruck by the imaginative mechanical creatures built and displayed at Les Machines de l’île de Nantes. By far the most popular is the 15-metre elephant that carries 50 people at a time on ambling walks along the quay, delighting kids young and old with showers of spray from its trunk. Originally a cargo ship first launched in 1896 to transport sugar, rum, coffee and cocoa from the West Indies and Brazil, the 3-masted Belem is the last 19th century trading vessel still under sail.

Once a banana ripening warehouse, the Hangar à Bananes is now home to some of the hippest bars, restaurants and clubs in Nantes. Most of them face the Anneaux de Buren et de Bouchain, a permanent art installation of metal rings that light up at night. One of the best ways to experience Nantes’s charm is by bike. Grab your friends and take advantage of Bicloo, the city’s new pick-up, drop-off system.