You have decided to spend 2 days discovering Nantes and you are right! The city has many museums, gardens, entertainment, restaurants that are worth a visit.
To help you organize these 2 days, we propose in this article our favorite itinerary with variations for families and others for botanical fans.
In the first part, we give you some practical advice to make a success of your stay and connect you serenely to thesoul of the city.
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Practical advice to visit Nantes in 2 days
1. The map of the main monuments and visits of Nantes
A small map that we have made for you to help you find your way around the different places that we suggest you discover through our itineraries in Nantes!
2. Weather: be prepared
In 2 days in Nantes, there is a strong chance that you will discover the charms of the Nantes weather! Very close to the sea, the city is subject to a rather disconcerting Atlantic climate . In a gust of wind, the clouds come to darken a sky until then pleasant!
On average, it rains 168 days a year for 89 days of sunshine, but in lesser amounts than in many French cities. It is common to say that in Nantes, the weather is nice several times a day!
In any case, bring something to protect yourself from bad weather. We don't recommend umbrellas, which can easily be turned over if the wind picks up!
3. Opt for public transport
Having some experience in this field, we can assure you that the city of Nantes is a nightmare to drive in. This is due to the growth of the city in recent years and to the Loire and its tributaries, the crossing of which is always a headache, the number of bridges being necessarily limited.
But Nantes is one of the French cities with the best public transport facilities. It was one of the first to reinstate the tramway, in 1984, and already offers 3 lines, 83 stations and 44 km of tracks. 3 other lines will be created by 2026.
It was also a pioneer in the development of the"Busway" or exclusive right-of-way bus system, with buses running on lanes that are exclusively reserved for them and with appropriate signage.
Finally, it has deployed a self-service bicycle solution with more than 120 stations and 1,000 bicycles available.
4. Opt for the city-pass
The city of Nantes offers city passes, called Pass Nantes, for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days and even 7 days, which are particularly interesting.
It will give you access to the public transportation network we just mentioned (including the airport shuttle), to the main museums and sites of the city (Dukes of Brittany castle, Art Museum, Elephant of Nantes...) and even to dedicated tours (Voyage à Nantes, Petit Train, CityTour bus)
We strongly recommend that you buy it in advance to avoid wasting time on site and waiting in line. See the conditions and book your City pass.
OUR TIPS FOR RENTING A CAR IN Loire
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars - one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a fairly compact car (many villages have narrowed the road).
- Think aboutfull insurance (parking in big cities is really tight).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
5. Choose a hotel in the center of Nantes
As previously mentioned, traffic in Nantes is poor, especially at the beginning and end of the day when Nantes residents are on their way to work.
We strongly advise you to choose a hotel in the center, as far as possible from the ring road to avoid unnecessary traffic jams.
Among our favorites:
- Blu Radisson Hotel - see our article - see photos prices and availability
- L'Oceania - hotel de France - see our article - see photos prices and availability
- Le Sozo Hotel - see our article - see photos, prices and availability
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6. Make choices
You will see in this article, there is no lack of visits in Nantes, with a beautiful diversity and sites that require a minimum of time to visit.
Even though we have taken care to optimize travel time between each location (whether by foot or public transportation), it will add to your visits and to the fatigue of the day.
We are really in favor of"less is more" so as not to overload your 2 days in Nantes and soak up the special atmosphere of the city.
Itinerary: our essentials of Nantes in 2 days
Do you want to make sure you don't miss out on any of the things that make Nantes one of the most attractive cities in France, while taking the time to enjoy your visits and tasting good food at every meal? We offer you a tour that combines all this, and much more... Let's go!
Day 1 - 9h-11h: The Elephant of Nantes and the machines of the island
Your journey begins on the island of Nantes, in the heart of the city, between two arms of the Loire.
In less than 10 years, the Elephant of Nantes has become theemblem of the city. From an industrial and port city, it is becoming a creative and cultural city, without turning its back on its roots, its know-how and its history.
Located on the site of the former shipyards, this site immerses visitors in the fantastic world of the Nantes-based author Jules Verne, with its bizarre metal and wood machines, including the gigantic 12-meter-high Elephant (a 4-storey building).
The visit takes place in 3 stages:
- The Elephant's walk: several times a day, the Elephant goes out on the esplanade of the old building sites for a long stroll. It carries 52 visitors for each half-hour trip. If you want to go on board, we advise you to make a reservation or to try your luck when you arrive on site, as some tickets are only sold on site.
- The gallery of machines: a surprising visit in the bestiary of Jules Verne between heron, hummingbird and other monarch butterflies, but also a discovery of the know-how of the designers of these fantastic animals.
- The carousel of the marine worlds: find your childlike soul for a ride on the ingenious carousel that will take you 20,000 places under the sea.
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- All our advice and many photos to prepare your visit to the Elephant of Nantes and the machines of the island.
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Day 1 - 11:15-12:00: The Buren Rings
Not far from the machines, at the tip of the island, is the lively Quai des Antilles with its many restaurants, its Voyage à Nantes canteen and its theaters.
The French artist Daniel Buren, who made French cultural history by installing his 260 "columns" in the main courtyard of the Palais-royal garden in Paris, needs no introduction.
In Nantes, the artist invites you to see the city from a new angle in each of the 18 rings that punctuate the quay.
Each ring bears his visual and artistic signature , an alternating white and colored band 8.7 centimeters wide, which he has been carrying around the world since 1965.
Day 1 - 12:00-12:30: Palais de Justice and Cours Cambronne
On the way to the restaurant, take the time to discover two remarkable architectural elements that symbolize two very different eras:
- The new courthouse, designed by the French star architectJean Nouvel, is an extension of the Victor Schoelcher footbridge over the Loire River.
- Before going to lunch, take the time to stroll along the magnificent Cours Cambronne, where 16 19th century buildings are classified as historical monuments.
Day 1 - 12:30-14:00: lunch at the restaurant imagine
Because creativity does not stop at the restaurant door, we invite you to taste the cuisine of theyoung chef Anne Lise GENOUËL who opened, at 28 years old, her restaurant Imagine 2 steps from Place Graslin in 2018.
In addition to the warm atmosphere, we liked this combination of incredible flavors where the spices come to divert our palates for our greatest pleasure.
Proof of the creativity of the chef, the menu changes every week at lunchtime and at least once a month in the evening!
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Day 1 - 14h-14h30: Downtown Nantes
To reach the next point, you will cross the city center from west to east, the opportunity to discover some of these treasures:
- The Royal Square: one of the largest squares in the city, with its Haussmannian and neoclassical quarter-circle buildings
- The Feydeau district: formerly an island, it has only been attached to the right bank since 1938 and has an impressive 18th century architectural heritage that we owe to the city's rich shipowners and merchants.
- The medieval district of Bouffay: the historical district of the city, with its narrow streets and remarkable houses.
Day 1 - 14h30-16h: the castle of Nantes (Dukes of Brittany)
We have arrived at our next visit, the castle of Nantes and the Dukes of Brittany. Built from the 13th century, it enters the history of France at the end of the 15th century, under the impulse of Anne of Brittany. Through her successive marriages to 2 kings of France (Henry VIII and Louis XII), she ensured the attachment of Brittany to France.
The castle can only be visited from the outside, but there is much to see:
- Thedefensive structures (towers, bastion, old keep (XIIIth century), châtelet and enclosures) to be admired first from the moat and then by walking the covered way.
- From the courtyard, the royal dwelling with its tower of the golden crown and its beautiful loggias very richly sculpted, at the crossroads of Gothic and Renaissance styles.
- The great Government built by Louis XIV in a neoclassical style to replace part of the house destroyed by fire in the 17th century.
- The other buildings of the castle: the conciergerie, the small government and the harnessing building.
The interior houses the very rich and well designed Museum of the History of Nantes, but you will need at least 1h30 to go through its 33 rooms! Keep it for a next stay in Nantes.
You may need a little break after these long walks, and you have the right to be tempted (like us), by a little pancake and / or ice cream to the Strawberry fieldin the courtyard of the castle, an institution for the people of Nantes who enjoy weekends by the sea in Pornic.
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Day 1 - 4:30-6pm: the plant garden
Continue your journey through the center of Nantes to reach the beautiful Jardin des Plantes de Nantes. The city of Nantes is nicknamed"the city of 100 parks" and was even elected the green capital of Europe in 2013. It owes this lush nature, both to its very special weather, but also to the explorers who brought many rare species to their home port.
On 7 hectares, the plant garden, one of the largest in France, presents more than 10,000 living species, some of which are preserved in beautiful greenhouses, which can be visited with a city gardener.
You will also come across playful works of art, which we owe to the author and illustrator for young people, Claude Ponti, but also a funny greenhouse designed by the machines of the island.
Note that if you have not succumbed to the Fraiseraie you can opt for a gourmet break at theorangery.
A LITTLE MORE patience
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Day 1 - 6-7pm: Lieu Unique
Now that you are in the Jardin des Plantes, you only have to walk a few hundred meters to reach the Lieu Unique and discover what is hidden at the foot of this art deco tower that you must have seen during your day.
Today converted into a cultural place, the unique place was the headquarters of the famous cookie factory LU which closed its doors in 1986. There used to be 2 towers of 38 meters high, but only one survived the bombings of the2nd World War.
In addition to the visit of the tower which will allow you to better know the history of the place, we invite you to have a drink or a coffee at the bar of the unique place, in the hall with the indus decoration or in terrace. You will surely come across those who keep the cultural and bohemian life of Nantes alive.
Day 1 - 7:30 pm: Dinner at the restaurant l'Amenité
After this beautiful day, we propose to finish gently, with a dinner at the restaurant l'Amenité. Located in the Bouffay district, not far from the castle, it is for us one of the best restaurants in Nantes.
In the kitchen, the truculent Richard Cornet, also a London trader and psychotherapist, who had the happy idea to reconvert to cooking.
They offer a market cuisine with multiple flavors and a perfect mastery of cooking and textures, all for an unbeatable quality/price ratio in Nantes, in our opinion.
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Day 1 - Your night, choose your hotel in Nantes
We have a full article with our selection of the 12 best hotels in Nantes, but we offer our top 4 options in relation to this itinerary:
- Sozo Hotel: 2 steps from the Jardin des Plantes, sleep in an authentic 19th century church converted into a 4 star hotel with a strong design. See our detailed article on the night we spent at the Sozo Hotel / see prices, photos and availability.
- Blu Radisson Nantes: housed in the former courthouse, an incredible neoclassical building, the Blu Radisson condemns you to a quiet night. See our detailed article on the night we spent at the Blu Radisson Nantes / see prices, photos and availability.
- Hôtel de France Océnia: The former mansion of Jean Joseph Graslin, modern builder of Nantes, became a mythical hotel of Nantes in the twentieth century and has been completely updated in 2014. See our detailed article on the night we spent at the France Oceania hotel / see prices, photos and availability.
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Day 2 - 9-10am: Exploring the Extraordinary Garden
To get you ready for this beautiful day, head to the Jardin Extraordinaire, installed in an old quarry in the rebellious district of Chantenay.
A few steps away from the house where Jules Verne was born, let yourself be invaded by this dreamlike universe where everything seems offbeat and out of the ordinary.
The program includes a waterfall, cliffs of 25 meters high, tree ferns, banana trees or papyrus and lotus that enjoy the omnipresent water!
A change of scenery guaranteed...
Day 2 - 10:00-10:30: The Lookout Walk
To join the next visit, leave from the top of the Jardin Extraordinaire to enjoy some of the 7 viewpoints that give you a beautiful view of the Loire and the city. We particularly like the belvedere of the Hermitage designed by the Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata, with its wooden overhang above the void.
Day 2 - 10:30-11:30: Jules Verne Museum
Jules Verne is the most famous author from Nantes, whose prolific work was directly inspired by his youth in Nantes and continues to irrigate the city today, like the Elephant of Nantes and the Machines of the Island.
The museum offers you a journey to the center of Jules Verne's work, from the sources of inspiration (railroads, travels...) to the publication of the novels (role of the publisher of the illustrated books Pierre-Jules Hetzel). This tour is proposed through manuscripts, illustrations or objects that belonged to the writer.
Day 2 - 11:45-12:30: Memorial of the Abolition of Slavery
Before lunch, visit the discreet memorialof the abolition of slavery.
A long gallery of rough concrete, under the riverside of the Loire, takes you into the memory of slavery, but also to the discovery of the enlightened minds that led to its abolition.
A solemn and necessary place, in the heart of one of the main former French slave ports of the not so distant 18th century. Admission is free.
Day 2 - 12:30-14:00: Lunch at La Cigale - Place Graslin
When you leave the memorial, once you have recovered from your emotions, head for the beautiful Place Graslin.
This whole district is the work of the economist and high official of Nantes, Jean-Joseph Graslin, who had the theater built in 1788 in the neoclassical style.
On this square, a sign stands out, that of the chic brasserie La Cigale. Inaugurated in 1895, it is a real Nantes institution, as much appreciated for a tea with a small pastry in the middle of a shopping day, as for a dinner after a weekend by the sea.
But, even if its cuisine is of high quality, what makes it really unique is its art nouveau décor entirely created by Nantes artists and which humorously depicts the bourgeois mores of Nantes society at the end of the 19th century. You will notice that the cicada is a bit sulky, wearing a tutu and carrying a mandolin.
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Day 2 - 14h-14h45: Discover the Passage Pommeraye
Leaving La Cigale, go down the luxurious and commercial street Crébillon to reach the high entrance of the passage Pommeraye on rue de Santueil.
This magnificent covered shopping mall built between 1840 and 1843, is a jewel of neoclassical art that symbolizes the gentrification of the city of Nantes carried by its flourishing port activity in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Inspired by the many Parisian passages, it is unique in Europe because of its sloping plan, with a difference in level of more than 9 meters between its high and low points, which was to be easily climbed by the elegant ladies.
In addition to the magnificent decorations which borrow from the renaissance style but also baroque, we invite you to enjoy the incredible light which reigns in this place. We owe it to the impressive glass roofs and to the lighting, first gas, now led, which illuminate the passage advantageously.
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Day 2 - 15h-15h45: Museum of Printing and Graphic Arts
Just a stone's throw from the Passage Pommeraye, discover the very surprising and enchanting Museum of Printing and Bookmaking. You can discover the machines that preceded our digital presses.
Far from being a dusty museum, the machines are still in working order and make art prints before your eyes! Numerous training courses allow to perpetuate the memory and the know-how of the printing trades: master printer, typesetter...
The icing on the cake is a small exhibition of printed works to conclude the visit. We were lucky enough to come across an exhibition of printed drawings by the talented Doctor Paper who reinterprets the world (almost the same passion as ours!).
Day 2 - 4pm-7pm: Museum of Art
Courage, you still have an exceptional place to discover, the incredible Nantes Art Museum.
Created in 1801 and completely reinvented in 2017, it offers one of the most beautiful collections of paintings in France, in a setting that is just exceptional, both architecturally, but also in the quality of the hanging.
The ancient art, carried by the Italian painters and the religious painting, rubs shoulders with the treasures of themodern art, with in particular a very beautiful collection Kandinsky, without forgetting the emblematic painters of the XIXth century (Courbet, Monet, Delacroix).
A great moment for us, it was difficult to leave
A LITTLE MORE patience
All the photos, maps, information, good addresses to make your stay in the Loire Valley a success, will soon be gathered in a single ebook!
If you wish to be informed of the publication of our guide on the Loire, register:
Day 2 - 7-10pm: Dinner at the Manoir de la Régate
To close this beautiful stay of discovery of Nantes, succumb to what is for us the best restaurant of Nantes, the Manoir de la Régate. In a protected natural setting, this starred restaurant has been in the hands of the Perou family since 1995.
It is the new generation, barely thirty years old, which offers you a gustatory and gastronomic journey just incredible, between beet bread, pike-perch of the Loire stewed in clay and Bottereau nantais with kiwi and mint!
The chef, Matthieu Pérou, flavors his dishes with wild flowers and herbs picked along the Erdre River. Another way to do botany!
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Option 1 - City of Nantes in 2 days with guides
Follow the green line
The green line runs over 24 kilometers of sidewalks, stairs and other narrow streets in the city of Nantes.
Every summer since 2012, as part of the voyage to Nantes, she offers tourists an artistic stroll through the city. On the program, about forty places and monuments presenting a particular cultural interest or reinterpreted by artists.
Very innovative when it was launched, the green line is in the middle of an institutionalization phase, which makes it lose some of its vitality. Nevertheless, it remains a nice alternative for those who want to see the urban space through the eyes of artists.
Original tricks
- Private visit according to your expectations with a passionate Nantais - See prices and availability.
- Visit the highlights of the city by Segway: a mode of transport now well known in tourist cities and quite adapted to travel in Nantes, outside the hyper center - See prices and availability.
- Even if the traffic is not easy in Nantes, you can opt for a discovery of the city in a 2CV Citroën, the mythical French deuche - See prices and availability.
- Guided tour of the city with an audioguide directly accessible on your smartphone, to learn all about the history of the city - See the price of the audioguide of Nantes.
- Need to motivate your children to discover the city, opt for an outdoor escape game with the city as a playground - See price and conditions.
Option 2 - alternatives for your 2 days in Nantes with children
To interest our children during a whole day is not necessarily easy, we have realized an itinerary that is dedicated to the children during 1 day and we present you the alternatives and options to motivate them:
Kid-friendly restaurants in Nantes
Even if your children will be welcome in all the restaurants we have selected, we suggest 3 alternatives, easier for young palates, but in which we eat healthy.
Sugar Blu Restaurant
Our favorite canteen in Nantes, where everything is ultra-fresh and the atmosphere is definitely friendly, reminding us of the brown cafés in Amsterdam.
No doubt you'll find something to satisfy their sometimes fussy stomachs, and to please yourself as well! Quiches, salads, burrito... for the main course and a nice collection of desserts, each one more delicious than the other (guaranteed success): brownie, scone, carrot cake...
Restaurant "Le coin des crêpes
A sure value with children (and which does not displease the parents), a good creperie. Even if we are not quite in Brittany, we know how to make beautiful pancakes in Nantes and to marry the pancakes with the greedy tradition of the city (the cookie factories BN and LU testify it...).
So that they don't feel too cramped, we recommend"Le coin des crêpes", Cours des 50 otages, not far from the Passage Pommeraye, where we enjoyed ourselves.
Restaurant Coq Monsieur
Another great classic of the kitchen for our children: the croque-monsieur! At Coq Monsieur, it is available in 10 gourmet recipes and served with French fries (and salad).
Installed in one of the small pedestrian streets of Bouffay, it will satisfy everyone and in a good mood!
Where to have a snack break with your children in Nantes
For the snack break, you have a lot of choices. Our 2 favorites (of which Eugenie knows the map by heart):
- Near the castle, Chez Dinette, a very cosy tea room, with a brocante atmosphere, where you can taste home-made pastries: crumble (that we love...), carrot cake, banana caramel pie.
- We really like the tea-time proposal from the brasserie La Cigale, which we told you about earlier. You will have to face a formidable choice: gourmet ice creams (special mention for the nutcracker: caramel and hazelnut ice creams with cookie chips) or the terrible home-made pastries, including the famous Nantes cake.
Other places to visit with children in Nantes
The Water Mirror
The water mirror is a must-see in any large French city and is located at the foot of the castle. They can either admire the beautiful reflections or refresh themselves while exercising.
Natural History Museum
The natural history museum is a sure bet with children and the one in Nantes is in the process of updating itself to continue to captivate them with its very rich collections.
Adventurers, ship owners and other naturalists have contributed over the last two centuries to make the Natural History Museum of Nantes one of the most important in France.
Between stuffedvertebrate animal specimens, vivarium with friendly live snakes and collection of minerals and rocks, they will not know where to turn!
Option 3 - Alternatives for Garden and Botanical enthusiasts
Elected the Green Capital of Europe in 2013 and known as the city of 100 parks (actually 101, according to the official count of the City Hall), Nantes has enough to satisfy the most demanding botanical enthusiasts.
In addition to the Extraordinary Garden and the Plant Garden, which are part of our 2-day itinerary, we would like to suggest some other parks that we enjoyed visiting.
Park of the island of Versailles
Surrounded by the river Erdre, discover the small park of the island of Versailles. On former swamps, a beautiful small Japanese garden, with traditional tea room, rockery composition and mini waterfalls.
The Maison de l'Erdre offers exhibitions on theecosystem of this river which crosses Nantes before flowing into the Loire via the Saint-Félix canal.
Grand Blottereau Park
With 22 hectares, the Grand Blottereau park is the largest in Nantes and also one of the most amazing. Its exotic vocation , inherited from its first patron, the wealthy Nantes merchant Hyppolite Durand-Gasselin, and its pedagogical orientation (headquarters of the horticultural high school of Nantes), make it a place of experimentation and learning about plants in life size.
Throughout your journey, you will discover landscapes of different continents reconstituted, from the American bayou, to the hill of Suncheon (Korea) without forgetting the Mediterranean rock garden.
You can also discover the rich collection of exotic species in the dry greenhouse (jojoba, baobab and other kapok) and in the one reproducing a humid climate (ebony, mahogany, banana trees, cocoa trees...)
Floral park
You will have to go a little further from the city center to discover the magnificent floral park of Beaujoirewhich presents on more than 14 hectares, 16000 varieties of roses (flowering mostly in May-June), but also 400 species of magnolias (flowering from early March to June) and a beautiful garden iris (flowering March-April).
This garden was created in 1971 to host one of the most important events for ornamental plants, the Floralies.
The best things to do in Nantes in video
And finally, a short video to inspire you!
PLAN YOUR STAY IN Nantes
Itineraries
Visits
