Loire Atlantique - Nantes by Frans Bureau voor Toerisme

English

le guide touristique 2009-2010

Welcome to Nantes Take a good look around you... you’re in Nantes !

Nantes

The capital of the west of France has lots of treats in Métropole store for you : a city that Tourist Office stands open to the world, an unusually rich and varied 4 0892 464 044 (0,34€/mn) (from France) architectural and cultural heritage, outstanding parks, + 33 272 640 479 (from abroad) an oppor tunity for fascinating encounters in a city X nantes-tourisme.com that knows how to live and entertain, and how to give The Tourist Office is here to keep you up to date with of its best. events and to make sure you “Nantes, perhaps along with have a pleasant stay. Paris is the only tow n in It takes care of tickets for France where I've felt that tourist trips, river cruises, something worthwhile might shows, sea crossings, etc. happen...” wrote once André The Tourist Office welcomes Breton... you to Nantes all year round. And that's the worst that We are here to help, advise could happen ! Welcome to and plan the best possible stay. We can help you find Nantes. the right accommodation, restaurants, information, show tickets, guided visits, gifts and the Pass Nantes.

Reception office Feydeau

Reception office Vertou

3 3, cours Olivier-de-Clisson 3 Place du Beauverger (Corner of Rue Kervégan )

44120 Vertou

h Open Monday to Saturday, from 10.00 to 18.00. (Except on Thursday: at 10.30)

Reception office Cathedrale

3 2, place Saint-Pierre h Open Tuesday to Sunday, from10.00 to 13.00 and from 14.00 to 18.00) (Except on Thursday: at 10.30)

Reception office Bouaye

Look out for this sign which means discounted or free entry with the Pass Nantes.

This sign shows which places are accessible in a wheelchair. (Always check if you have any other special needs).

Nantes Wireless City Hook up in the town centre! Tourist information free of charge in the town centre (accomodation bookings, traffic updates, cultural and tourism news, restaurants).

3 2, place du Bois Jacques 44830 Bouaye

Reception office Thouaré

3 5, rue de Mauves

Emergency numbers Medical Emergencies 15 Police Emergencies 17

44470 Thouaré

Photos credit: OTNM (G. Arnaud, J.L. Cochard, B. David, A. Delaporte, P. Gérard, Nautilus Nantes, A. Pons, V. Sarazin), Bateaux Nantais, M. Thiery/SEM régionale des Pays de la Loire, ville de Vertou, J. Renaudineau, Patricia Bassen, B. Rivière pour OT Clisson, Stéphane Bellanger, Vincent Jacques. Design: X. Drouaud, N. Fonteneau + O. Métaireau. Print: Acanthe

pass nantes le meilleur de Nantes au meilleur prix. The best value to visit nantes.

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0 892 464 044 (0,34€/min) www.resanantes.com

Don't miss anything during your stay - use the Pass Nantes You can obtain your Pass Nantes in the Tourist Office agencies, at the airport information desk, at your hotel, campsite, youth hostel, in the NGE car parks...

Rates Pass Nantes 24hrs : 18€ 48hrs : 28€ 72hrs : 36€ Pass Nantes Reduced rate* 24hrs : 9€

Top tip

How to see the best of Nantes - at the nicest price It doesn't matter how long you're staying in Nantes - 72 hours, 48 hours, or just 24 hours - make the most of it! It’s easy to discover Nantes with the Pass Nantes:

Book your Pass Nantes and benefit from its advantages as soon as you arrive: w w w.resanantes.com or phone the Nantes Metropole Tourist Office on 0892 464 044 (34cts/mn) from France and +33 272 640 479 from abroad.

48hrs : 14€ 72hrs : 18€ Family Pass (2 adults, 2 children) 24hrs : 45€ 48hrs : 70€ 72hrs : 90€ *children from 4, under 18's and students under 26 yrs

Just look for this sy mbol any where in the - Free admission to the tourist guide, and you will see all the spots in Nantes Métropole places that can be accessed mentioned in the guide. using your Pass Nantes. -You have reductions.

The Pass Nantes is exclusively your own, and is only valid if - Tr av e l f r e e o f c h a r g e the card has been filled in o n p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t i n (client name, dates of valiand around Nantes (bus, dity). tram, busway, river ferries (Navibus) and Tan Air shuttles The Pass Nantes cannot be (between the airport and the exchanged or refunded in city centre). case of theft, loss, partial or total non-use, damage to the card, or in case of a particular spot being closed or temporarily unavailable to visitors.

Arriving in Nantes By car To join the city centre of Nantes, follow and park in the town centre car parks. Bonus : The Pass Nantes is on sale in all NGE car parks.

By train 4 SNCF 3635 Z Access to the tram by the

North exit, from there you can get to the town centre South exit, access to the Cite Internationale des Congrès on foot

By plane By boat

Z Go to the town centre by shuttle bus TAN AIR Port de l’Erdre Ile de Versailles Aéroport Nantes Nantes : 02 40 37 04 62. Atlantique 4 02 40 84 80 00 X nantes.aeroport.fr

A trip out of town? Coach lines in the Loire Atlantique Autocars Lila :

4 0825 087 156 Car hire

Z 20% while your Pass Nantes is valid

3 Europcar :

29 rue de Fleurus

4 02 40 89 40 88

Bonus: You can buy your Pass Bicycle hire Nantes and book your accom- 3 «Détours de Loire» : bus and coach station, modat ion at the air por t allée Baco information desk. 4 02 40 48 75 37 We advise you to leave your car in one of the Park and Ride (P&R) car parks located outside town, and take the tram or Bus Way to the city centre. Your tram ticket (on sale in every Relais car park ) gives you free access to the car park and the city centre.

Park your car and travel free of charge on N a n t e s' p u b l i c transport network. A tip: buy your Pass Nantes in advance as it is not on sale yet in the Park & Ride car parks.

an t Pa

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30th September

«Détours de Loire» of fers circuits from 1/2 a day to several days, plus ex tras (baggage handling, accommodation etc...).

3 Manoir du Petit Plessis route des Plessis Sainte-Luce sur Loire (Ringroad exit n° 43 ‘Anjou’)

4 02 40 08 99 88

Nom Name

n°

no stress

h Open from April 1st to

Bike hire by the hour, half or whole day.

Getting around Nantes Urban transport and sustainable development Tram, Bus Way, river ferries, bicloo bicycle hire, little 'marguerite' cars, cyclecabs... so many different ways to get around.

Public transport TAN Bus, tram, busway

Z Your Pass Nantes is valid

on all public transport in Nantes. No extra ticket is needed. It may also be used on the shuttle bus TAN AIR linking the airport to the town centre and on the river ferries Navibus and gives you free access of the “Relais” car parks

4 0810 444 444 X tan.fr 5 Disabled access is

provided throughout the bus, the BusWay and tram network (wheelchair access, lowered floors, etc.)

River Ferries (Navibus) The first river ferry provides a crossing on the Loire between Trentemoult (south bank) and Nantes’ river port (north bank): every 20 minutes (every 10 minutes in the rush hour) crossing time 10 minutes.

The second river ferry has 4 stops between the Erdre, from St Félix (near to the SNCF train station, south entrance), to Bicycles Petit Port Facultés - every day (afternoons on Sundays and Bicloo : bank holidays). X bicloo.nantesmetropole.fr

4 0810 444 444 Z An enjoyable way to travel and see the town from another angle

Taxis

Allo radio taxi f 02 40 69 22 22

Over 180 taxis for hire. With your Pass Nantes: you will get a free map of the town.

Tip to make things easier: If you have luggage, leave in the left luggage department of «Détours de Loire» at the bus and coach station, (gare routière), allée Baco, from April 1st to 30th September.

For short trips around town: Bicloo, self-service bicycle hire means you c an ge t around town easily (the first 1/2 hour is free of charge). It's simple: Get your ticket at one of the cycle stands, valid for 1 day, 7 days or a year, take your bike and leave it at one of the 79 docking stations in the city centre when you have finished with it. Eco-friendly transport: young chauf feurs transpor t you around town in an electric tricycle.

4 Cyclocab: bookings: 06 74 22 91 34

4 Cyclopolitain

02 40 20 09 20

Nantes peripheral and the town transport network (TAN)

resanantes.com Book your hotel on line 7days/week

www.resanantes.com 0 892 464 044 (0.34 â&#x201A;Ź la mn) Hotels - Guest Houses - Week-ends packages Tickets - Pass Nantes

accomodation A range of accommodation to suit every pocket Hotels

Campsite

X resanantes.com

Xnantes-tourisme.com

The Nantes district has a total of 120 hotels, totalling more than 5,300 beds. Here you can enjoy the comfort of the major hotel chains, Mercure, Holiday Inn, Novotel, Kyriad and so on, right in the town centre and close to the main transport means. Several "Hôtels de Charme" offer a warm welcome in settings sometimes surprising but always elegant.

The Petit Por t campsite, w h i c h is o p e n a l l y e a r round, provides all the facilities that campers have come to expect of a 4-star site: camper sites, mobile homes, leisure complex with swimming pool. Two 3 star campsites at your service in greater Nantes – Vertou and Sainte Luce sur Loire.

Guest Houses

X resanantes.com Private homes prov iding tour ist accommodation: About 30 guest house addresses both in the town centre and further out.

top tip Special booking offer on resanantes.com : half-price on your second night in a hotel at the weekend or during the school holidays

Youth Hostel

4 02 40 29 29 20 X fuaj.org For younger tourists, the Nantes youth hostel, near the railway station, is friendly and easy on the pocket.

For a longer stay in Nantes X nantes-tourisme.com X resanantes.com Residential hotels are also available for tourists. You can also rent a furnished flat or a self-catering cottage and enjoy the peace and quiet of the countr yside around Nantes. The Nantes accommodation guide Ask for the Nantes accommo d at ion guid e in the Tour is t o f f ice a genc ies or download from www. nantes-tourisme.com

Only through us : resanantes.com

Special stays : resanantes.com

• Folles Journées

• Culture and Leisure

• Flower Show (Floralies)

• Well-being and steam bath

• Estuaire Festival • Solidarity on Chocolate • Flower Show and Market (Folie des Plantes)

• Cookery lessons...

Nantes a stroll through History

Nantes is part of the Towns an d C o un t r i e s ar t an d history network created by the Ministry of Culture. This title is given out to local communities who celebrate their heritage. It ensures that those who take part are competent and that they offer services of quality.

Get your programme in Tourist Office agencies or on line All year round, the Nantes MĂŠtropole Tourist Of fice o f fer s a pro gramme o f cultural visits to get to know the town better. Information and reservations: Nantes Metropole Tour ist Of f ice 0892 464 044 (advanced bookings possible).

www.nantes-tourisme.com Benefit from free guided tours w ith your Pass Nantes. Promenade Nantaise, daily walking tour in summer (available with audio guide in English, German, Italian a n d Sp a n i s h , s t a r t i n g fromAugust 1st). Parcours confort : circuit accessible to all.

Heritage and architecture Numerous heritage sites are open to the public. Enjoy them with the Pass Nantes.

Monuments In the city centre

Look out for this sign which means discounted or free entry with the Pass Nantes.

Crypts of the cathedral

Z Guided tours with the Tourist Office

4 0892 464 044 h Free admission: on

Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year from 15.00 to 18.00 (last entry at 17.30). From Easter holidays to 15th July, additional visit on Saturday morning from 10.00 to 12.30. From 15th July to 31st August: extra visits on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 15.00 to 18.00 as well as Saturdays from 10.00 to 12.30

The Saint Pierre Cathedral

3 Entry : outside the cathe

Z Guided tours with the Tourist Office

4 0892 464 044 O Service Sunday morning: no visits

The building of the St-Pierre a n d St- P a u l C a t h e d r a l began in 1434. In 1972, a fire destroyed its roof. Important works of restoration

Closed on 1st January, 1st May, 1st November and 25th December

gave back its magnificence to the building. Inside, we find the tomb of François II, last Duke of Brittany and of Marguerite de Foix, his second wife, parents of Anne of Brittany.

dral, side “cours St Pierre”, by the southern gate

The first crypt dates from the XI century and we can admire there the treasure of the Cathedral. In the second one, from the XIX century, higher and larger, several elements were installed allowing to relate the history of the Cathedral (richly illustrated panels, models...).

h Daily from 1st July to 31st

August from 9.00 to 20.00 with night on saturday evenings and daily from 1st September to 30th June from 10.00 to 19.00, except on 01/01, 01/05, 01/11 and 25/12 Free access to the ramparts, the yard and the moats

5 Reserved spaces at the

car park Duchesse Anne, direct entry by the aid bridge (side cours St Pierre)

The lieu unique Located alongside the Canal St Felix and close to the train station and the city centre, the old biscuits factory LU lives to the rhythm of an atypical art centre: the lieu unique. Here, you will find a bar, a shop, theatre (nationwide tour venue) a hammam, a day nursery and the LU tower.

Z Guided tour with the Tourist Office

4 0892 464 044 A perfect 19th Century architectural success, this site combines a neoclassical style with sumptuous decoration. A monumental staircase, ornamented with allegorical statues, connects three levels under an elegant glass roof. The Passage Pommeraye has often been used as a scene in films. Its elegant boutiques bring life to this listed historic monument.

The last Loire castle before reaching the ocean, this granite and limestone edifice is the only one of its kind. See museum p.28.

The Passage Pommeraye

The LU tower

Z Free access 5 (partially) 3 Entrance quai Ferdinand Favre

h From Tuesday to Saturday from 13.00 to 19.00 and on Sundays from 15.00 to 19.00

02 40 12 14 34

The visit of the LU Tower is first of all a point of view on the city, from the top of a platform that we activate ourselves there is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;gyroramaâ&#x20AC;? and also a video that relates the histor y of the biscuit factory LU.

Heritage and architecture

The castle of the Dukes of Brittany

1, 2, 3, sur tan.fr, 4, 5, 6,

cueillir des balades… Pour découvrir ou redécouvrir Nantes et son agglomération, consultez la rubrique en balade sur notre site tan.fr

The Théâtre Graslin

Law Courts

Z Guided tours with the

4 0892 464 044

Tourist Office

First of all you will notice the imposing entrance of eight corinthian columns, which are topped by 8 muses in ancient costume, skilfully illuminated in the evening. Then the gold and royal blue velvet which never fail to delight the theatre-goers.

Conceived by Jean Nouvel, this monument was inaugurated in 2 000 and it is a must even if merely to take in the awesome ‘salle des pas-perdus’ a vast rectangle of light facing the Loire. Strength yet also transparency, light and ‘uprightness’ of its lines, it commands Located in the part of Nantes author it y in through its which bears its name, the contemporary architecture. T h é â t r e Gr a sl i n ma i nl y houses the Nantes Angers Opera, which each season Monuments just outside town offers several new producLa Beaujoire stadium Le Corbusier’s tions.

Maison Radieuse

Z Guided tours with the

Tourist Office The Maison Radieuse can 4 0892 464 044 be visited by appointment (Rezé town hall) The stadium la Beaujoire 4 02 40 84 43 84 is the pride and joy of FC Nantes. Hosting prestigious X maisonradieuse.org events from football matches Built on stilts in 1955, with to stadium concerts inclui t s f a c a d e o f o p e nw o rk ding the rugby world cup in and balconies, splashes of 2007, it can hold over 38 000 colour on raw concrete, and fans. its constantly sunny apartments, the Maison Radieuse is emblematic of the vision of Le Corbusier - architecture designed for human development.

NANTES IN THE TIMES OF THE SHIPBUILDERS

(poster on sale at the Nantes Tourist Office)

Nantes, slave trade port From 1700 to 1830 slave ships built and equipped in Nantes depor ted over 400 000 men, women and children f rom Af r ic a to the Americas, mainly to St Domingue. These ships left the Loire loaded with poor qu alit y goods that they then exchanged for slaves. T he human c argo were then swapped for goods f rom the colonies. Once back home they off-loaded coffee, cocoa, spices, exotic wood and large quantities of sugar cane.

Information on the triangular t rade is available from the Tourist Office, the gift shop in the Dukes of Britanny castle, and town centre book shops.

In the castle's town history museum, rooms 11 to 17 « The black gold trade in the 18th century », are dedicated to height of the colonial trad, heavily built on the slave trade. This exhibition carries on through the seven 'Grand logis' rooms. «An ocean port», «Slave trade capital», «Gentlemen traders» and «Merchant town». It details the economic structure of France's number one slave trade port, with its impact on the town's development which saw its population double over a century.

L’Ile Feydeau

Z Guided tours with the Tourist Office

Buildings of distinction

- Le « Temple du Goût » 16 allée Duguay-Trouin Ile Feydeau is a collection of remarkable, listed 18th - La « Cour Ovale » century architecture. The 9, allée Turenne wealth and fortune of the ship owners is behind develop- 13, allée Turenne ment in this part of town. - L’Hôtel de la Villestreux. It was built from limestone 3 place de la Petite Hollande and granite, and most of - L’Hôtel Jacquier the buildings constructed between 1740 and 1780 were 2 place de la Petite Hollande designed identically. This grouping of astonishing town architecture from the 18th century makes up an area of listed buildings. This is not an optical illusion ...because of the sandy ground on which the foundations were laid, the buildings really do lean!

Behind-closed-door visits of buildings can be Balconies arranged with the Tourist Don't miss the remarkable Office. wrought iron balconies.

Mascarons

• Allée Turenne : n°3, n°8, n° 9, n°10, n°11. While strolling through the streets, look up and observe • Place de la Petite Hollande: the faces looking down on n°1, n°2, n°3. you from above doorways • Rue Kervégan : and windows. These exotic n°9, n°18, n°30. mascarons on the Ile Feydeau • A l l é e D u g u ay -Tr o ui n : have my thological roots. n°8, n°9, n°10, n°15, n°16. Must see:

Today, in order to remind us that the 'island' was once cut off from the mainland on both sides, by the Loire, the architect Italo Rota re-landscaped the area in 1991. The “allée Turenne” is lined by • Allée Turenne : n°3, n°8, n°9, n°10, n°10 bis, lawn sprinkled with heather. n°11, n°13. T h e s e “g r e e n s t r e a m s ” represent the water and • Place de la Petite Hollande : n°2, n°3. the granite quayside is a reminder of former landing • rue Kervégan : n°9, n°13, n°28. stages.

NANTES IN THE TIMES OF THE SHIPBUILDERS

4 0892 464 044

Ile Feydeau

L’ILE DE NANTES Z Guided tours with the Tourist Office 4 0892 464 044 L’Ile de Nantes is an exceptional area of the city located right in the heart of Nantes, in front of the historical centre. Five kilometres long and one kilometre wide and interlaced by the arms of the Loire, it constitutes an urbanized scheme long standing, but disparate from its history. Today, the objective is to build a new central for the metropolis Nantes Saint-Nazaire being able to accommodate all the urban functions.

The Machines of the Ile de Nantes

3 Les chantiers - Bd Léon Bureau

4 0810 12 12 25 G From 3rd July to 31st

August: open 24/7 from 10.00 to 20.00 In low season, from Tuesday or Wednesday to Sunday Further details see: www.lesmachines-nantes. fr Closed in January

C 1 : Get off at

Chantiers navals

The Machine Gallery

The Giant Elephant

Z Free access

He weighs 45 tonnes, is 12 mètres high, and lives in the heart of the yards. When the majestic figure sets off for a walk, the 45 passengers on board are taken on an amazing trip on the isle of Nantes. Each trip out is a show in itself.

Step into the menagery of living machines: the Giant Squid, the Manta Ray, the Pirate Fish, the Crab Larvae, the European Test-Flight Centre and, last but not least the Giant Crab, the Bus from the Abyss, and the Storm Ship.

Throughout the visit, machine The Workshop operators let passengers take to the controls of these crea- Z Free access tures from the deep and seaIt is where the Machines world vehicles. were created. We learn Sketches, models and films about what happens in the relate the story of their creaworkshop via a tour. Two tion. films retrace the steps of the adventure, showing the project from beginning to end.

Bookshop - gift shop In the former shipyards we are at the crossroads of Jules Verne's “imaginary world”, Leonardo da Vinci's mechanical inventions and the industrial history of Nantes. H ere the dream f ac tor y brings to life the extraordinary machines.

Buren 's rings At the t ip of the Isle of Nantes, 18 rings designed by Daniel Buren and Patrick Bouchain, set slightly at an angle, frame the views of the sky and the earth. At night, the rings are lit up by a glow of coloured light changing our perception of what we see in the day.

Hangar 32 The Banana Warehouse Since June 2007, the Banana warehouse changed life. This warehouse, 150 meters long and 50 meters large, where we matured bananas imported from the Caribbean is now a place to walk and to unwind with restaurants, bars river-front tables, exhibitions. Located at the western point of the Ile de Nantes, close to the grey Titan crane with a view on the Loire, Chantenay, the quay de la Fosse, Trentemoult… And only one minute away with the Machines of the Ile.

Law Courts

3 32 quai des Antilles O Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 14.00 to 18.00

Free admission, guided tours

contact@samoa-nantes.fr 4 02 51 89 16 30 X iledenantes.com X samoa-nantes.fr Hangar 32 is an exhibition venue dedicated to town planning on the Isle o f Nantes. From past glories to present-day projects, since the closure of the shipyards, right up to today's redevelopment. Architect's drawings, multi-media presentations, and scale models give visitors a glimpse of what the future holds.

Walkways and public Gardens 30 hectars of natural environment, 12kms of riverbank, a protected site, squares and gardens, the Isle of Nantes , wild and wonderful in the heart of town. Little by little, town planning both protects and unveils Nantes' natural heritage. The riverside paths and cycle paths from quai François Mitterand on the western tip of the Isle, carry on down the Loire. • The Jardin des Fonderies, an outstanding selfsufficient park, beneath a former foundry roof. Where once giant ship propellers were set, now grows a richly-scented, extraordinary garden. (see p.38).

antes

see p.19.

Ponto n Ile n Bure ux de Annea

The two ‘Titan’ cranes are to be found on the isle of Nantes. The yellow one - a former shipyard crane, was set up in 1954 and the grey one - formerly used in the port, in 1966.

Les Chantiers

de N

Cranes

Ateliers et chantiers

Les Nefs de Nantes

Contemporary Architecture A framework of top-notch public places links housing, business and public services. The Isle of Nantes project takes the shape of contemporary urban planning putting the individual at the heart of it all.

 Manny, Rue Lanoue Bras de Fer - Architect: Tetrarc (finished beginning of 2010). Ecole supérieure nationale d’architecture, Quai François Mitterand - Architects: A . Lacaton, J.P. Vassal.  Head Of fice for Nantes Housing and CIL Atlantique , Allée des hélices ((close to Bd Vincent Gâche). - Architect: Alter Smith.

Places to see: • Le square de l’Ile Mabon : Habiter les quais I, Quai untouched natural garden François Mitterrand - Archion industrial wasteland F oyer de jeunes travailleurs, tect: N. Michelin. (see p.38). Bd Vincent Gâche - Architect: In situ ae (P. Beillevaire). M a i s o n d e l ’A v o c a t , • Le Parc des chantiers (The shipyard park) : this park Rue Lanoue Bras de Fer Arborea, Rue René Viviani covers an area equivalent Architect: Forma 6. - Architect: Tetrarc. to 13 football pitches. WalkI n s u l a (r e b u i l d ) , R u e ways, children’s play area, a Playtime, Rue René Viviani free-growing garden, river- d e l a To u r d ’A u v e r g n e - Architect: Tetrarc. side patios and a beach - Architects: M. Roulleau et are just some of its spots. J.C Besseau. Centre commercial BeauWander along to the tip lieu (extension / rebuild), of the isle and take in the Bd Général de Gaulle gardens, slipways, cranes - Architec t: Constr uire and reclaimed hangars. (P. Bouchain).

L’ ILE DE NANTES

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The Museums

Look out for this sign which means discounted or free entry with the Pass Nantes.

Nantes History Museum Large scale restauration gives way to a modern multi-media in the castle of the exhibition in its museum, dukes of Brittany

Z Free access and reduced rate at the exhibition

3 1, place Marc Elder h Until 7th June: every day

from 10.00 to 18.00. From 8th to 30th June and from 1st September every day from 10.00 to 18.00, except Monday. From 1st July to 31st August: every day from 9.30 to 19.00. Closed 1st January, 1st May, 1st November, 25th December

C 1 : get off at

Duchesse Anne

D BusWay : get off at Duchesse Anne

4 0811 46 46 44

(from France) +33 (0)2 51 17 49 48 (from abroad)

5 Reserved places at the

Duchesse Anne car park, direct entry to the car park by the aid bridge (side cours St Pierre).

Fall under the spell of five centuries of medieval history at the castle of the Dukes of Brittany. Last castle before the river reaches the sea, this granite and limestone edifice is the only one of its kind. Its outstanding buildings take you from the 15th to 17th centuries. Building started under François 2nd, the last duke of Brittany, and then completed by his daughter, Anne of Brittany, twice queen of France. The castle houses a royal palace of elegant renaissance facades.

open to visitors on a castle tour. The cour t yard, f ull circuit of the battlements, the gardens around the moat, all lit-up at night make it an unforgettable experience for all the family.

Continue the tour inside the ducal palace to see history unique to Nantes: Capital of the Dukes of Brittany, home Musée des Beaux Arts to the treaty of Nantes under Z Free access Henr y 4th, 17 th cent ur y 3 10, rue Georges atlantic por t, f lourishing Clémenceau industrial city in 19th and h Open daily from 10.00 20th centuries, cultural, and to 18.00 except Tuesday and public holidays. On modern town of today. Thursdays from 10.00 to The museum has been 20.00 designed to be ex plored Bookshop - giftshop a s you w ish. General or D 11 or 12 : themed visits with a guide Get off at Trébuchet are available every weekend C 1 : Get off at and during school holidays. Duchesse Anne Several types of visit open to D BusWay : all the family. Get off at Place Foch

4 02 51 17 45 00 5

EXHIBITION 2009 Secrets of the Seabed Fr om 4t h Apr il t o 27t h September

Z Free access and reduced rate at the museum. Large scale exhibition bears witness to underwater archeological research in the Atlantic ocean over the last 20 years. Not to be missed.

The museum was designed and built-up around a vast and airy central patio. Its architec ture allows for a chronological presentation of a rich and harmonious collection true to the history of western painting from the 13th to the 19th century as well as artistic practices from the 20th century to the present day. Marvel at the works of De La Tour, Ingres ... On the ground floor the 20th century collection is made up of various pieces that give out an eclectic and broad vision of modern and contemporary art.

Z Free access 3 18, rue Voltaire h Open from 13.30 to 17.30 Tuesday to Friday and 14.30 to 17.30 on Saturdays and Sundays. Closed on Mondays and public holidays

Jules Verne's entire work in all its splendour and diversity to a wider public.

Musée naval Maillé Brézé

Z Free access 3 Quai de la Fosse h From 1st June to 30th

September: daily from 14.00 to 18.00.

Giftshop

Natural History Museum

Z Free access 3 12, rue Voltaire h Open daily from 10.00 to

18.00 except Tuesdays and public holidays

C 1 : get off at Médiathèque 4 02 40 41 55 00 X museum.nantes.fr 5

From 1st October to 31st May: from 14.00 to 17.00 Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. Visit at 15.00 on all other days. Every day during school holidays from 14.00 to 17.00

D 11 : get off at Jean V C 1 : get off at Médiathèque 4 02 40 71 03 50 X culture.cg44.fr This museum invites you on an exciting journey from Paleolithique times to the 20th Century. Thomas Dobrée, with his relentless thirst for collecting grouped over 10 000 treasures both beautiful and varied: paintings, etchings, porcelain, furniture, work of goldsmiths. (renovation programmed for end of 2009).

Opened in 1875 in the former Money Exchange, the Musée Jules Verne museum houses collections of zoology, regional fauna Z Free access and minerals as well as a 3 3, rue de l’Hermitage live-house with all sorts of h Open daily from 10.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to reptiles and batrachians of 18.00 except on Tuesdays, different origins. Sunday mornings and public holidays. Guided Re-opened in 2008, the first tours every Sunday at f loor of the museum exhi15.30 and then every day bits vertebrate animals in in July and August an updated scientific and 1 : get off at C educational manner. Gare maritime

4 02 40 69 72 52 X julesverne.nantes.fr 5 A great bourgeois mansion built on the Butte Saint Anne in the 19th Century houses the Jules Verne museum. The writer was born in Nantes in 1828. This museum is solely dedicated to a collection of his manuscripts, models, objects... The multi-media trail brings

1 : get off at Gare maritime

4 09 79 18 33 51 X maillebreze.com Visit of the escort ship of squadron “Maillé Brézé”, arms (torpedo, malafon...), historic, life on board , machines (turbine, stokeholds...). Guided tours.

The Museums

Musée Dobrée Musée d’Archéologie

Planétarium

Z Free access 3 8, rue des Acadiens h Sessions start at 10.30,

14.15 and 15.45 from Monday to Friday. Sundays at 15.00 and 16.30. Closed on Saturdays and on 1/01, 1/05, 1/11 and 25/12

1 : Get off at Gare maritime

4 02 40 73 99 23 X nantes.fr 5 Thanks to state-of-the-art equipment, the Planetarium reveals to stargazers the heavenly skies in 3-D. 90,000 stars in their actual positions. Planets and their moons as seen - or to be seen - over a 100,000 year period from the Earth and beyond...

Z Free access 3 Médiathèque,

24 quai de la Fosse

h Open Monday to Saturday from 10.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to 17.30

Closed on Saturday in July and August. Sundays from 14.30 to 17.00 from October to the end of April

C 1 : get off at Médiathèque 4 02 40 73 26 55 Xmusee.imprimerie-free.fr In today's digital world of IT, take a look back at the printing trade in an authentic atmosphere, impregnated with the smells of lead and ink. You can operate the machines and use the old tools which allowed during five centuries the reproduction of the writing and the image, thus spreading culture and information.

Fire Brigade Museum

3 37 rue du Maréchal Joffre 4 02 28 20 41 56 h Open every first Sunday Frac des Pays de la Loire Fonds régional d’art contemporain

3 La Fleuriaye, Carquefou h From 1st September to

30th June from Wednesday to Sunday from 14.00 to 18.00 or by appointment. From 1st July to 31 August: every day from 14.00 to 18.00 and by appointment. Commentary tour on Sundays at 16.00

4 02 28 01 50 00 X fracdespaysdelaloire.com Located in a modern building surrounded by a huge green open space, the Frac hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary art.

of the month from 14.00 to 18.00 and the 2nd and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 14.00 to 18.00

Musée des Compagnons du Devoir (Fellowship for Apprentice Tradesmen)

3 14, rue Guillon Verne 4 02 40 69 30 55 h Open on Saturdays from 14.00 to 18.00

Sewing Machine Museum

3 33, rue Gambetta 4 02 40 93 31 35

(phone for opening times)

Chaise Museum

3 State Institution for the visually impaired Les Hauts Thébaudières Vertou

4 02 51 79 50 00 h Open on Tuesdays and

LThe Museums

Musée de l’imprimerie

Museums for enthusiasts

Thursdays from 14.00 to 18.00

Getting around Nantes

Look out for this sign which means discounted or free entry with the Pass Nantes.

Let us take you there The tourist train of Nantes

C Free access h Setting out opposite

the Cathedral on Place Saint Pierre, daily from April to September at 10.00 11.00, 12.00, 14.00,15.00,16.00 and 17.00 with “Grenadine” and daily from mid-June to mid-September at 10.30, 11.30, 12.30, 14.30, 15.30, 16.30 and 17.30 with “Marvé”

The Nantes audio Strools

On foot Guided Tours of Nantes

Z Free access h Daily in July and August,

weekends all year round Obtain the full programme from reception at the Office de Tourisme Length of tour: 2 hours

4 Booking recommended, Office de Tourisme 0892 464 044

X nantes-tourisme.com S e t o u t to e x pl ore th e c u l t ur e an d his t o r y o f Nantes with keen homegrow n guides. Classical, moder n, unu su al... T he Nantes Métropole Tourist Office has a very wide range of tours.

X nantes-tourisme.com

rubric discovery/visit

4 02 40 62 06 22 / 06 09 73 71 36

X atlantrain.fr Tour of the town centre with commentary.

Download the tour of Nantes onto your MP3 player : 7 stops of about 4 minutes : the cathedral, the chateau, place du Bouffay, rue Kervégan, Passage Pommeraye, place Royale and the Cours des Cinquante-Otages.

Art and History Walks Four heritage based walks discovering the heritage of the historical centre. Informat ion available at any Tourist Office outlet

By bike or on a segway Détours de Loire :

3 Gare routière - Allée de la Maison Rouge

4 02 40 48 75 37 X locationdevelos.com Bicycle hire, day-long tours, cycling outings, suggestion for circuits... various tours around Nantes.

By boat Les Bateaux Nantais

4 Booking compulsory: 02 40 14 51 14

4 02 40 73 88 06 or The

Nantes Metropole Tourist Office 0892 464 044

Takes: 1 to 2 hours Leaves: Every day from the Ile Feydeau Tourist Office Reservations at Tourist Office reception

A fun and eco-friendly way to get around tow n. It ’s happened elsewhere and now they’ve come to Nantes: a fleet of segways available f rom TP Ecolud’, (not far from the Tourist Office), Ile Feydeau. Visitors can get around on one of these fun, and green machines. Help is always on hand from a dedicated team, (for riders aged 14yrs +). Easy to ride, just tip forward slightly to move ahead and then you’re off on one of the discovery trails put in place by the organisers. Choose from Nantes’ 18th century quar ter and modern areas (on the Isle of Nantes), or Medieval Nantes (Bouffay, cathedral and castle quarters). Have fun, see more and be green on Ecolud’.

C 2 : Get off at Motte-Rouge Boutique • River Erdre Excursions

Z Free access Length of trip 1hr45

h From March – April and

October - November at 15.30 on Saturdays, Sundays and on Bank Holidays; please ask for week day departures From May - September: Every day at 15.30 December - February: Please ask for details

Duration: 2h30

h All year round bookings Discover the Erdre in cruising lunch and dinner and about 20 inaccessible manor s, madness and castles in their bosky bower. Share a unique moment over a service and gastronomy of quality. • River cruise on the Loire

Z Free access Duration: 1 hr

h Dates and times may

vary during the Estuaire festival. Please ask for details

Cr uise w ith commentar y on the industrial and trade history of Nantes, leaving from the jetty on the Isle of Nantes.

• Royal Cruise on the Loire Discover the richness of the river Erdre with a guided Lunch river cruise and walks tour, learn about its history, from April onwards. Please its chateaux and its flora and ask for details. fauna. From the Motte Rouge bridge to the Château de la Gascherie.

Getting around Nantes

Ecolud’

Place Waldeck Rousseau. (open every day from 9.00 to 19.00 from May to the end of September. From 9.00 to 12.30 and from 14.00 to 18.00 throughout the rest of the year)

• Lunch and dinner cruises on the river Erdre

NACK

h From 15th June - 15th

September from Monday to Friday from 19.30 to Midnight

3 Route de la Jonelière – La Chapelle sur Erdre

Marine & Loire Croisières

Quai Ernest Renaud (boarding Navibus Loire)

4 02 40 69 40 40 C 1 : get off at

Gare Maritime

X marineetloire.fr

Ruban Vert

Z 20% off a 1 hour boat hire

3 Nantes : Ile de Versailles 4 02 51 81 04 24 3 Sucé sur Erdre : Le port 4 06 08 42 48 29 3 Vertou : La Chaussée des Moines

• Trips around the port of Nantes

Z Free access h From15/07 to 21/08 :

from Monday to Friday. Leaving : 15.00 from Gare Maritime de Nantes Duration : 1hr15

Cruise with commentary on the port's history to the present day. Take the boat around the Isle of Nantes, see its former quaysides and ship-building yard and the hustle and bustle of the busy port: wood, cereal and sand depots and tankers ... Leaving from the Gare Maritime or from the jetty of the Chantiers (shipyard) on the Isle of Nantes, you will board for an hour and a quar ter's cr uise up to Port Lavigne, passing by the sugar cane refinery, Béghin Say and island's Machine Warehouse!

4 02 40 34 67 13 Sur pr ising and magical trips on the Erdre and Sèvre rivers. Hire your own easy to drive boat (no licence required). Different boats available for an hour or a day on the river with picnic or restaurant stopover.

4 02 40 29 25 71 D Bus terminal 51 Night-time canoeing on the river Erdre. Nightly guided canoe trips for groups of minimum 8 people. (From 10 years-old upwards). Prebooking required.

NANTES, SEEN IN GREEN A HISTORY OF PLANTS IN THE TOWN

Z Look out for this sign which means discounted or free entry with the Pass Nantes.

The Royal Historical Society called it 'one of the most beautiful 19th century gardens'. Its gardeners maintain traditional landscaping and include plants brought back through the port of Nantes. The rôle Nantes has played in plant import goes back to Louis 15th, who in 1526 ordered his sea captains to bring home any overseas plant considered useful. Once acclimatized in the apothecary garden, no longer there today, these plants were dispatched to the jardin des plantes in Paris. Nantes' love of plants goes a long way back.

The Parks and Gardens of Nantes h Opening times of the

parks and gardens of Nantes: From 8.30 to 17.30 (winter: from 18th November to 14th January) - From 8.30 to 18.30 (spring : from 15th January to 19th March and autumn: from 23rd October to17th November) - From 8.30 to 20.00 (summer : from 20th March to 22nd October)

You can find more information in the brochures “Let Nantes tell you: green walks in the hear t of Nantes”, and “Parks and Gardens of Nantes”, which are available at the Tourist Office.

The Jardin des Plantes

Z Free admission to the greenhouses

3 Entrance on boulevard

The Parc du Grand-Blottereau

Z Free admission to the greenhouses

Stalingrad (opposite the SNCF railway station) and place Sophie-Trébuchet

3 Bd Auguste-Peneau C 1 : get off at

Children's playground, toilets and picnic area

h Visit the greenhouses:

C 1 : get off at SNCF railway station

h Visit the greenhouses:

Throughout the year, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 15.00. From 20th March to 22nd October Saturday opening at 15.00, 16.00 and 17.00, and on Sundays at 10.00, 11.00, 15.00, 16.00 and 17.00. For the rest of the year including Saturdays at 15.00 and 16.00 and Sundays at 10.00, 11.00 and 15.00, 16.00

4 02 40 41 65 09 7 ha - rare plant collections, beds of medicinal plants, many varieties of camellias, greenhouses full of cacti... Bonus: At the top end of the garden the Orangery Café is open at midday 24/7, and becomes a tea-room and icecream parlour in the afternoons. A truly authentic and charming little spot with an outdoor patio overlooking the park.

Mairie de Doulon

open all year round on Wednesdays at 10.00, 11.00, 14.00, 15.00 and 16.00. From 20th March to 22nd October, and Saturdays at 15.00, 16.00 and 17.00, and Sundays at 10.00, 11.00, 15.00, 16.00 and 17.00. For the rest of the year inclucing Saturdays at 10.00, 14.00 and 15.00, and Sundays at 10.00, 11.00, 14.00, 15.00 and 16.00

5 4 02 40 41 65 09 37 ha - Opposite the castle, many gardens and a collect i o n o f t ro p i c a l plan t s unique in France. Tropical greenhouses. Mediterranean style garden. Bonus: a Corean style garden, “la Colline de Suncheon” was opened in the park in September 2006 and today covers one hectare, making it the biggest Corean garden in Europe. It blends in perfectly with the overall harmony of the park.

fruits, garden of the Neolithic era, Mediterranean garden, fruit garden of the botanists and finally the strawberry garden. T hroughout the circuit, stories of the fruit trees follow one another.

Biodiversity in Nantes

The Island of Versailles

The Parc de Procé

3 Town centre, on the banks

3 Entrances on rue des

of the Erdre

C 2 : get off St-Mihiel 4 02 40 29 41 11 1.7 ha – Japanese style with rockeries and waterfalls. Hire an electric boat or a canoe for a relaxing pleasure trip down the Erdre.

Dervallières, boulevard Clovis-Constant and boulevard des Anglais Merry-go-round, kiddies slide, tea rooms Children's play area and paddling pool: Rue des Dervallières, opposite the park

D 22 et 70 : get off at Procé

Bonus: Step into the “Maison 12 ha – Along the Chézine, de l'Erdre” find out more among massed rhododenabout the river, its fauna and drons. flora and how it has affected the people of Nantes.

h From 15th January to

17th November, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11.30 to 17.45, Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 to 12.00, then 15.00 to 17.45. From 18th November to 14th January, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11.30 to 17.45, Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 to 12.00, then 14.45 to 17.30

Le Jardin des Hespérides

Z Free access 3 La Ferme fruitière

de la Hautière – La Chapelle-sur-Erdre

h 1st May to 15th October:

guided tours on appointment Tuesday to Saturday at 16.00; Sundays at 15.00, and 17.00 4 02 40 72 03 83

X fermefruitierelahautiere.

The Square de l’île Mabon

3 B e t w e e n

qu ai F r anç oi s Mitterand and rue Lanoue Bras de Fer, just down from the courtroom

On the former Alstom factory site, wild plants have been lef t to grow. This spot is now a public park. Nothing has actually been planted there, it all grows as nature intended. Take the nature trail to find out more.

The Foundry Garden

com

Botanical garden where we travel through the land of edible f ruits. The garden is divided into 8 different themes: garden of the “Loire Atlantique”, Garden of the world, garden of the wild fruits, garden of the new

The paradox of biodiversity in a modern town. It's our aim that nature has its place in Nantes, for the benefit and enjoyment of us all. The more we respect nature, the more it will find its own place in our town, as for example the wild plants popping up round and about town. In Nantes, no home is further than 500 metres from a park or a square.

3 Between Bd Vincent Gâche and rue Louis Joxe

A botanic garden Nantesstyle. 230 trees and shrubs and over 100 different varieties of plant.

PLANT RELATED EVENTS

Green Nantes, Blue Nantes, has almost 8500 hectares of natural zones and 60 waterways, which make up a new phenomenon: urban forests which will be linked by so-called ecological corridors to the sur rounding greenery. T hr e e s p o t s i n g r e a t e r Nantes have been chosen for these urban forests: In the Nor th-Wes t, 4 80 hectares will be planted at the entrance to the Chézine walkway. In th e S ou th -We s t , 7 56 hectares of forest between the Loire and the Grand Lieu lake. In the South-East, 180 hec tares of woodland around the Illette stream.

The Branch of the Island Machine Workshops What is 20m long, weighs 14 tons, sits 20m above the tea rooms and pierces the shipyard wall ? It’s the first branch of the future giant Heron Tree at the Island Machine Workshops ! This steel and wo od wonder is also a garden of hardy rockery-style plants that are self-watered by an ingenious system of recycled rainwater and... candlewicks.

International Flower Show In its 10th year, from 8th to 19th May 2009 in the exhibition centre at la Beaujoire based on the theme “Flower Power”. A floral bonanza from over 200 000 professionals and amateurs alike from all over the world for an expected half a million visitors.

Plant-mad

In the second weekend of September, the Parc du Grand Blot tereau hos ts «Plant-Mad» open air plant show and market. More than 100 exhibitors from all over, and a growing public, it has become a major show in the West of France and comes in as one of the top three of its kind in the country. Next show on 5th and 6th September.

NANTES, SEEN IN GREEN

Urban Forests

DID YOU KNOW?

Biennial of the scented rose The Biennales of the scented rose is held every year at the rose nursery in the Parc de la Beaujoire. Innovative creations from all over the world are judged by a panel of professionals. The next show will be in June 2009.

• Camelias were introduced in Nantes at the beginning of the 19th directly from the forests of Japan and China. Today Nantes is the european capital of the camelia due to the size of its collection.

• T h e a n g e l i c a f o u n d growing in the estuary is a rare and protected species, high on the list of plants under threat of extinction in France. Therefore the redevelopment of the Isle • The magnolia that we can find in our gardens today of Nantes includes conseris an emblem of Nantes, vation of this endangered and is down to the wife plant. of a gardener who when faced with a public tired • If you love trees, you will of waiting for it to flower, love the chestnut of the refused to chop it down. Eraudière; the oldes t The oldest magnolia in living specimen of its kind, France happens to be found planted in 756. Take time in the Jardin des Plantes. to see the strawberry tree Throughout the years the in the Jardin des Plantes, varieties of magnolia have rarely seen in Europe, recogwidened and become more nisable by its red bark. and more in demand. www. And finally, round to the magnolia-nantes.fr American Tulip Tree in the Parc de Procé, one of the most ancient in France, • Nantes is labelled “Ville F leur ie” and ha s b e en planted during the revoluawarded the ma ximum tion in 1790. 4-f lower stamp. This is granted to towns based on • Every year 60 million sprigs two criteria: Floral decoraof lily-of-the-valley come tions within the town, and from Nantes, making up how they contribute to our 80 to 85% of the country's daily lives. Being a constant produc tion. This makes w inner in its categor y, Nantes the European Nantes town is no longer capital of lily-of-the-valley. allowed to compete!

Nantes off the Beaten Track Districts Chantenay Butte Sainte-Anne

Z Guided tours with the Tourist Office

4 0892 464 044 This old quarter, which was annexed by Nantes in 1908, has retained its style as a “free district”. Remains of industrial architecture survive here cheek by jowl with the workers’ gardens. Today, Chantenay “the red” dominates the town from the top of the Butte Sainte-Anne. Visit: the Musée Jules Verne, a magnificent 19th Century b ourge ois cons t r uc t ion overlooking the Loire, dedicated to the great writer’s works. We also find there the Planetarium and closely the fresco of Acadians (street of the Acadians) which commemorates the reception of refugees between 1769 and 1785. Very close to the butte St Anne, take the navibus to Trentemoult!

Trentemoult

Z A delightful way of getting

of the “Nantais”. Here, time is suspended. Find your way through a surprising maze of huddled coloured houses before returning to the quay for a drink and a bite overlooking the river, in the atmosphere of a “guingette”.

Where people come together The marché de Talensac The Marché de Talensac on Place de Talensac. The oldest in Nantes, opened in 1937, it has since become a local institution. Opened every day except Monday, it is the town's biggest market.

Some Markets

The Marché de la Petite Hollande on Sat urd ay mornings. The Trentemoult organic produce market on Saturday mornings. The Le Bouf fay organic produce m a r ke t o n We d n e s d ay mornings. Otherwise there are numerous local markets (www.nantes-tourisme.com).

Bric-à-brac For bargain-hunters: Rue Jean Jaurès, with antique and bric-à-brac shops and art galleries, and round the Place Viarme, where the artists and craftsmen have their workshops. This is where the Nantes Flea Market is held every Saturday morning.

Second-Hand Books Every Tuesday second-hand book shops and dealers from Nantes and the surrounding areas set out their stalls of books and old papers on Place de La Bourse f rom 12.00 to 19.00.

there: the Navibus (river shuttle) links the town centre to the banks of Trentemoult

Z Guided tours with the Tourist Office

0892 464 044

This delightful little fishing village on the left bank of the Loire is a favourite walks

Along the water The Parc de la Beaujoire

3 Near the Parc des E xpositions de L a Beaujoir e, Route de Saint-Joseph-dePorterie Children's games C 1 : get off at Beaujoire

B 72 : get off at or Beaujoire

The river Erdre • Come abord a Bateau Nantais for a trip, for a lunchtime or evening dinner cruise (see p.33), or with Ruban Vert on a little electric boat ( see p.55) or by canoe with le Nack (see p.34). • Take the Navibus from the town centre up as far as la Jonelière.

Z Free access 4 0810 444 444 • Cycle along the banks of the river from the town centre. For more information see topoguide on sale in the Tourist Office gift shop.

Riverside parks. The Island of Versailles (see p.38 ). The Parc de La Chantrerie

C 1 : get off at Beaujoire B 72 : get off at Chantrerie In June, September and October, the farm of Chantrerie is opened to the public on Sundays from 10.30 to 12.30 and from 14.30 to 18.00

Roseraie

14 ha- Along the Erdre, consisting of different areas: 400 varieties of magnolias, the iris garden, the heather garden, the perennial rock-garden, and a magnif icent rosegarden which is the envy of the professionals. (see p.40).

The Nantes Brest Canal Started in 1806, only 20% of the canal is man-made and fed by eight rivers. Initially intended for military and then commercial purposes, the canal has allowed communication between the Breton ports and the Loire. From the Erdre to the Aulne, along 364kms, and through 238 locks, the tree-lined canal is the pride of the countryside it passes through.

With a surface of 18 hectares, the Park of Chantrerie is located on the left bank of the Erdre. Its park designed by Domi• Riverboat station on the Ile nique Noisette counts remarkable subjects, in particular de Versailles. among the chestnuts, of • Sail along the Erdre and the • Museum of Time gone by. which one is, today, over 1000 Nantes-Brest canal. Houseyears old. Inside the farm of boat hire in Sucé sur Erdre 3 Les Renaudières – Carquefou Chantrerie, the children will and Nort sur Erdre. discover the great diversity 4 02 28 22 24 45 of vegetables of the kitchen • Cycle along the NantesPermanent exhibition on Brest canal: Bicycle hire garden and the local races the Erdre from autumn with Détours de Loire and of many domestic species: 2009 Manoir du Petit Plessis (see Nantes cows, hens of Chalp.6). lans, sheep of Belle-île, goat poitevine and Breton draught • Guide books on sale in the horse... Tourist Office gift shop.

• Cross the Loire by navibus, boarding at Gare Maritime to visit Trentemoult - a charming fishing village ju s t opp osite the c it y centre (see p. 41) (ticket included in the Pass Nantes). • The Great Ramble GR 3 follows the Loire over 130 km: setting off from Anjou, it cuts through Nantes and links up with the salt marshes in Guérande.

From Unesco world heritage to the mouth of the river with “Loire à vélo” On the banks of Europe's last free-flowing river, in the heart of the so-called Valley of the Kings from Orléans, go as far as Nantes meeting people who live along the river and find yourself in a world of French chateaux, parks, islands and vineyards. Cycle paths interchange with little-used roads, where you can cycle freely and feast your eyes on what the Loire Valley has to offer.

For more information: Topo guides on sale in the Tourist Office Gift shop.

The Loire Ferries

There are many br idges crossing the Loire, the most impor tant being Cheviré bridge; there's an excellent view of the river and the wood por t f rom the top of its 52 metres. But the most exotic way of doing it is to take the Loire Ferries between Le Peller in and Couëron or between Basse Indre and Indret - fun for young and old! Free crossing.

The « Loire à vélo » is an 800k m long c ycle route with unrestricted views of the river, taking you through Orléans, Tours, Saumur, Angers and Nantes up to the ocean. It has over 300 stopping points to greet cyclists.

X Loire-a-velo.fr Bike hire in Nantes: Détours de Loire in Nantes and Manoir du Petit Plessis in Ste Luce sur Loire (see p.6) Maps available in the Tourist Office gift shop

Isle of Nantes Surrounded by the Loire the Isle of Nantes has a riche though f ragile env ironment. Its progressive but measured transformation is respectful of its natural surroundings as well as its history. (See p.22).

The canal de La Martinière Le Pellerin This canal, built in the 19th century to ease navigation in the Loire estuary, which was clogged up with islands and sandbanks, it is now used to control the water, a facility where walkers, fishermen, and lovers of water sports gather. The Ile du Massereau has more than 80 protected species of birds. It is linked to the Acheneau, the only river in France to flow in two directions depending on the season! The lock machine house can be visited in season (scale model of the local hydraulic network).

h May and

June: Saturdays from 14.30 to 17.30 July and August: Thursdays from 14.30 to 17.30 September: Saturdays on request

4 ACCAM: 02 40 04 65 21 X canal-maritime-basseloire.fr

Along the water

The Loire • Take one of the Bateaux Nantais around the Isle of Nantes (see p. 33), or visit the port of Nantes with Marine et Loire (see p. 34).

La Mandine Wildfowl Park Bouguenais

Loire en Scène, Oudon

h There are various events on Saturday or Sunday afternoons at certain times of the year La Roche Ballue 4 Bretagne Vivante : 02 40 50 13 44 This working quarry from 1909 to 1977 has become Open to the public all year an open-air activity centre round, the marshland of the whose aim is to offer a host banks of the Loire houses of things to do while keeping numerous species of bird. a page of local history alive. Observatory open in June, July and August with local Numerous activities range professional (fees apply)The from a BMX track to climriverside paths lead strol- bing up one of the quarry lers to two lookout posts faces. Diving is allowed in designed for adults and part of the quarry pits. Note little-ones alike. Bring your that climbing and diving are binoculars, settle yourself only allowed under licence in quietly and simply watch from local clubs with qualithe birds without disturbing fied monitors. Kids' games, them. Information boards wildlife trail, boules park, help you to ident if y the picnic area and barbeques are species and their habitat. freely available. Swimming is This information is updated authorised from mid-June to so that you keep up with the beginning of September.

The cruise:

seasonal changes.

4 02 40 83 60 00 X loire-en-scene.fr

The site is open from 10.30 to 20.30 daily with life-guard cover from 10.30 to 20.00. Admission fee applies throughout the summer.

h July and August, daily April, May, June, September and October: weekends and public holidays Duration: 1hr15 Booking compulsory. Phone for schedules Set off from Champtoceaux, on the banks of the Loire, for a cruise on the “Luce”, with a commentary telling you all about the heritage and the natural riches of the river. The amazing trail of the Chateau of Oudon.

h March : Sundays from

10.00 to 12.30 and from 14.00 to 18.30 April, May, June: daily from 10.00 to 12.30 and from 14.00 to 18.30 July and August: daily from 10.00 to 12.30 and from 14.00 to 19.00 September and autumn mid-term holidays: daily from 10.00 to 12.30 and from 14.00 to 18.00 October (not including holidays): weekends from 10.00 to 12.30 and from 14.00 to 18.30

An ama z ing t rail In the medieval keep at Oudon, with films and lighting take you back to historic moments that have left their mark along the river, from the Middle Ages to the present day. « Young Adventurers » rôle plays for children.

• El e c t r i c b o a t hi r e , n o licence required, contact Ruban Vert (see p. 55).

Discovery trail in Vertou

4 02 40 34 43 00

(Vertou town hall)

Open to ramblers, cyclists and nature-lovers, the town of Vertou has put in place an 8k m long discover y trail where you can find out more about the people and places on the banks of the Sèv re between Beautour (downstream) and Portillon (upstream).

The Chaussée des Moines Vertou

Vertou, close to Nantes on the banks of the Sèv re where you can find a river d amn, la C hau ss é e d e s Moines, built over a thousand years ago by monks from an Abbey founded by St Martin in the 6th century. It makes an ideal starting point for a riverside walk, with bars, cafés, restaurants and boat hire. Take a ramble on the GRP «La Sèvre Nantaise à pied».

The Gautron Windmill in Vertou

3 Rue de l’Industrie in Vertou 4 02 40 34 43 00 (Vertou town hall)

A former flour mill on the leftbank of the sèvre, the Moulin Gautron has been converted into an art gallery open all year round.

The Parc du Loiry Vertou 12 hectares of parkland along the riverside. Numerous leisure facilities; canoeing, minigolf, play area, fishing, bar, concerts and entertainment in the summer.

3 Canoe hire: Parc du Loiry Bd Guichet Sérex

4 02 40 34 29 97

Along the water

The River Sèvre

The Lac de Grand Lieu

Nature Reserve Centre

Domaine d’Herbauges

r ue de l’Acheneau 3 Bouaye (can be r eached Bouaye by train and is close to the Winter flooding makes this X snpn.fr SNCF train station) the largest natural and the 4 02 40 65 44 92 h Open Wednesdays and oldest lake in France. It can Saturdays from 14.00 to h Visit ever y af ternoon in 18.00 cover up to 6300 hectares in July and August, booking winter. Situated downstream necessary during the rest Free admission. of the year. from a 670km2 catchment basin, it is a wetland area Photographic exhibition of of considerable importance, the Lac de Grand Lieu, scale Come and sample all the helping to re gain f lo o d models, maps, draw ings. wines of the Loire valley. waters from the Acheneau as Guide on hand. it makes its way to the Loire estuary. The Acheneau is the only river to f low into the lake, which is also home to 550 plant organs and 360 species of vertebrates. A renowned spawning area for fish, (pike, in particular) and amphibians. Access to the lakeside is restricted and it is best seen f rom either Passay or St Aignan de Grandlieu. (observatory at Pierres Aigües).

3 20,

Nantes vineyard

Look out for this sign which means discounted or free entry with the Pass Nantes.

The Vineyard Tourist Trail

The vineyard tourist trail has many stops for tastings and exploration. T h e 1 1 ,5 0 0 h e c t a r e s o f Muscadet vineyards cover the larg e s t area in the Loire Valley and because Muscadet is made from a single variety of grape it is the biggest certified white wine growing area of its kind anywhere in the world and Nantes is its capital. Crisp, light and fruity, the different Loire Valley wines make an ideal match for the local cuisine. Kick of f your tour of Muscadet, Coteaux d'Ancenis, Fiefs Vendéens, Gros Plant and other Loire Valley wines at the Loire Valley Wine Centre, the “Maison des Vins de Loire” in Nantes.

MAISON DES VINS DE LOIRE Loire Valley Wine Centre Z VIP tasting and 10% on

all purchases (wine and gifts)

h Planned opening summer 2009

From Tuesday - Saturday from 10.00 - 13.00 and from 14.30 - 19.00. Closed from 1st - 15th January

3 15 place du Commerce X nantes@vinsdeloire.fr X vinsdeloire.fr C Line 1, line 2 et line 3 :

Crack open a dream at the one-stop shop 15 Place du Commerce.

get off at Commerce

Ideally placed on your way to either the castle or the Great Elephant and is a stone’s throw f rom the Passage Pommeraye shopping arcade and the Place Royale. Car park at “Commerce” or “Petite Hollande”. The Ile Feydeau Tourist Of fice is nearby. Expert-led wine tasting in the historic centre of Nantes. The Loire Valley Wine Centre is sure to find a wine to please every palate from its stock of over a hundred different Loire Valley certified wines. A great place to stock up on wine, vineyard souvenirs and to tickle your taste buds.

A superb choice of Loire Valley w ines, gif t ideas to suit all occasions, gettogethers in the vineyards, open d ays and award winning restaurants. Why not sign up for one of our wine tasting evenings or specialist conferences.

Les Chais de la Cour

3 La Cognardière- Le Pallet 4 02 40 80 42 30 h Open afternoons 14.00 to 19.00

In the heart of the vineyards, along the Clisson road, this spot is a must. There is Muscadet wine-tasting and a chance to browse around the art and antique shops in this magnificently renovated wine store. Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie, and also a selection of wines f rom the Loire. An introduction to winet a s t ing, b ou t iqu e s , ar t gallery and antique shop.

Canoe-hire, picnic areas, Muscadet wine-tasting in the open-air café. Leisure centre:

4 02 40 06 54 07 3 Château-Thébaud X pontcaffino.fr O Open all year-round T his is a lovely place to visit in the vineyards. On the banks of the Maine, between Maisdon sur Sèvre and Château-Thébaud, along from St Fiacre sur Maine in the Clisson direction. This is a superb natural spot which has been adapted for rockclimbing and canoeing, and offers delightful walks.

The Nantes Vineyard Museum

Z Free access

Château de Goulaine

Z Free access 3 Expressway, follow

signs towards Nantes Cholet (way out 1.2 Haute Goulaine)

3 82, rue Pierre Abelard Le Pallet

4 02 40 80 90 13 Haute Goulaine X pays-vignoble-nantais.org h Open: 14.00 to 18.00. From 1st April to 11th 6th July to 6th September : November daily except Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 (15th June to 15th September : from 10.00 to 18.00). Guided tour Sundays at 15.30

Come and relive the whole wine making process from grape picking to the glass in the heart of the vineyards. Several hundred tools and machines f rom the 16th century to the 1980s are on show to highlight the local know-how used right up to the present day.

daily except Tuesdays. 22th March to 5th July and 7th September to 8th November : weekends and public holidays

4 02 40 54 91 42 château.goulaine@online. fr

http ://chateau.goulaine. online.fr

e Autocar LILA line 3 - get

off at «Allée du Château»

In amongst the vines, just 20 minutes from Nantes lies the château de Goulaine a stately home that has been in the same family for over a thousand years. Come and visit the netted butterf ly park and catch a glimpse of the hundreds of butterflies there. Step in-side the house to see how the other half lived or visit the collection of the LU factory advertising campaigns housed in the 18th century wing. Guided visits only.

Nantes vineyard

Pont Caffino

Clisson 3 Clisson Tourist Office 4 02 40 54 02 95 X clisson.com A truly picturesque place to stop in the vineyards. On the banks of the Sèvre, here is a quaint little town where remains of the Middle Ages merge with Italianate architecture following the battles of the Vendée. Visit the historic centre with its famous chateau, market hall and the Italian estate, la Garenne Lemot. Clisson has several restaurants, cafés Château de Clisson with terraces, boutiques. Z Admission and guided tour free Muscadet w ine-tast ing at the tourist office, in the 3 Clisson market hall. h Open daily except Tuesdays from 1/05 to 30/09 Can be reached by trains from 11.00 to 18.30 and from 1/10 to 30/04 from leaving from Nantes. 14.00 to 17.30

Domaine de la Garenne Lemot

Z Admission and guided tour of the parc free

3 Gétigné Clisson h Wander round the park

every day from 9.00 20.00 from May to the end of September and from 9.30 to 18.30 from October to the end of April. Guided tour (1 hr) daily at 16.30 from Mai to the end of September

Closed on 24/12, 25/12, 31/12 and 1/01

Espace Zoologique de la Boissière du Doré La Boissière du Doré f 02 40 33 70 32

Over 500 animals in semicaptivity set in 19 hectares. Group discounts with the Pass Nantes.

02 40 54 02 22

Mos tly buil t in the 13 th Cent ur y, and purcha se d by the sculptor Lemot, the Château de Clisson then became a beautiful romantic ruin, attracting painters and sculptors.

Main house and gardener’s dwelling open from 11.00 to 18.30 every day from May to the end of September and from 14.00 - 17.30 from October to the end of April except Mondays. Closed 24th, 25th, 26th December and 1st January

02 40 54 75 85

In a picturesque park on the banks of the Sèvre Nantaise, the heritage and the outstanding quality of the art of these gardens marks the Italianate style of the Pays Clissonais.

Nantes Cooking of the numerous assets of the city of the dukes. You can recognize these restaurants by the logo 'Les Tables etonNantes'

T his init iat ive develops Nantes cooking, its head chefs and its wines. A selection of restaurants divided into 5 categories (Gastronomic, Gourmet, Creperie, French bistrot, bar food) allows you to discover one

Find the ingredients that compose Nantes cooking, details of the restaurants, the markets of Nantes Metropole and of the vineyards… in the “ book of the Nantes gourmet” available in our agencies (details p.3) Our

CARNET DU GASTRONOME NANTAIS 2009

PRIX CHARLES MONSELET 2009

The tourist office of Nantes Metropole and InterLoireNantes joined in 2004 to c reate the P r ize Charles Monselet.

web si te w w w.nan te stourisme.com. Introduces you to gourmet Nantes.

CARNET DU GASTRONOME NANTAIS 2009

SAVOUREZ LE PRIX CHARLES MONSELET 2009

DE LA CUISINE ET DES VINS DE NANTES à l’initiative de l’Ofﬁce de Tourisme de Nantes Métropole et Interloire-Nantes

21/11/08 19:45:44

estuaire Nantes< >Saint-nazaire 2007-2009-2011 From 5th June - 16th August 2009 Information and bookings:

X estuaire.info E +33 (0)2 40 75 75 07 An artistic and fun trail of discovery.

Works of art, modern architecture, natural and industrial heritage; river cruise and bankside walks, gettogethers, places to meet and greet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Estuaireâ&#x20AC;? is an artistic adventure in three acts, the epilogue is planned for 2011.

From 5th June - 16th August 2009 From Nantes to St Nazaire the Loire widens out into a vast estuary that flows into sea: a land full of surprises, its nature wild and mysterious. An industrial sea-bound heritage and an endless conquest of the river.

Estuaire, is party time

War m and f r iendly ge ttogethers bringing mobile architecture together with off-beat places to sleep in, accommodation that the Each of Estuaires three Acts river has never seen before, takes you on a trail along as well as stop-overs for the the 60 kms of river bank that tired and hungry. join Nantes to St Nazaire. 30 All of these one-of-a-kind creations from around the spots bring out the best of world decorate the trail, some what is on offer for first-time have been saved to make up and seasoned visitors. Get an exhibition open all year fresh insight and perspecround. tive on the local town heritage and the surrounding countryside.

T his year th e his tor ic al centre of Nantes and the Isle of Nantes have been singled out as the major hotspots for visitors. In Lieu Unique, Vincent Mauger has turned the courtyard of the former factory into a national level stage. Get to the Fine Arts Museum and the Oratory Chapel from there via the St Felix Tunnel and catch sight of 'The Ny mph' by Ange Leccia. Then onto the historical heart of the city where the animals roam... in the castle moats and in the remains of medieval Nantes, Place Bouffay.

top tip For this event, make the most of our weekend of fers on resanantes.com

After having seen the Local Author i t y H ea d qu ar ter s you'll pass onto the second artistic centre; the (re) developing Isle of Nantes. See the piece by the Van Lieshout workshop at the foot of the new architecture school and then the weather station on the roof of Mutuelles Har monie Atlant ique's head offices. Finally taking the gangway - the Quai des Antilles - means another chance to see 'The Rings' by Buren and the former banana maturing warehouses, refurbished for Estuaires 2007 which house the modern art collection of the Pays de la Loire.

Go with the Flow

Two new ways to see it all leaving from Nantes or St Nazaire!! Take it all in along the riverbanks Get up close to the artworks by coach down the country roads. Take a whole summer's day out on a guided tour of natural beauty and art, and where even the gourmet meal will take you by surprise!

The river-boat cruise is about finding out more and seeing more of the river. From its natural and industrial heritage to its picture-postcard towns and villages this cruise will get you close to some of the artistic creations, but above all it's about the river and the estuary. On landing, a coach will take you on a tour of the riverside. Get to see how the artwork and the countryside blend together. Drop off at the starting point .

estuaire

By boat or by coach,on foot or by bike: the Estuaire is expecting to see you!

Leisure Sports and well-being You can enjoy rowing and Golf de Nantes canoeing right in the heart Erdre of Nantes. Rent a bike for the Enjoy a 15% reduction on Z duration of your holidays, the 18-hole green fee play eighte en a dv ance d Rond-point Jean-Moulin 3 holes, have f un w ith Chemin du Bout des Landes friends or family bowling or 02 40 59 21 21 4 go-karting, bet on the races, and, of course applaud the h November to February from 8.30 to 18.00 Ruban Vert “Nantes game” of the FCN March to October from there really is something for 8.00 to 19.00 Z 20% reduction on one everyone! Closed 25th December hour's boat hire and 1st January On the Erdre: 3 Information on leisure sports Nantes -Ile de Versailles on www.nantes-tourisme. 15 minutes away from the 02 51 81 04 24 4 com. heart of Nantes, a very varied 2 : Get off at St Mihiel course, appreciated by begin- C From 1st May to 30th h ners as well as professionals. September: Monday to On a field of 50 ha with an Friday, from 14.00 to 19.00, undulating relief and planted weekends and public holiwith fruit trees. days from 10.00 to 19.00

July and August : daily from 10.00 to 19.00 April and October: weekends and public holidays, from 10.00 to 19.00

3 Sucé-sur-Erdre-Le port 4 06 08 42 48 29 h July and August: Monday to

Le Domaine d’Orvault et Spa 24, chemin du Marais du Cens – Orvault f 02 40 76 84 02

Nantes horses Racing Society

Hippodrome du Petit Port f 02 40 74 19 71

www.domaine-orvault.com

Get more from well-being. Easy 2-hour round trip (swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam bath, solarium) with tea and home-made cakes. Special offer with the Pass Nantes: 24 e.

250 races organised, (flatracing, steeplechase, trotting) over 32 meetings in the year. Free access with the Pass Nantes.

Friday, from 14.00 to 19.00, weekends from 10.00 to 19.00. For the rest of the year,call

3 On the Sèvre:

Parc de la Sèvre à Vertou

4 02 40 34 67 13 h July and August: Monday to

Friday, from 14.00 to 19.00, weekends from 10.00 to 19.00. For the rest of the year,call

Hire an electric boat for a relaxing pleasure trip down the Erdre and the Sèvre (no licence required). Hire lasting from half an hour to a whole day.

Shopping

«les rues de Nantes» : town Originality, lots of choice, centre brand - more than f rom the fanc if ul to the innovative: designers 2000 shops to tempt you. local to Nantes, inter na«les rues de Nantes» offer tional brands, boutiques you: and designer labels… Uniqueness, a truly authentic atmosphere :markets for organic produce, for flowers, for books, flea-markets and the great markets at Talensac and la Petite Hollande. Going home from Nantes… …Don’t forget to take home our delicious specialities. Muscadet sur Lie, Petit Beurre LU biscuits, Guérande “fleur de sel” salt, butter caramels, traditional Berlingot and Rigolette sweets, Nantillais cocktail or Blonde du Bouffay beer... Not forgetting the Pornic ceramics, the clothes boutiques for marine-wear (boots, Breton shirts, caps...) and the new editions of Jules Verne’s works.

Cu l t u r e , a n a b u n d a n c e of c ult ural temptat ions: an opera , 57 bookshops, 20 venues for shows and concerts, 19 art galleries, 5 museums...

Bold, daring and wonderful choices: local designers, international names, boutiques and famous labels. Warm welcome, a sincere and appealing atmosphere, streets filled with charm, w i t h g r a n d e u r, s u n n y outdoor café terraces, the baroque charm of Passage Pommeraye.

Tourist Office

Galeries Lafayette

ABC Terroirs

Z 10% discount from 10€ purchase

Z 10% discount on your purchases* at the Galeries Lafayette Decré while your card is valid

Z Enjoy a 10% reduction

3 Feydeau : 3, cours Olivier de Clisson

*excluding those marked with a red dot, promotions, food and services

3 2, Place Saint-Pierre (cathedral).

Our agencies stock a wide 3 Rue de la Marne range of books on Nantes and h Open from 9.30 to 20.00, Monday to Saturday its surroundings, rambler's guides, the v ineyards, LU souvenirs, postcards, t-shirts, Galeries Lafayette sells more as well as regional speciali- than 300 great labels. ties such as “berlingots” and “rigolettes” sweets.

Déconecté

15 rue de Verdun f 02 40 35 60 49 Gif ts, interiors, f rom the traditional to the contemporary ! With your Pass Nantes: 5% discount off your purchases.

La Friande

12, rue Paul Bellamy

02 40 20 14 68

A panoply of confectionary, biscuits and LU souvenirs made in Nantes. W i th your Pa ss Nan te s: a sample packet of their speciality biscuits with tiny chips of butter and Guérande salt, when you spend 15€ in the shop.

from 10€ of purchase on the wines of the Loire and a 50g bag of Nantes speciality sweets “berlingots” are offered as a welcome gift when you spend over 5€.

3 5, place St Pierre This shop proposes typical products of the Pays de la Loire in its delicatessen as well as in its cellar.

Devineau Boutique 4, rue Belle image f 02 40 47 19 59

Inter ior de corat ion and candle specialists. With your Pass Nantes: you get a free candle.

FAMILY FRIENDLY NANTES In Nantes with children ? Here are a few ideas of things to do. And don’t forget the Family Pass Nantes !

An absolute must is a visit, and maybe even a ride on the Giant Elephant who trumpets around the Isle of Nantes (see p.23).

F i n ish o f f w i th a w el l deser ved rest and maybe a picnic around the moat, where the kids are free to play!

By the grassy riverbank opposite quai de la Fosse, allow yourselves a little rest on the beach while the kids play in the sand. With showers and deckchairs - in fact all you need for summer sunbathing! The plateau which was formerly the place where ships were built, has been transformed into a solarium protected by trellising. And not far, in what was once part of the docks, is the “Jardin des Voyages”, a garden filled with exotic plants and a play area.

The Jardin des Plantes is a park close to the castle, opposite the train station. It has superb plant collections and greenhouses (see p.37). The kids can run around (games area, animals to see, aviary) and have an ice- c ream... Baby- changing fac ilit ies available.

«Young ones and grow nups - a château for all»: adults follow the guided tour while the children are shown around. (Saturdays and school holidays at 14.30; by reservation only - 02 51 17 49 88).

For animal-lovers: the animal gallery and reptile house at the Natural History Museum.

For the more active, why not hire a bike and go across the Loire by Navibus, the river ferry, to Trentemoult, (see p.41). Or hire an electric boat to chug up the Erdre, after a picnic on the Ile de Versailles where you can call into the Maison de l'Erdre to find out more about its river. (see p.38).

Wind down at the end of the day with a hot chocolate, marvelling at the fabulous interior of the brasserie La Cigale. A warm welcome for If it rains, just take shelter all the family. in one of the city's several museums ! (or even if the weather is nice !) :

The Musée Dobrée museum w ith its exhibition of The Castle of the Dukes of weapons will delight those Brittany is also not to be budding knights, it could be missed! Here you have 2 a scene from a Harry Potter film ! (free on Sundays) choices:

Go aboard the Maillé Brézé, a former squadron ship on quai de la Fosse (see p.29)

And last but not least, the Jules Verne Museum (Info: 02 40 69 72 52) and the Printing Museum (Info:02 40 73 26 55) offers visits to young adventurers from 6 to 12 years old The castle giftshop is just - where they play the leading bursting with souvenirs for rôle! all! «Family circuit with guide»: guided interactive tour for all members of the family. (from 6 years old, length of visit: 1hr15).

top tip

Walk on the wild side in Planète Sauvage safari park on the outskirts of Nantes. Family stays, bookings on resanantes.com

Nantes by night All programmes for shows ar e av ai la bl e f r o m th e Tourist Office agencies and from www.nantes-tourisme. com. To find out what's on, including films coming up at c inema s in and around Nantes, see programmes, such as “Le mois Nantais”, “Pulsomatic”, “Sortir”, “le Wik”. Go to the Tour ist O f f ice to f ind out if places are available for shows. As dusk falls the night owls appear around the squares of Graslin and Bouffay. The whole new area of the Isle of Nantes and the Banana Warehouse with its bars, restaurants and night club can delight more than one! As for the Lieu Unique, it's bubbling with excitment 24/7.

Z Go out at night without

having to drive... and without turning into a pumpkin after midnight: Bus, BusWay and tram will take you back until 0.30 in the week, and 2.30 at the weekend. And for the night-owls, use the Luciole bus service from one nighttime venue to another. The Luciole service runs through Saturday night to the early hours of Sunday morning, giving you a worry-free night out on the town. All TAN tickets are valid on the Luciole bus and the list of stops is available on www. tan.fr.

A few addresses

La Guinguette

20, quai Marcel Boissard Trentemoult Rezé f 02 40 75 88 96 Set in the heart of Trentemoult village, have lunch or dinner looking out onto the Loire. With your Pass Nantes: all menus over 18 €/24 € offer a free “kir” or coffee. .

Suite 21

bar, cabaret, spectacle Hangar à bananes 21, quai des Antilles f 06 73 14 57 80

A n o f f- b e a t a n d f u n k y evening in a t rendy and glamorous setting. With your Pass Nantes: free admission.

AGENDA 2009 ApRIL 2009 Carnival The Printemps des Arts

4 Comité des Fêtes : 02 40 35 75 49

http://www.fubicy.org/ nantes

h mid-May to the end of June 4 02 40 20 69 70 X printempsdesarts.fr

Montmartre in Clisson

JUNe 2009

Sardinantes

Giant St r ee t S ale: 28 t h Tickets: Fnac and Harmonia h 6th and 7th June March Mundi Street parade: 29th March 4 02 40 54 02 95 C h i l d r e n ’ s c a r n i v a l : T he P r intemps des Ar t s X valleedeclisson.fr 1st April br ings together baroque Night parade: 4th April theatre, music, dance and Festival of paintings and sculptures. painting.

Nantes International Fair

h 3th to 13th April 4 La Beaujoire : 02 40 52 08 11

Estuaire 2009

The Nantes international h 5th June to 16th August fair is a major event in the 4 0892 464 044 economic c apital of the Ground-breaking artistic and West. cultural event. Estuary-sized installations made to blend in or stand out, all along the Just For Laughs Festival river. Unmissable. h 4th to 11th April

4 For further information: Cité Internationale des Congrès 02 51 88 20 00

Over a hundred shows of headline acts as well as up and coming local talent.

Royal de Luxe

h 5th, 6th and 7th June “The Giant from the Titanic and The Deep Sea Diver” for the biannual modern art festival “Estuaire”.

Dreamt up by author-directorfounder of street-art company “Royal de Luxe” this is another Nantes International chapter in the saga of the Flower Show: giants. A tale spread across the town over 3 days with h 8th to 19th May the giant characters being 3 Exhibition Centre: Parc handled by dozens of puppedes Expositions de la teer Lilliputians. Beaujoire

MAy 2009

4 Comité des Floralies : 02 40 14 58 60

«Flower Power»

h 13th June 3 Quai Ernest Renaud 4 Comité des Fêtes 02 40 35 75 49

Grilled sardines, sea shanties and songs from the river turning into Breton merrymaking at night-fall.

Hellfest Festival

h 19th, 20th, 21th June 3 Clisson Hardcore punk festival in Clisson, now in its 5th year, feat ur ing Wa sp, G ojir a , Pentagram...

JUly 2009 Summertime Look out for f ree regular events in town throughout the summer months.

Bike festival

h 5th,6th and 7th June 4 Place au vélo : 02 40 20 04 00

August 2009

Scopitone

Festival Les Escales

h Mid September 4 Infoline : 02 51 80 60 80 X scopitone.org

h 7th and 8th August 3 Port of St Nazaire 4 02 51 10 00 00 X les-escales.com 40,000 spectators, more than 200 per formers, 25 concerts a day, 2 days and 2 nights partying at the port of Saint-Nazaire, against a backdrop of cranes and liners!

The Rendez-vous de l’Erdre

h 28th to 30th August 4 02 51 82 37 70 X rendezvouserdre.com Hugely popular jazz festival along the quays in the town centre. Water and music combining to create a great atmosphere.

SEPTEMBer 2009 La Folie des Plantes

h 5th and 6th September 4 02 40 41 64 16 E xhibi t ion and sales o f plants at the Grand Blottereau. The incredible variety of plants must be seen.

Scopitone; ar tists, musicians, videomakers, sculptors and graphic designers brought together for this multimedia festival.

The regatta of Trentemoult

h 13th September 4 Centre nautique Sèvre

et Loire 02 40 13 13 57 et 02 40 84 21 71

The regatta attracts every year several thousands of spectators on the quays. Mu sic al animat ion and show s s upplemen t this festive day.

OCTOBer 2009 Celtomania

h 1st to 31st October 4 02 51 84 16 07

Celtomania 02 40 54 20 18

contact@celtomania.com X celtomania.fr Annual event dedicated to the Celtic culture: exhibitions, literature, music, theatre in different districts of the Nantes conurbation. This is the festival's 20th year running.

Solidarity on Chocolate

h From 10th to 18th October

For weekends and events think resanantes.com.

The first year for this transatlantic race for 12m single hull sailing boats which will race in two’s from Nantes/ St Nazaire to the Mexican state of Yucatan. Leaving on

18th October 2009. What’s so special about this race? Apar t f rom the spor ting aspect and the chocolatethemed events around the race, it will also guarantee media coverage and financial support to numerous associations. - The first ever “Night of Chocolate” on the Isle of N a n t e s : S a t u r d ay 1 0 t h October - Sun d ay 1 1 th O c t o b e r, history down the Loire in the presence of the ship Belem. - 10th to 18th October, the ‘Grand Choc’, an instructive and informative event on the theme of chocolate. - 18th October, race departure from St.Nazaire. Arriving in Progreso, Mexico, beginning of November 2009.

The Utopiales International Science Fiction Festival

h 28th October to 1st November

4 Cité Internationale des

Congrès: 02 51 88 20 00

Science fiction festival grouping cinema, literature and cartoons.

NOVEMber 2009 Festival of the Three continents

Z Reduced rate h 24th November to 1st December

4 02 40 69 74 14 Resa Office de Tourisme Nantes Métropole

International Show Jumping in Nantes

h 29th, 30th and 31st

January (to be confirmed)

The show jumping season opens again this year with the Nantes International Show Jumping Competition. This will take place at La Beaujoire exhibition centre.

agenda

This international film and JANuary 2010 photography festival presents the cinematography of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. With La Folle Journée exclusive premieres of works h 27th to 31st January of fiction, retrospective of a Cité Internationale film director, tribute to an 3 des Congrès. actor or actress, presentation 02 51 88 20 00 of the cinema of a specific 4 Booking strongly country or cultural entity or recommended the production of one studio, this festival has been going The Folle Jour née has from strength to strength. become a major event! The concept is to provide a clasDECEMBer 2009 sical weekend like no other in the world, presenting lots Christmas Fair of shorter concerts at better prices... and the best quality. 3 Place du Commerce and place Royale In 2010,the 16th edit ion features the works of Chopin The greatest Christmas market and composers he influenced in the West! The flavours of or was influenced by such as the olden days in a fairytale Liszt, Paganini... ambiance with crib figures, pottery, craf t decoration, gingerbread and foie gras...

The surrounding area

Vendée tourism committee

4 02 51 47 88 20 X vendée-tourisme.com The local Nantes population is very lucky as people can change scenery without ever having to go too far. In less than an hour we can take a swim in Pornic or La Baule or stroll along the river banks of the Loire as far as Champtoceaux or the Sèvre as far as Clisson or further off-shore to Belle-Île, Noirmoutier or l’Île d’Yeu. In fact too many places to list on only a few lines. Situated where Britanny, Anjou and the Vendée come together, Nantes invites you to the multi-pleasures of discovery.

For f ur ther enquir ies on Anjou (Angers region) sightseeing:

tourism committee

Tourism Pays de la Loire

X enpaysdelaloire.com

4 02 41 23 51 51 X anjou-tourisme.com

Loire Atlantique tourism committee

Brittany tourism committee

4 02 51 72 95 40 X ohlaloireatlantique.com

4 02 99 36 15 15 X tourismebretagne.com

19th century villas and pres- The Morbihan Gulf The Jade Coast and the Retz country tigious buildings. Follow the Get to Pornic and the surrounding area from Nantes. See the sailor's houses and winding streets high up in the town or down to the port, the grand seaside houses and the beaches. Follow the coast up as far as Préfailles, the Pointe de Gildas, St Michel Chef Chef (St Michel biscuit factory) and St Brévin.

The Loire Valley, World Heritage Following the Loire using Nantes as a starting point, you can come across superb little villages with chateaux and viewing points … Champtoceaux, St Florent le Vieil, Montjean sur Loire, right up to the chateaux of Serrant, Brissac Quincé, Montreuil Bellay, Saumur … The royal abbey of Fontevraud and even the château of Angers with its famous tapestries of the Apocalypse.

unspoilt coastal road to Le Croisic with its port, stone fishermen's houses and shipbuilders' mansions. Cross the salt marshes to reach the medievel town of Guérande to see the battlements, the monument al c i t y gates, paved streets and churches. Make the most of your trip by visiting the Natural Park of Brière, picture-postcard villages, thatched rooves, rose bushes, lakes and canals. By bike, on horseback, by barge or on foot, don't miss this wonderful natural spot.

Trip to the Mont-Saint-Michel

At the gateway to Brittany, only 2 hours from Nantes lies this ex t raordinar y abbey, a man-made jewel in the awesome natural bay of Mont St Michel. Take the coast road up to Cancale and St Malo or stopover in Rennes on your way back. Coach trips to Mont Saint Michel from Rennes: www. keolis-emeraude.com- 02 99 By motorway, Tours is only 2 19 70 70. hours from Nantes : outings to the Loire valley chateaux c an b e b o oke d at Tour s station (info 06 07 39 13 31).

The Guérande Peninsular From Nantes to St Nazaire (via the bridge if coming from the south) visit this sea-faring town and port. See Escal’Atlantic a full-scale cruise ship model in the heart of the submarine base. Get to La Baule, Europe’s largest beach, pine forests, grand

Founded 2000 years ago, Vannes, in the far reaches of the Gulf of Morbihan wears, for better or for worse, its properous sea trading past on its sleeve. From Vannes you can easily get to the gulf and the islands of Arz, Ile aux Moines etc.. or get back to Auray or Carnac and the prehistoric stones and carry on up to Quiberon to catch the ferry over to the islands Belle Isle, Houat, Hoëdic. Alternatively go up to the Rhuys peninsular, the port of Crouesty, the castle of Suscinio.

Day trip to Noirmoutier From Nantes, rejoin the Isle of Noirmoutier by the 'passage du Gois' (a stone road submerged at high tide, check tide times) or travel up to Fromentine and take the bridge. Sand dunes, pine forests, salt marshes, dikes, castles museums, fishing p o r t s an d mar i na s an d beaches, all for your pleasure. In Fromentine, boat departures to Ile d'Yeu.