A Ride with the Great Elephant

Nautilus-Nantes

You will get swept away by Nantes sights and attractions. The reason Nantes is so popular is for it's history and period architecture. Nantes sights include castles, museums, retail streets and parks. There are river tours that will show you the beautiful Nantes from the river while packing your head full of great history.

Saint Pierre Saint Paul Cathedral holds more than just a spiritual guidance. In this Gothic cathedral you will discover crypts that display treasures and history as well as the tomb of Francois II. This massive cathedral took over 455 years to complete and in 1891 Saint Pierre Saint Paul Cathedral was complete. The sanctuary is beautiful and elegant, and you will feel as through you have entered a whole new world when you pass through its doors.

Machines surround us in everyday life, and a couple of artists put their heads together and created a museum that turned normal machines into works of art. Imagine an elephant made of wood and steel that looks so real you expect it to snatch a peanut from your hand at any second. It may not snatch that peanut but you can take a ride on it for 45 minutes. This is a museum that is interactive and possibly the most favorite among the young and the young-at-heart.

Passage Pommeraye is a beautiful museum that serves as a wonderful shopping experience as well. You will not be prepared for the sights you will see as soon as you enter this delightful world of boutiques and one-of-a-kind shops; you will feel as though you stepped back in time and be out of the elements as well. This narrow passage way connects two streets, the rue Santeuil and reude la Fosse, and is wonderfully designed with Renaissance-style sculptures and beautiful architecture. It is a must-see when you're in Nantes.

Some of Nantes best sights can be seen from the river on a river tour. You can float your way to La Gascherie castle, tour around the island of Nantes with a stop at the pretty town of Trentmoult or float through the vineyards as you follow the banks of Sevre Babtause. Enjoy a wonderful dinner cruise with soft music, culinary delights with Nantes historical sights as the perfect setting for that romantic dinner. If you're looking to explore the river on your own or by canoe, you can find canoe tours and boat rentals. It is a fascinating way to see the city.

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Destination Nantes

- The Castle of the Dukes of Brittany - Nantes History Museum - Temporary Exhibitions

- Saint Pierre Saint Paul Cathedral and its two crypts where the treasures and the historical background of the Cathedral are displayed.

- The Passage Pommeraye - an elegant shopping mall in the neoclassical style architecture built in 19th century.

- The medieval quarter of Bouffay is a pedestrian area between the Castle and the Cathedral.

- The lieu unique - an atypical art centre, hourses a restaurant, a bar, a shop, theatres, and the LU Tower, ancient Lefevre-Utile biscuit factory.

- The Theatre Graslin - Opera of Nantes with its imposing ancient entrance, illuminated at night.

- The Machines de l'Ile is a unique attraction of an imaginary universe of mechanical animals.

- The Palais de Justice, conceived by Jean Nouvel and inaugurated in 2000.

- Garden of Plants, 7 hectares of rare plants, greenhouses right in front of the SNCF railway station.