There is always a good reason to come to Nantes

In Nantes, art takes to the streets every summer during the Voyage à Nantes, a journey of works, each more surprising than the last. Did you miss the last summer edition? Don't panic, the Voyage à Nantes is also a permanent tour which is enriched each year with new creations. So keep your eyes open and let yourself be surprised by an original shop sign, an unusual statue or an extraordinary bestiary.

Recently open in Carquefou, just a few minutes from the centre of Nantes, the Château de Maubreuil is the first 5-star hotel in the region. Here you can put your bags down before setting out to conquer the city. Cinq Mondes Spa, exotic cuisine, tree-lined gardens, works of art found in the four corners of the world... There's something to recharge your batteries after a day full of discoveries!

Château de Maubreuil

It is in an industrial and warm setting on the island of Nantes - known for its famous Machines - that this restaurant, which has been awarded a Michelin star, welcomes us. At Lulu Rouget, the menu is constantly renewed and the dishes are created using market produce. Would you like to be surprised by the chef's inventiveness? Then opt for the "Les yeux fermés" menu, composed of three to six sequences, each more gourmet than the last. And if you want to try another Nantes restaurant, follow the guide! You can also consult the online guide Les Tables de Nantes, which lists more than 174 gourmet addresses in Nantes, the Metropolis and the Muscadet vineyards.

Lulu Rouget Les Tables de Nantes

Set course for this former fishing village located just a few minutes from Nantes, on the left bank of the estuary. Trentemoult is distinguished by its traditional houses with colourful facades and its maze of winding streets. It is the ideal place to take a walk or have a drink facing the Loire. Roman Signer's "Le Pendule" (The Pendulum), a work of art on the Estuaire route, is a symbol of the inevitable disappearance of people and things.

If you like white wines, don't leave Nantes without taking a road trip through the Muscadet vineyards just outside the city. Between the banks of the Sèvre and Maine rivers, "Le Voyage dans le Vignoble" is an 11-stop wine tourism loop that allows you to discover some thirty good addresses: cellars, wine estates, restaurants, accommodation and leisure activities. At the same time, you can enjoy sumptuous views. A few places not to be missed are Clisson (the Little Tuscany), the Liveau Mill (a living paper workshop) and the Porte-Vue in Château-Thébaud, a folding footbridge suspended 20 metres above the void. Will you dare to cross it?

There is nothing like a bicycle to discover - at your own pace - the treasures of the city of Nantes, the Muscadet vineyards and the Loire estuary as far as Saint-Nazaire. There are more than 500km of developed cycle routes in the area! For a half-day Sunday ride in the city centre, along the Loire or in the neighbouring vineyards, take inspiration from the Nantes en roues libres guide.

For a tour lasting several days, opt for the Traversée moderne d'un vieux pays à vélo, which links Nantes to Mont-Saint-Michel via Saint-Nazaire, La Baule, Rennes and Saint-Malo. You will cross breathtaking landscapes, visit cities with an exceptional heritage and enjoy the hospitality of hostels that are sensitive to the needs of cyclists. You can also take a regional train (TER) to skip a stage or return to the starting point.

Nantes en roues libres A modern Journey through and old land