Nantes, floating city

Jules Verne drew inspiration for his novels here, André Breton and Julien Gracq wrote about its charms, and Jacques Demy returned to shoot films imbued with a unique magic: Nantes has always been a place of inspiration, a dream factory. The city long made its fortune from the spice trade, then the slave trade. Today, between the Loire and Erdre rivers, artists are settling in the old Cap-Horniers neighborhoods. Two of them invented Les Machines de l'île, a fantastic bestiary made up of gigantic steel cathedrals that can be seen in motion on the site of a former shipyard. Let the adventure begin.

Your arrival in Nantes sets the tone. If you're traveling by car, you'll come across the Parcours Pérenne, a kind of floating exhibition scattered across both banks of the estuary. Around thirty monumental installations by Buren, Prouvé, and Lévêque are planted in this aquatic landscape, forcing you to take small steps to appreciate the poetry of each place. By rail, the magic is the same. The station exit takes you straight to the Jardin des Plantes, a vestige of the city's exotic past. It's a good idea to walk through it in its entirety, taking in the greenhouses and ponds, to reach the center. Unless you head straight for the Lieu Unique, to have a drink and catch an exhibition in the former LU biscuit factory, now converted into a national theater. 

From the old fishing district of Trentemoult, on the banks of the Loire, to the Île de Versailles on the Erdre, the neighborhoods can be explored on foot. Or even by tram. Crossing bridges, traversing islands, diving into the world of Jules Verne, paying your respects at the memorial to the abolition of slavery, you'll brush past the immaculate Château des Ducs de Bretagne and be sure not to miss the sumptuous Passage Pommeraie, a sort of covered version of Bonheur des Dames. Two must-sees: the Talensac market, where the chefs of Nantes' new scene meet to gather the ingredients for their daily menu, and one of Vincent Guerlais' eight shops, where you can sink your teeth into his soft and crunchy reinterpretation of the P'tit Beurre nantais. In the evening, head back to the chic cathedral district, at the foot of which lies Nantes' new place to be. Maison Maubreuil has just opened in the Hôtel de Brou, the former headquarters of the Pernod company. The little sister of the renowned Château Maubreuil in Carquefou takes on the air of a private mansion behind its gates and paved courtyard. The people of Nantes were quick to discover this new address. They gather there for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even tea time. It's the perfect place to recharge your batteries after visiting the new exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, entitled “Sous la pluie” (Under the Rain) (until March 1, 2026). Turner, Caillebotte, Brassaï... 150 works to re-enchant the element. And make you love Nantes in all weathers.

Allez Hop off to bed, chez Philippe Rousse

Collector, bargain hunter, avid traveler... Nothing predestined Philippe Rousse to become a hotelier before he fell in love with Château Maubreuil. He must have enjoyed the adventure because, five years later, he's doing it again with this urban opus...

Allez Hop off to table, chez Bertrand Lacroix & Anne Leduc

A French-Quebecois couple with a radical bistro: Bertrand Lacroix and Anne Leduc have transformed the old and exuberant A Carioca into an intimate dining room, exclusively dedicated to line-caught fish and local vegetables...

Allez Hop off to table, chez François, Julien & Maxime

“Today is quiet.” That means it's full, but no one is stepping on each other's toes, unlike on many other evenings when you have to elbow your way to a spot at the counter. François, Julien, and Maxime were looking for a place to have a drink, grab a bite to eat, and cultivate their friendship...

Allez Hop, let's indulge at La Grande Table

Pushing open the door of this red and white shop, reminiscent of old butcher's shops, means renouncing all your good resolutions of moderation. The aroma wafting from the ovens of this “charcuterie pâtissière” would tempt even a vegetarian. This is the story of a career change, in which Claire Decouture brought her husband Baptiste along with her. Pâtés en croûte, light and airy vol-au-vents (what a lovely name), bouchées à la reine, as well as koulibiacs and friands: the secret lies in the crispy pastry. Irresistible.

21 rue de Strasbourg. 

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Allez Hop, let's indulge at Vincent Guerlais

When you bite into a chocolate, you can't imagine the journey the bean has taken. It's probably because he has mastered this journey to perfection that Vincent Guerlais became the favorite pastry chef of the people of Nantes, before winning over Japanese gourmets. Since boldly opening his first shop at the age of 22, the pastry chef has never lost sight of the origin of his beans, which he roasts to perfection. In his chocolates, cakes, and biscuits to die for, the taste of the fruit remains vibrant. Loyal to his two cocoa suppliers who watch over the future of the forests on site, and loyal to his teams for 30 years, Vincent Guerlais makes chocolate that reflects his personality: honest and precise. The almost powdery texture of the bites and cookies, with their perfectly measured sweetness, is utterly addictive.

11 rue Franklin. Eight shops in Nantes and the surrounding area, two corners in Japan, and soon a new address in St-Malo. 

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Allez Hop, take the kids to the Jules Verne Museum

The father of science fiction was born in Nantes and his childhood was imbued with the spectacle of the port and departing ships. Set on a quay on the Loire and flanked by a beautiful garden, this bourgeois house opens its terrace onto the landscapes that inspired the writer and showcases his world through objects, models, and manuscripts. It will make you want to set off immediately on a five-week balloon trip.

3, rue de l'Hermitage

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Allez Hop off to Japan, on the Île de Versailles

For a long time, it was occupied by tanners and shipwrights. This island floating in a bend of the Erdre has become a unique Japanese garden. Two hectares of ponds, footbridges, rockeries, and buildings in Japanese architectural style. It is the smallest of Nantes' eleven parks, but the most charming. The Maison de l'Erdre, nestled in the heart of the garden, offers exhibitions and a tea house, and on sunny days, boats are available for hire for a bucolic stroll.

Quai Henri Barbusse