The long green line twists and turns on Nantes’ city pavements for 14 miles. Why? It’s leading visitors to more than 100 different outdoor artworks, standout monuments, parks, buildings, architectural features and artistic playgrounds for both adults and children. Every summer, with this green line as its focal point, the city stages a cultural festival, Le Voyage à Nantes, during which artists, architects, designers, gardeners and DJs are invited to place new works and stage new events along the trail. This year’s festival is scheduled to run from 6 July to 8 September.
Le Voyage à Nantes offers an ideal way of discovering the city’s artistic side, but there are plenty of other ways to explore its creative culture throughout the year. Just outside Nantes, there’s also a 75-mile wine trail, the Voyage dans le Vignoble, which leads visitors on a boozy loop through the local vineyards, from Nantes to the Italianesque town of Clisson. Along the way are works of art, recreational spaces, castles, a museum, windmill and numerous wine cellars. The art on display comes in a plethora of forms — from shops signs to statues — with a mixture of both temporary and permanent installations.
Heading further west along the Loire River is a 37-mile-long artistic trail called Estuaire Nantes Saint-Nazaire which showcases 33 sculptures, installations and architectural projects. The variety of works on show is astounding: a human foot the size of a lorry; a giant yellow tape measure; a series of bright, luminous rings and, perhaps the most striking of all, Le Serpent d’océan — a 425ft-long aluminium skeleton of a sea serpent, installed on the foreshore of the Loire estuary so that it emerges and submerges according to the tides. From April to October, a two-and-a-half hour river cruise follows a similar route. Read on for seven of the city’s most striking cultural hotspots.
Les Machines de l’île, an artistic project in Nantes, includes the gargantuan Grand Elephant, which has become an emblem of the city.
Photograph by David Gallard, LVAN
1. Les Machines de l’île
It’s the Grand Elephant that strikes you first. Constructed of wood and steel, 40ft high and weighing nearly 50 tonnes, it’s become something of an emblem of Nantes. It’s powered by a motor, and with space on board for 49 passengers, it regularly takes walks along the Loire riverside, trumpeting loudly and spraying water from its trunk. The giant pachyderm forms the centre of this vast exhibition of mechanical art — on the Île de Nantes in the Loire River, specifically in the city’s former shipyard area — that’s dedicated to mechanical animals. Think a spider, a heron, a giant ant, a chameleon and a whole carousel of creatures from the deep. In fact, there’s an entire workshop where the mechanical animals are created and tested which is open to the public. Much of this mind-bending attraction pays homage to the futuristic drawings of Leonardo da Vinci and the sci-fi stories of Nantes’ most famous son, Jules Verne. Not only can visitors get up close to the machines, some, like the Grand Elephant, can be boarded for rides.
2. The Château des ducs de Bretagne
Built in the late 15th century, this castle in Nantes’ medieval quarter is a stout fortress from the outside but has an elegant palace within the ramparts. Inside, you’ll find the Musée d’Histoire de Nantes, which charts the city’s complicated history from medieval times through to the slave trade and the two world wars.
Château des ducs de Bretagne is located in the medieval quarter of Nantes.
David Gallard, LVAN
3. Musée d’arts de Nantes
Situated right in the heart of the city, between the cathedral and the botanical gardens, this museum holds more than 13,000 works dating from the 13th century all the way up to the present day, with contributions from the likes of Delacroix, Monet, Picasso, Kandinsky and Kapoor. The gallery was renovated and reopened in 2017, and now includes the Cube — four storeys dedicated to contemporary art — created by British architecture firm Stanton Williams.
4. HAB Galerie
This contemporary art gallery — on the western tip of the Île de Nantes — regularly features paintings, sculptures, videos and installations from a wealth of fascinating artists. The 15,070sq ft space is usually dedicated to just one artist per season, and is also home to a bookshop covering contemporary art, architecture, design and graphic novels. HAB stands for Hangar à Bananes, a nod to the building’s previous incarnation as a banana-ripening warehouse.
The contemporary HAB Galerie hosts paintings, sculptures, videos and installations and is situated on the western tip of Île de Nantes.
Photography by Martin Argyroglo, LVAN
‘We will walk on the moon’ playground, a collaboration between French architecture firm Detroit Architects and French artist Bruno Peinado, situated in Parc des Chantiers.
Franck Tomps, LVAN
5. Musée Dobrée
Musée Dobrée — in the upmarket Graslin neighbourhood of Nantes — has been closed for the past 13 years, but is set to reopen in May 2024 in a 15th-century manor house and neo-medieval palace. More than 2,000 artworks, from prehistorical times to the 20th century, will be displayed across more than half an acre of exhibition space. The museum was originally built by local ship owner and art-lover Thomas Dobrée who, during his life, amassed a collection of more than 10,000 pieces of art.
6. Le Lieu Unique
Housed in a former biscuit factory on Nantes’ Canal Saint-Félix, this convivial arts centre showcases live music, DJs, theatre, cinema, dance, circus acts, literature and visual arts. There’s also a bar, a restaurant and a Turkish bath. Past and present exhibitions include theatre productions by celebrated actor and director Olivier Martin-Salvan and Italian playwright Romeo Castellucci.
Mémorial de l’Abolition de l’Esclavage opened on the riverside Quai de la Fosse in 2012 and is dedicated to the abolition of slavery.
Franck Tomps, LVAN
7. Mémorial de l’Abolition de l’Esclavage
This memorial to the abolition of slavery, which opened in 2012 on the riverside Quai de la Fosse, is located on the very spot from which many ships involved in the Atlantic slave trade originally set sail. As the curators explain: ‘It pays tribute to those who have fought and those who are still fighting against human trafficking and slavery around the world. It’s not intended as a historical exhibit, but as a place to remember, to act as a warning and to send out a universal message.’
Plan your trip
The easiest way to explore all these sights is with the Pass Nantes. Starting at €27 (£23) for 24 hours and up to €75 (£64) for seven days, this pass includes free access to public transport and entry to multiple attractions across the city. For more information on the city of Nantes and Le Voyage à Nantes festival, go to levoyageanantes.fr
This paid content article was created for Le Voyage à Nantes. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller (UK) or their editorial staffs.
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