Nantes France

Day 41 Sunday 14 June 2026

Sundays are usually easier to drive into a big city and so we decided to head off straight after our morning coffee to get there before it had a chance to get busy. There was very little traffic and as it turns out parking is free on Sundays. Arriving at 9am it gave us the opportunity to get right into the centre of town.

The city initially stood guard over the lowest bridging point across the Loire and had been the capital of the powerful Dukes of Brittany, and thus the city had grown around the massive fortress.

Until the nineteenth century, Nantes was one of the most important port cities in France. Its riverside port activity dwindled and the city's economic significance fell, as business moved downstream, to Saint Nazaire, at the mouth of the Loire.

Today, Nantes is the eighth largest city in France, with a population of over 600,000 in the urban area. The historic part of the city stands on the north bank of the Loire. Which is compact enough to explore the main sights on foot.

There weren’t many people about as we strolled into the historic centre. We also noticed the after effects of last nights Pride Festival. 

Here are the sights we saw:

Saint Nicholas Basilica - built in the 19th century, but has been renovated after WWII bombing.

Fountain de la Loire. Built in the 19th century it is currently being renovated. It is found in the Place Royal - a lovely square.

The lovely shopping arcade Passage Pommeraye was built in 1834.

The Graslin Theatre

Charles de Gaulle statue to commemorate end of WWII

A memorial to those in the resistance that were ordered to be shot on Hitlers orders on October 1941.

The Quay of the Erdre River

Louis XVI column, Saint Pierre’s gateway, St.Pierre and St Paul Cathedral .

The construction of the cathedral began in 1434, taking 457 to finish.  However it had to be restored after fires during both 1972 and 2020. The nave rises 37.5m high and is taller than the Notre-Dame in Paris! It is the resting place of the last Duke of Brittany (1507).

We had a lovely stroll through the Jardin des Plantes enjoying the shade from the trees as the temperature climbed to 32°c. 

We decided on a quick lunch today opting for a kebab.

Then it was off to have a look the at the Chateau of the Dukes of Brittany. 

It was originally built as a fortress, as is evident by the moat and towers with Breton machicolations. Inside the courtyard was The tower of the Golden Crown, the well with wrought iron armatures featuring the ducal crown, and the large dwelling designed for Francis II and adorned with Gothic dormers.

We walked around the ramparts taking it in from different viewpoints.

As we made our way back to Bluey we popped in Saint-Croix Church (1138). Having been rebuilt during the mid 1660’s it was decorated with golden angles playing the trumpet.

Returning to Bluey we then, as per our habit on these hot days, searched a shady place.. finding a spot in Pontchateau, completing our 146km drive for today.