Holiday in Nantes

What makes Nantes special as a destination?

Nantes is perhaps the most creative city in France and a hidden gem that most German travelers are still unaware of. The city's landmark is the Grand Éléphant – a twelve-meter-high mechanical elephant made of steel and wood that carries up to 50 passengers through the former shipyard halls. These Machines de l'Île, conceived by the creators of the street theater company Royal de Luxe, are a unique art project worldwide, blending Jules Verne, Leonardo da Vinci, and Steampunk, which amazes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Jules Verne was born in Nantes in 1828, and the city has made his spirit of fantastic inventions the guiding motif of its urban development. The Jules Verne Museum on the Loire tells the life of the visionary, and references to his works can be found throughout the city. The former shipyard areas on Île de Nantes have been transformed into a vast creative district where art, technology, and urban life merge. Away from the machines, Nantes offers a charming historic old town with the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, a powerful fortress that is freely accessible and houses an excellent city museum. The Passage Pommeraye, a three-story covered shopping arcade from the 19th century with neoclassical sculptures and wrought-iron railings, is an architectural gem. Nantes is located at the mouth of the Loire and serves as a starting point for excursions to the Muscadet wine region, the Breton coast, and La Baule, one of the most elegant seaside resorts in France. From Germany, Nantes can be reached by direct flight or via TGV from Paris in just 2 hours.