Discovering an Art City | Photo Diary | Nantes, France
Last Updated on 04/07/2026 by Mayi
Nantes has been a surprise for me. I didn’t expect to like the city that much. I was meant to stay there an afternoon and ended up staying for three days. Spending my days wandering trough the cobbled streets, sampling delicious traditional food, exploring the city’s history and culture, mixing with the locals, visiting the castle or places like the famous Bouffay district made me enjoy my break even more. The time I spent in Nantes was actually what I needed to relax before starting the New Year! See below the reason in photos why I enjoyed Nantes so much. Enjoy!
Ile de Versailles is a man-made island which used by carpenters but now houses a zen Japanese garden for the enjoyment of all. It’s a lovely place to relax and I have to say that it’s one of my favourite place in Nantes.
Tour Bretagne is the place to go for an aerial and panoramic view of Nantes.
Being the innovation city of France, Nantes City has had the brilliant idea in 1999 launching operation “Grenier du siècle” (attic of the century). People were asked to drop in a concealed box an emblematic or personal item representative of the 20th century. The boxes (about 10,000) have been concealed and will be reopening on January 1st 2100. I wonder what people will think when they open the boxes? The “Grenier du siècle” is stored in the building (below) which used to belong to the biscuit manufacturer LU.
More Photogenic Spots in Nantes
Beyond the places above, keep your camera ready for the mechanical Grand Éléphant lumbering around Les Machines de l’Île, the glass-roofed Passage Pommeraye (arguably France’s most beautiful shopping arcade), the half-timbered houses of the Bouffay district, and the pastel fishing village of Trentemoult, a short river shuttle across the Loire. For the full list of sights, see my guide to the 13 best things to do in Nantes.
Getting to Nantes
Nantes is an easy weekend from Paris — around 2 hours by TGV from Montparnasse — and the airport has direct connections across Europe. Once there, follow the painted green line on the pavement: it strings together all the main sights in one self-guided walk, which is exactly how a photo diary like this one gets made.
Have you travelled to Nantes? What’s your favourite spot? I hope you will be inspired to visit Nantes! Thanks for reading 🙂Related Posts:
I wasn’t aware that Nantes is so astonishing, Mayi! Such a charming place definitely deserves a place on my bucket list. How many days would be enough to see all the highlights there?
Thanks Agness! You will need at least 3 to 4 days to enjoy the city at your own pace. If you do go, be sure to visit the little fishing village of Trentemoult. I wanted to go on my last day but ended up not going because of the rain 🙁
The photos look lovely! How was the weather? I have never been to Nantes before but I think I would want to go when it is warmer.
It was cold but okay. If you prefer warmer temperatures then go from April onwards 😉
This really takes me back to my time in Nantes! Lovely photos.
I’ve never heard of Nantes! I definitely need to spend more time exploring France 😀 There’s something extra special about the unexpected discoveries, am I right?!
Absolutely 😉 You will be surprised!
Gorgeous city, i love how the old city vibes and the fresh new art coexist beautifully!
I love how the art is a mixture of everything from classic, to modern to abstract. I really like the stepping logs across the water and the people on the balcony. Lovely photo tour!
Thanks 😉
Loving your photos! What a great guide!
What a beautiful place. I have never heard of it! We are going to France in June, so I will have to look into going here!
You should definitely try to stop by. Just 2 hours from Paris, it would be a shame to miss such a lively and innovative city!
You’ve convinced me that I want to go to Nantes based on those photos alone! I love the boats in the canal, I’d love to stay in one if that’s an option!