Le Voyage à Nantes: when art takes over the city

Morning: the Château des Ducs, between strength and finesse

Enter the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, the stone giant that lies dormant in the heart of the city. On the one hand, you'll see its military ruggedness in black schist and granite; on the other, in the courtyard, you'll be surprised by the delicate whiteness of its tufa stone ducal dwelling. Behind these thick walls, the story of Anne de Bretagne, twice Queen of France, awaits you.

Take time to explore the ramparts, 500 meters of covered walkway from which the town is revealed in a whole new light. Then plunge into the Nantes History Museum, where 32 rooms tell the story of the city, from its origins to the present day, including the Edict of Nantes signed here by Henri IV in 1598. On your way out, don't miss the nearby water mirror , where the château plays with its reflection.

For lunch, head to La Cigale, a Nantes institution where the walls seem to whisper the secrets of over a century of conversation. They say it's perhaps "the most beautiful brasserie in the world"... the people of Nantes will let you be the judge. Would you rather be surprised? Over the past decade, Nantes has been undergoing a gastronomic revolution. The free guide Les Tables de Nantes, published by Le Voyage à Nantes, lists 185 addresses selected for their ability to sublimate local agricultural and wine production. From the "Vit'fait bien fait!" format, where you can eat on the go, to gastronomic tables, to good family and seasonal addresses, there's something for everyone.

Afternoon: from the Musée d'arts de Nantes to its gardens, art as a common thread

Then off to the Musée d'arts de Nantes. Here, nine centuries of art history unfold in a surprising marriage between a 19th-century palace and a contemporary "cube". You'll be amazed by the anachronistic layout, with its dialogue between eras: here, an Ingres stands next to a contemporary work; there, a Courbet meets a video installation.

In the late afternoon, take a break in the greenery. Nantes boasts over 100 parks and gardens. The Jardin des Plantes is a world apart, with 800 m² of greenhouses housing botanical wonders. Look out for Claude Ponti's creatures lurking between the flower beds and Jean Jullien's great works of art. Or discover theIle de Versailles for an escape to Japan without leaving Nantes. This artificial island transformed into a Japanese garden features rock gardens and waterfalls around buildings inspired by traditional Japanese housing. Discover it on foot, by electric boat or by canoe for a poetic stroll along the Erdre River.

For the night, two addresses perfectly embody the spirit of Nantes. TheHotel Demain makes no bones about its environmental convictions: in its rooms, furniture is either second-hand or vintage. The establishment even offers a 10% discount for those arriving by train or bicycle! Billie Hôtel plunges you into the art of living of the Roaring Twenties, with its Art Deco wallpapers and shimmering hues. Don't miss room 435, a veritable work of art created by Japanese artist Makiko Furuichi as part of the Voyage à Nantes: "Dream Jungle" unfurls its dreamy black-and-white canopy, where Baku, a fantastic creature from Japanese folklore, watches over your sleep, chasing away nightmares.

Morning: Trentemoult, a picture-postcard village

This morning, embark on a mini-cruise: with a simple public transport ticket, the Navibus will take you in ten minutes to Trentemoult, an ancient fishing village of rainbow-colored houses. These shimmering facades tell the story of an ancient tradition: fishermen used to paint their shutters with paint left over from their boats. Nowadays, the whole village is decked out in color.

Stroll through the narrow streets where Jean-Loup Hubert filmed La Reine Blanche with Catherine Deneuve. Stroll on to the shipyard, where Roman Signer's "Le Pendule", part of the Voyage à Nantes Estuaire tour, stands like a giant metronome. Then take a seat on the quay for lunch overlooking the Loire, admiring Nantes as it glistens in the water.

Afternoon: Les Machines de l'île, where Jules Verne meets Leonardo da Vinci

In the afternoon, plunge into the fantastic world of Les Machines de l'Île. In the former shipyard nave, mechanical creatures have come to life, born from the imagination of designers François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice. The Galerie des Machines is an open-air laboratory where a mechanical bestiary comes to life before your very eyes: spiders, herons, giant butterflies... each creature tells a story that seems to have stepped out of the novels of Jules Verne.

But the star is the Great Elephant, a majesty of metal and wood that carries visitors on its back. This 12-metre-high mechanical pachyderm strolls its monumental silhouette across the esplanade. Aboard it, it's as if you were on the 4ᵉ floor of a walking house, lulled by the slow movement of its articulated legs and the powerful blast of its trunk.

Complete your exploration with the Carrousel des Mondes Marins, a dreamlike ride on three levels where strange sea creatures take you from the abyss to the surface.

Then round off your day at Le Lieu Unique, the former LU cookie factory transformed into a buzzing cultural center. Climb up the emblematic LU Tower to take in the sights of Nantes, before heading back down to the bar for a drink, an exhibition, a concert or a show.

To extend the evening, head for the Hangar à Bananes, a former port wasteland turned party venue. From the quayside, admire the Anneaux de Buren, which light up at dusk, creating a play of colored lights over the Loire.

Morning: the escorteur d'escadre Maillé-Brézé, a floating museum

Start your final day with a visit to theescorteur d'escadre Maillé-Brézé. This 132-meter-long warship is now a floating museum, a unique witness to Nantes' maritime history. On board, discover the world of Cold War sailors: equipment, weapons, command areas and crew living quarters. In the bowels of the ship, imagine the 277 men who lived there, between confined space and the immensity of the oceans.

Afternoon: the Jardin Extraordinaire, an urban jungle

Then take to the skies and head for Butte Sainte-Anne. There, nestled in a former quarry, the Jardin Extraordinaire awaits you. This atypical park plays with excess: a 25-meter waterfall cascades down the cliff, tropical plants with gigantic leaves take advantage of the microclimate, and a monumental staircase designed by François Delarozière clings to the wall.

The seven belvederes along the way offer breathtaking views of the Loire and the city. The microclimate created by the south-facing cliffs allows exotic flora to flourish: tree ferns, banana trees, flamboyants... it's like being in a garden imagined by Jules Verne himself.

End your day with a break at LAB (Little Atlantique Brewery), an artisanal microbrewery housed in a former 19th-century oil mill in the heart of the Docks de Chantenay. Here, in this building steeped in naval history, where the Belem was built, Jérôme and Grégory will introduce you to their craft beers overlooking the Loire. A literal and figurative brewery, perfect for raising a glass to the Voyage à Nantes, which turns every stroll into an artistic adventure.

Want to extend your Nantes adventure?

• Follow the Loire à Vélo for a 40-kilometer loop to Trélazé and Bouchemaine, between the Loire and Maine rivers.
• Explore the hillsides of Anjou, west of Nantes, where vineyards form a curving landscape and wineries follow one another from village to village.
• Discover the Estuaire heritage of Voyage à Nantes, where contemporary art dialogues with landscapes along the Loire between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire?