Rediscovering Nantes: Our New Love Story with the City

One of our absolute favorite cities in France is Nantes. In 2017, when we first visited Nantes, it was simply love at first sight. Nantes is such a vibrant, lively city—innovative, alternative, and inspiring.

The culturally vibrant Nantes of today would have been hard to imagine in the late 1980s. At that time, the significant and traditional Dubigeon shipyard had shut down, and the city of Nantes was in an economic downward spiral: unemployment, vacant buildings, and the social decline of this Loire metropolis were the results. But in 1989, an unprecedented transformation began. Nantes and its leaders dared to undertake a comprehensive radical overhaul: towards innovation, towards culture, towards the courage to transform. And thus began the rise of this city, which once again captivated us completely this summer.

Experience Nantes and Its surroundings with the Pass Nantes

Seven years ago, we only had one day to spend in Nantes. This time, we wanted to dive deeper into the city and make the most of our visit. Our accommodation was ideally located: an old mill in Cordemais, from which we could easily and quickly reach both Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, the salt marshes of Guérande, and even Le Croisic. During our trip planning, we came across the Pass Nantes, an offering from the Nantes Tourist Office – and let me tell you, the Pass Nantes is definitely worth it!

The tourist pass can be booked for one day, two days, three days, or an entire week. The Pass Nantes not only offers a kind of “Nantes culture flat rate,” but also includes many activities in the surrounding areas, such as in Saint-Nazaire on the Atlantic coast or around Clisson inland. It also includes public transportation, park-and-ride facilities, and the airport shuttle.

The booking process is easy online, and the pass is only activated when it is used for the first time. A day pass activated at noon on Monday is valid until noon on Tuesday. One small drawback: as is often the case, family offers are limited to two adults and two children. We had to purchase an additional “child pass.”

For the three-day version (PASS NANTES 72H), we paid a total of 150 euros for the five of us. A very fair price for an overwhelming array of culture, experiences, relaxation, culinary delights, and transportation. The free app (available in French or English) helps keep track of all planned and completed activities.

Day 1: With the Pass Nantes, not in Nantes, but in Saint-Nazaire

Although we can hardly wait to return to Nantes, we start our afternoon not in Nantes, but in Saint-Nazaire, the port city at the mouth of the Loire. The former submarine bunker at the harbor offers three attractions included in the Pass Nantes: a visit to Escal’Atlantic, a tour of a real submarine, and the wind energy museum EOL.

Escal’Atlantic: A journey back in time aboard a historic transatlantic ocean liner

We enter the museum’s belly through a gangway. After a brief welcome in the foyer, we walk through the cabin corridors and are immediately transported back to the ambiance of the 1960s. We pass by countless original exhibits and step out onto the promenade deck. Impressive video projections on the walls of the submarine bunker allow us to experience a real ocean crossing. Lightning and thunder, whales, dramatic sunsets, icebergs – the kids are so fascinated that they would have liked to stay there.

Escal’Atlantic is modeled after the ocean liners Ile de France (1927), Normandie (1935), and France (1962), all built in Saint-Nazaire. We learn a lot about the transatlantic voyages to the USA, which boomed until the 1960s before air travel took over mass tourism on the transatlantic route.

At interactive terminals, both children and adults can take command of a merchant ship. They assume the role of a shipping company director and must make decisions that determine the success of the mission. This allows us to experience the many challenges that people faced at the time. Our ship journey is accompanied by a large interactive world map where we can also follow the journeys of other players live. By the way, everything is available in German!

We continue through the engine room into the authentically styled restaurant with a bar. Here, we learn all about the dining options available to first-class passengers. And they were impressive: 122 wines, 62 champagnes, and 92 spirits were on the menu. Not an easy choice? The six sommeliers who accompanied each voyage were surely able to help.

After a short film screening in a cinema hall, even leaving Escal’Atlantic becomes an experience: we descend in a lifeboat converted into an elevator and head out to the next attraction.

L’Espadon – a real submarine in Saint-Nazaire

Near Escal’Atlantic – but be warned, it’s a 10-minute walk around the harbor – lies the Espadon, which translates to “swordfish.” The 78-meter-long Espadon is a submarine from World War II and the only submarine still afloat that can be visited in France. It entered service in 1960 and patrolled the world’s oceans for 25 years. As with our other activities in Saint-Nazaire, we had reserved our tour time in advance.

At the entrance, we receive German audio guides in two versions: the children experience the adventures of a young sailor named Jean on board, while we adults listen to a journalist’s account of the secret 1964 North Pole mission under the pack ice. The audio guide makes the visit highly informative and allows us to feel the emotions and extreme conditions of the underwater voyage. The sound effects enhance the impressive and claustrophobic experience.

As soon as we enter the submarine, we feel the oppressive tightness of the steel giant, which looks massive from the outside. Even on the surface, the submarine gives a sense of how poor the air quality must have been for the 65-man crew when submerged. We see the navigation equipment, the dining room, the minimalistic bunks, and finally, we reach the torpedo room. The children were thrilled by the roughly 45-minute tour, and so were we.

The interactive EOL wind museum in Saint-Nazaire

The EOL Centre éolien is a visitor center focused on offshore wind energy. It is located in the same building complex of the submarine bunker as the Espadon, so we visited it right afterward. The modern concept is interactive: the children can blow on a small wind turbine to start the introductory film and pedal themselves to understand how electricity is generated.

Unfortunately, the content here is only available in French and English. We took a brief tour through the exhibition and finished by enjoying the view from the rooftop terrace over the mouth of the Loire and the Saint-Nazaire bridge.

Conclusion of day 1 with the Pass Nantes

We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon in Saint-Nazaire and gathered many experiences that we will remember for a long time. Although the Pass Nantes also includes admission to the Saint-Nazaire Heritage Museum, we chose to skip it to avoid overloading the afternoon. After all, we had plenty more planned for the following days!

The entrance fees without the Pass Nantes would have already cost us 125 euros for this first half-day (Escal’Atlantic 52.50 €, Espadon 45.50 €, and the EOL Wind Museum 27 €). For the remaining two and a half days, we only need to save 25 euros more to make the Pass Nantes worth it!

A quick tip: There are parking spots and a large supermarket directly across from the submarine bunker, where you can stock up on snacks and drinks in between activities.

Day 2: Finally, the adventure begins. Nantes, here we come!

We looked at the map in advance and tried to plan our days to avoid wasting too much time on unnecessary transfers. Otherwise, we would have been overwhelmed by the abundance of culture and experiences. So, we parked at the Park & Ride lot in the eastern part of the city and took Tram Line 1 from the François Mitterand terminal, which stops right at the Château de Nantes, our first stop.

A journey through the history of Nantes at the Château des Ducs de Bretagne

Nantes welcomes our return with bright sunshine: the white facade of the Château des Ducs de Bretagne reflects the morning sun against a blue sky. Entry to the castle is free, as is the walk along the ramparts. However, the visit to the museum on the history of the city inside the castle, which is paid but included in the Pass Nantes, is a must.

Our children love the German-language audio guides, where they can enter the number of each exhibit like on a mobile phone and get information according to their interests. This makes the visit both fun and informative.

The exhibition takes us through the city’s history, showcasing artifacts related to the historical development of Nantes, allowing us to interactively stroll through old Nantes at terminals and compare it to today’s Nantes. During this immersive city tour, we can even fly to another part of old Nantes in a virtual hot air balloon—it’s hard to pull the kids away from this experience.

But the exhibition continues. We learn a lot about life in Nantes, as well as the history of colonial trade and the Atlantic slave trade. Finally, we stumble, unprepared and accompanied by the original sound of Hitler’s Reichstag speech in the stairwell, into the dark years of World War II.

We also see the cookie stamps and old advertising posters of the famous LU bakery, which originated in Nantes. Small models of the “Tour LU” give us a preview of our planned visit to the observation tower later in the afternoon. We eventually leave the museum and head to the Musée d’Arts de Nantes, just a 5-minute walk away.

At the Musée d’Arts de Nantes – exploring centuries of art with the children

The Nantes Museum of Art was built in 1801 by Napoleon Bonaparte and reopened in 2017 after a six-year renovation. We strolled through the extensive collection with the children, viewing 13,000 artworks spanning from the 13th to the 21st century. The impressive architecture, with its tall, white spaces, provides a fitting and dignified setting for the works of artists like Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin, Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, and Gerhard Richter.

The immense canvases, lifelike representations, and the quiet, meditative atmosphere of the museum also captivated the children. We took the opportunity to introduce them to art, explain the finer details, and explore the works together, trying to understand them. The staircase to the first floor, adorned with a massive mural, particularly impressed our children.

New impressions and relaxation: the train touristique ride and a boat tour on the Erdre

After visiting two museums and covering many steps, the ride on the little tourist train through the old town alleys of Nantes is just what we need. It allows us to catch our breath and leisurely explore the small streets and alleys. The ride starts right at the Nantes Cathedral and follows the “Ligne Verte” – a green line that connects the city’s main attractions.

From the train, we also catch a glimpse of some of this year’s art installations as part of the annual project «Le Voyage à Nantes». This year’s theme is “L’arbre dans la ville” (The Tree in the City). We also discover some of the activities planned for the next day, such as the Natural History Museum and the Musée Dobrée. About 40 minutes later, we disembark and walk to the banks of the Erdre, where we had reserved a boat tour in advance with Bateaux Nantais.

Ideally, you should arrive early at the dock to secure seats inside the boat. We didn’t, but no problem: we enjoyed the ride under the beautiful sunshine at the bow of the small boat. The Erdre river is picturesque and very natural. Birds circled the boat, and we spotted numerous villas, the country homes of wealthy families from Nantes (“Folies Nantaises”), all with artistic architecture and vast gardens.

The Erdre, which flows into the Loire in Nantes, is a paradise for water sports enthusiasts. We saw many rowers, kayakers, and pedal boats. Our boat tour lasted about 90 minutes, and while we soaked up the sun and the views, the kids relaxed with a game of UNO.

Nantes from above: climbing the LU tower of the old biscuit factory

The last item on our list for today is visiting the LU Tower at the Saint-Félix canal, where the former LU biscuit factory is located. The building was revitalized by architect Patrick Bouchain and now houses a creative cultural center under the name “Le Lieu Unique,” featuring exhibitions, theater, concerts, a bookstore, a restaurant, a bar, and of course, the LU Tower.

Tired legs can take the elevator almost all the way to the top. For those who prefer to take the stairs, informational plaques along the way provide details about the history of the famous biscuit factory. Once at the top, we look out over Nantes and discover that the observation platform can be rotated using a hand crank! Yet another small hidden adventure that makes the tired children’s eyes light up once more.

Conclusion of Day 2 with the Pass Nantes

An eventful first day in Nantes. We are already looking forward to the next day in this beautiful city. Without the Pass Nantes, the entrance fees, parking charges, and transportation tickets would have cost us 158.50 euros (P+R 4.50 €, public transport 19.50 €, Château des Ducs de Bretagne including audioguides 28 €, Musée d’Art de Nantes 18.00 €, Train Touristique 25.00 €, Bateaux Nantais 57.50 €, LU Tower 6.00 €).

Day 3 in Nantes: from whale skeletons to the gigantic Machines de l’Île

This morning, we once again used a Park & Ride facility, this time in the western part of the city (Beaujoire), at the other end of Tram Line 1. And once again, Nantes greeted us with clear blue skies and sunshine. The day before, while on the Train Touristique, we noticed how close the Musée Dobrée is to the Natural History Museum, so we quickly added it to our day’s itinerary.

Among minerals, skeletons, and reptiles: at the Natural History Museum of Nantes

Upon entering the Natural History Museum of Nantes, a beautiful building inaugurated in 1875, we quickly felt like we were in an old Indiana Jones movie. The museum is the opposite of the Musée d’Arts de Nantes: the old wooden display cases and rooms are overflowing with exhibits. The large skeletons—first a Basilosaurus, then a mammoth, and a blue whale—are absolute magnets for children. The mineral exhibition and the numerous shells and marine snail shells are also fascinating. A wide variety of stuffed animals, and even some unexpected terrariums with live snakes, captivated both us and the children. The museum’s lovingly arranged garden with old plant varieties is also worth a visit.

A brief dive into 500,000 years of human history at the Musée Dobrée

The Musée Dobrée originally stemmed from the private collection of Thomas Dobrée (1810-1895). After a 12-year renovation and reconstruction phase, the museum finally reopened in May 2024. The current collection, featuring 2,400 exhibits housed within a beautiful ensemble of buildings, including a 15th-century manor house and two extensions from the 20th and 21st centuries, spans 500,000 years of history up to modern times. Thanks to the Pass Nantes and the museum’s close proximity to the Natural History Museum, the visit was well worth it, even though we only explored the Musée Dobrée briefly, as we had already booked our midday highlight, Les Machines de l’Île.

Our favorite spot: Les Machines de l’Île – where art meets machine, animal, and carousel

After a short walk across the Pont Anne de Bretagne, we arrive at the site of the former shipyards of Nantes—since 2007, home to many incredible machines. Whether you have the Pass Nantes or not, Les Machines de l’Île is definitely worth a visit. As we approach the machine hall, we’re greeted by the imposing Grand Elephant, which welcomes us from afar with water sprays and loud trumpeting as it makes its way through the crowd of delighted visitors.

Our visit begins in the Galerie des Machines. Thanks to our pre-booked time slot, we skip the queue and start the tour immediately. The tour is designed to run in a continuous loop, allowing you to join in at any point and finish when the next round begins.

At each machine, the machinists explain the history and functioning of the impressive creatures and ask who wants to ride and control the machines—there are only a few spots, but it’s an unforgettable experience! Our eldest son had the same luck as he did seven years ago. Back then, he controlled the gigantic ant, and now he gets to fly over the visitors’ heads with the mechanical heron, with its 8-meter wingspan.

After the tour, we take a look at the workshop from the opposite gallery, where these creative works are brought to life. From there, we climb down through the recreated branches of a treetop.

If you want to stock up on the beautifully designed posters or other merchandise from Les Machines de l’Île, you can get a discount at the boutique with the Pass Nantes. Even though our walls at home are already full of Les Machines de l’Île motifs, we couldn’t resist buying another poster before heading to the Carrousel des Mondes Marins.

We also pre-booked a ride on the gigantic mechanical carousel with the Pass Nantes. For the children, the dreamlike, fantastical, and sometimes eerie cabins, inspired by Jules Verne’s works, are a highlight. Depending on age and height, different gondolas are available. Booking through the Pass Nantes allows us to enter through a separate entrance—saving a few valuable vacation minutes.

By the way, the ride on the elephant is not included in the Pass Nantes. We experienced it back in 2017, but we actually find it much more exciting and fun to encounter the elephant during its walk around the shipyard and try to dodge the water spray—or not!

Back on the water: a boat tour on the Loire around the island

It’s now 4:30 PM, and it’s time for another boat tour! We board the boat right at the dock on the Île de Nantes, in close proximity to the Carrousel des Mondes Marins. Once again, it was important to reserve in advance. The boat tour, which is narrated in French, takes us around the island on the Loire, where we spent the afternoon. While the boat tour on the Erdre was certainly more scenic, the children still enjoyed the relaxation here and even received Madeleines and orange juice as a treat.

From the boat, just before the tour ends, we catch sight of the famous art installation “Les Anneaux” (The Rings) on the riverbank and, on the opposite shore, the Jules Verne Museum, which we would have liked to visit as well. But after such a long day, we decide to save it for another time and instead end our day at “La Cantine du Voyage.” The kids have fun on the indoor climbing wall while we reflect on the day’s experiences over a glass of wine.

By the way, the glass of wine and the soft drinks for the kids are also included in the Pass Nantes!

Conclusion of day 3 with the Pass Nantes

Once again, we experienced a day in Nantes that completely overwhelmed us in the best way. Culture, creativity, and the warmth of the people, along with the French way of life, were ever-present. We bid farewell to Nantes for this year, as we plan to spend the last hours of our Pass Nantes exploring the surrounding area the next day.

The entrance fees, parking charges, and transportation tickets would have cost us 135.90 euros without the Pass Nantes (P+R 4.50 €, public transport 19.50 €, Natural History Museum of Nantes 10.00 €, Musée Dobrée 14.00 €, admission to the Galerie Les Machines de l’île including carousel ride 73.80 €, and complimentary drinks at La Cantine 14.10 €).

Day 4 with the Pass Nantes: Clisson and the vineyards

We have half a day left with our Pass Nantes, and it takes us out into the nature of the countryside east of Nantes: We decide to visit Clisson. In France, Clisson is as well-known among festival fans as Wacken is in Germany. Every year, more than 100,000 rock, metal, and punk fans flock to Hellfest.

On all other days, this small town of nearly 7,000 inhabitants is mainly one thing: peaceful and a true dream. Here, it seems as if Brittany and Tuscany meet. And indeed, it was only while writing this article that we learned Clisson is also known as “Clisson l’Italienne”!

On our way to Château de Clisson, we strolled through the narrow streets. We walked through the lively weekly market, immersing ourselves in the scents and aromas of local products in the impressive 14th-century market hall, marveling at its imposing wooden beams.

We then passed by easels and amateur artists on our way to the large castle ruins. For the children, it’s a true adventure playground. The high towers and deep wells are impressive. We could imagine the bustling activity that must have taken place here centuries ago. On the castle grounds, we roamed freely and enjoyed a fascinating view of Clisson with its beautiful old buildings, proud pines, and the picturesque Sèvre River down in the valley, complete with a lock and water lilies.

Following the trail of Muscadet at the Musée du Vignoble Nantais

A visit to Clisson—especially for us—wouldn’t be complete without a detour to the surrounding vineyards. The region is famous for Muscadet (AOC since 1936), a dry white wine made exclusively from the Melon de Bourgogne grape. The Muscadet growing area stretches from the French Atlantic coast to Anjou.

Just in time before our Pass Nantes expires, we make it to the Musée du Vignoble Nantais. We find ourselves alone in the small exhibition. The display is only in French, but we are provided with either a German-language audio guide or a printed museum guide in German.

While we learn all about the wine-growing tradition and the Melon de Bourgogne grape variety, the children can examine vine leaves under a microscope, put together various puzzles, or ride on small tractors.

After the theory, it’s time for practice: the friendly museum staff offers us a glass of Muscadet for tasting; for the children, there’s fresh grape juice from a local winemaker. To finish, we take a look at the museum’s grape variety conservatory.

Our Pass Nantes has now expired, and we are richer for countless inspiring experiences and impressions. What would life be without art and culture? We spend the second half of the day in the countryside around Nantes. We head to Le Porte-Vue, a spectacular observation platform in Château-Thébaud. Entry is free, and we’re lucky—it’s not crowded.

Finally, we make our way to the Guinguette la Huchette—a charming spot in the vineyards. The Pass Nantes would have also included a free drink here. But the expired pass doesn’t stop us from ending the day in the peaceful and picturesque atmosphere between the winemaker’s vines, enjoying a charcuterie platter and a glass of Muscadet.

Final tally: How the Pass Nantes paid off

First things first: Our experiences and memories are priceless. However, we still wanted to see if the Pass Nantes was worth it financially. After all, it took us to many places we might never have visited otherwise! On the fourth day, we saved on the entrance fees to the Château in Clisson (10.00 €) and the Musée du Vignoble Nantais (12.00 €).

Overall, we enjoyed art, culture, experiences, drinks, and services valued at 441.40 euros. All of this came with the added benefit of remarkable hospitality and the wonderful openness of the people. Subtracting the 150 euros we invested in the Pass Nantes, we saved a total of 291.40 euros.

Our conclusion after 72 Hours with the Pass Nantes

The Pass Nantes is an absolutely unique offer, and we are completely thrilled with it. However, it’s not for those who suffer from FOMO, as even over several days, it’s impossible to take advantage of all the activities available in and around Nantes.

If only we had more time and vacation, we would definitely come back soon—this time booking the pass for an entire week to fully explore everything. Even though we experienced a lot, we unfortunately had to skip some visits that we were interested in. For instance, we didn’t get to make paper at the old paper mill Le Moulin à Papier du Liveau in Gorges (it was closed that day), we didn’t visit the Jules Verne Museum, despite Jules Verne being so omnipresent during our stay in Nantes, and the Planetarium is now on our bucket list for the next visit. We didn’t ride an electric boat or canoe, nor did we ascend in the recreated hot air balloon at Terre d’Estuaire in Cordemais. The botanical garden also didn’t make it onto our itinerary this time.

So, we have plenty of activities left for our next visit to Nantes. Because we will be back. For sure. Nantes has captured our hearts and is now one of our absolute favorite cities—not just in France.