Nantes (44 Loire Atlantique, Pays de la Loire) is best known for being the major city on the western extremities of the River Loire – but it is also built on a smaller river, the River Erdre which runs in from the north.
In summer (28 August – 3 September 2023) the city celebrates a week-long Festival “meeting on the Erdre” (Rendezvous de l’Erdre) – a very French mix of music (jazz in all its styles from New Orleans to bebop, blues to electric) – all intertwined with the City’s maritime flavour – yachts, boats, ships – lots of cultural events, demonstrations and displays – 80 free concerts across the city!
For more info on the festival see www.rendezvouserdre.com
Whilst in Nantes you could visit the Pommeraye Arcade (Passage Pommeraye), a recently renovated, elegant 19th Century shopping arcade which has been voted as one of the best French landmarks by the French (France2 TV)
Nantes Hotels, B&B and self-catering in Nantes – looking for a B&B?? then see B&B Au Bois Briand on a restored 15th-Century estate in Nantes
A hugely popular jazz festival along the quays in the town centre. Water and music combining to create a great atmosphere.
Nantes stands out on the national and European stage through its exemplary cultural policy. The city that was home to Jules Verne, and that inspired the Surrealists and Jacques Demy, continues to feed the dreams of contemporary artists, like the international street theatre company Royal de Luxe, Dominique A, Madeon, and Christine and the Queens, all of whom find their natural inspiration here.
Especially in Nantes, where one can drift down a street from a public work of art to a remarkable example of the city’s architectural heritage, or from artist-revamped shop signs to contemporary buildings. All you have to do is follow the green line on the ground to discover the essential spots along this cultural itinerary. Every summer, this circuit is revived and expanded with temporary or definitive public art installations.
As a city filled with art and history, Nantes possesses: 1 national theatre, 36 theatres and concert venues, including the Zénith Nantes Métropole, the only Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery in France, a 20-meter tall ocean-themed Carrousel des Mondes Marins, 14 museums, the Estuaire Nantes <> Saint-Nazaire open-air museum, as well as a dozen festivals (La Folle Journée, Les Rendez-vous de l’Erdre, Scopitone, le Festival des 3 continents…) and more. It goes without say that Nantes is alive with art and culture! www.nantes-tourisme.com
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