There are some larger sightseeing boats that offer lunch and dinner cruises. La Fabrique, a cultural entity managed by the city, has three sites which include music studios and concert venues. The stadium, which also hosted matches during the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup, has 37,473 seats. The city was captured by Nazi Germany on 18 June 1940, during the Battle of France. [35][30], Like much of the region, Nantes was part of the Roman Empire during the early Middle Ages. [159] In 1800 it was the sixth-largest French city, behind Paris (550,000), Lyon, Marseilles, Bordeaux and Rouen (all 80,000 to 109,000). Information on things to do before [236], The University of Nantes was first founded in 1460 by Francis II, Duke of Brittany, but it failed to become a large institution during the Ancien Régime. [124] As a consequence, the city council's mandates are security, primary and secondary education, early childhood, social aid, culture, sport and health. Land north of Nantes is dominated by bocage and dedicated to polyculture and animal husbandry, and the south is renowned for its Muscadet vineyards and market gardens. It is the major city on the western edge of the historic Loire Valley, a beautiful cultural landscape that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [56] Nantes and its surrounding area were the main producers of French printed cotton fabric during the 18th century,[57] and the Netherlands was the city's largest client for exotic goods. [99], The Sillon de Bretagne is composed of granite; the rest of the region is a series of low plateaus covered with silt and clay, with mica schist and sediments found in lower areas. ", "Nantes: Une nouvelle étape pour la transformation des Dervallières", "Jumelage entre les villes de Nantes (France) et Niigata (Japon)", "Condevicnum. The present coat of arms was first used in 1514; its ermines symbolise Brittany, and its green waves suggest the Loire. Places to see, ways to wander, and signature experiences. [213] The 879-seat Grand T is the Loire-Atlantique département theatre,[214] and the Salle Vasse is managed by the city. [256] Navibus, the river shuttle, has two lines: one on the Erdre and the other on the Loire. [181] Tourism is a growing sector and Nantes, with two million visitors annually, is France's seventh-most-visited city. Bordeaux, the other major metropolis of western France, is 274 kilometres (170 miles) south. Can't-miss spots to dine, drink, and feast. It has a large collection of exotic plants, including a 200-year-old Magnolia grandiflora and the national collection of camellia. Virgin Radio has a local outlet in nearby Basse-Goulaine, and Chérie FM and NRJ have outlets in Rezé. The second-largest venue is the Hall XXL, an exhibition hall on the Stade de la Beaujoire grounds. Creperie Le loup, Le Renard et La galette, Hotel Inn Design Resto Novo Sainte Luce Sur Loire, Bars & Clubs, Game & Entertainment Centres, Hotels near (NTE) Nantes Atlantique Airport, Hotels near Nantes Atlantic National College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering. As a large port whose outskirts encompassed other provinces, Nantes has been Brittany's economic capital and a cultural crossroads. [179] The shopping centres threaten independent shops in central Nantes, but it remains the region's largest retail area [180] with about 2,000 shops. The current mayor of Nantes is Johanna Rolland (Socialist Party), who was elected on 4 April 2014. The Ouest-France group is also a shareholder of the French edition of 20 Minutes, one of two free newspapers distributed in the city. [44] The 15th century is considered Nantes' first golden age. [55], Manufactured goods were more lucrative than raw materials during the 18th century. The latter has 520,000 passengers annually and succeeds the Roquio service, which operated on the Loire from 1887 to the 1970s. [192] The Roman city walls were largely replaced during the 13th and 15th centuries. [248] Local TER trains serve Pornic, Cholet or Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. Audencia, a private management school, is ranked as one of the world's best by the Financial Times and The Economist. Population growth was slower during the 20th century, remaining under 260,000 from the 1960s to the 2000s primarily because urban growth spread to surrounding communes. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. [52] In 1664 Nantes was France's eighth-largest port, and it was the largest by 1700. It is the residence of a région and département prefect, local representatives of the French government. [88] It is an architectural junction; northern French houses with slate roofs are north of the Loire, and Mediterranean dwellings with low terracotta roofs dominate the south bank. Presse-Océan, based in Nantes, covers Loire-Atlantique. [114], After World War II, several housing projects were built to accommodate Nantes' growing population. Local authorities intend to make it an extension of the city centre. Old buildings on the former Feydeau Island and the neighbouring embankments often lean because they were built on damp soil. Natural areas, an additional 180 hectares (440 acres), include the Petite Amazonie (a Natura 2000 protected forest) and several woods, meadows and marshes. Nantes is situated at the head of the estuary of the Loire River , where it is joined by the Erdre and the Sèvre rivers, 35 miles (56 km) from the sea and southwest of Paris . The most spectacular Viking attack in Nantes occurred in 843, when Viking warriors killed the bishop but did not settle in the city at that time. [118] Nantes has three ecodistricts (one on the Isle of Nantes, one near the train station and the third in the north-east of the city), which aim to provide affordable, ecological housing and counter urban sprawl by redeveloping neglected areas of the city.[119]. 2020 The former, primarily the canning industry, included the biscuit manufacturer LU and the latter was represented by three shipyards which were among the largest in France. The other free paper is Direct Matin, which has no local edition. Nantes built its first compressed-air tram network in 1879, which was electrified in 1911. [260] The city publishes a free monthly magazine, Nantes Passion, and five other free magazines for specific areas: Couleur locale (Les Dervallières), Ecrit de Bellevue, Malakocktail (Malakoff) Mosaïques (Nantes-Nord) and Zest for the eastern neighbourhoods. France, This site uses cookies, [182], In 2014, 74.6 percent of the city's businesses were involved in trade, transport and services; 16.2 percent in administration, education and health; 5.4 percent in construction, and 3.7 percent in industry. The original coat of arms was readopted in 1816, and the Liberation Cross and the 1939–45 War Cross were added in 1948. [94][95][96], The city is at the confluence of two tributaries. There are many other architectural gems, museums, and places of interest to explore, including the Jules Verne Museum, located in another beautiful nineteenth-century building and celebrating the life and ideas of the city's most famous native son. [126], Local authorities began using official symbols in the 14th century, when the provost commissioned a seal on which the Duke of Brittany stood on a boat and protected Nantes with his sword. Feydeau and Gloriette Islands in the old town were attached to the north bank, and the other islands in the Loire were formed into the Isle of Nantes. [141], Nantes has made nine international sister-city arrangements since 1964. These industries helped maintain port activity and facilitated agriculture, sugar imports, fertilizer production, machinery and metallurgy, which employed 12,000 people in Nantes and its surrounding area in 1914. Populated by artists, engineers, and students, its ever-changing skyline is anchored by medieval roots and a rich maritime heritage. [89][90] The Loire is also the northern limit of grape culture. What are the top attractions to visit in Nantes? [93] This is the result of 20th-century dredging to make Nantes accessible by large ships; tides were originally much weaker. The LGV Atlantique high-speed railway reaches Paris in two hours, ten minutes (compared with four hours by car). [132] The regions, established by acts of parliament in 1955 and 1972, loosely follow the pre-revolutionary divisions and Brittany was revived as Region Brittany. The Machines sponsor theatre, dance, concerts, ice-sculpting shows and performances for children in the spring and fall and at Christmastime. Most were rebuilt in Gothic Revival style, including the city's two basilicas: Saint-Nicolas and Saint-Donatien. [165] Nantes had a small Jewish community during the Middle Ages, but Jews were expelled from Brittany in 1240 and Judaism only reappeared after the French Revolution. ", "Une organisation au service de l'intercommunalité", Official website of the City and Métropole of Nantes, Web archive of Nantes Métropole (the old website), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nantes&oldid=982559606, Populated places established in the 2nd century BC, Populated places established in the 1st century BC, Port cities and towns on the French Atlantic coast, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox settlement with possible motto list, Pages using infobox settlement with image map1 but not image map, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2017, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2017, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Articles with German-language sources (de), Articles with Spanish-language sources (es), Articles with Portuguese-language sources (pt), Articles with Italian-language sources (it), Articles with Dutch-language sources (nl), Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 October 2020, at 22:13. Rapport de présentation", "Programme DANK (Dschang, AMAGA, Nantes Métropole, Kindia)", "Le palmarès des territoires champions de l'économie locale", "Record de fréquentation pour la Folle Journée à Nantes", "Reviews of The Life and Science of Léon Foucault. The majority (60.8 percent) were 25 to 54 years old. The Nantes metropolitan area had a population of 907,995 in 2013, nearly doubling since the 1960s. Students generally come from within the region, and working people are often from Paris. [242], Nantes has several large sports facilities. Tips and useful information on With a business incubator, it has 422 companies and 71 research and higher-education facilities and specialises in biopharmaceuticals, information technology, renewable energy, mechanics, food production and naval engineering. [44] During the mid-17th century, the siltation of local salterns and a fall in wine exports compelled Nantes to find other activities. [78] The 1970s and 1980s were primarily a period of economic stagnation for Nantes. Book your tickets online for the top things to do in Nantes, France on Tripadvisor: See 37,016 traveler reviews and photos of Nantes tourist attractions. The Fine Art Museum is the city's largest. Today... Hello, my wife and I plan to travel in Paris in september. regions and their tourist attractions. A mix of the charming, modern, and tried and true. In 2020, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network ranked Nantes as a Gamma world city. [99], Nantes has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb)[100][101] influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. [208] Smaller museums include the Jules Verne Museum (dedicated to the author, who was born in Nantes) and the Planetarium. Spanish, Portuguese and Italian communities were mentioned during the 16th century, and an Irish Jacobite community appeared a century later. Although it was the largest city in Brittany during the Middle Ages, it was smaller than three other north-western towns: Angers, Tours and Caen. The city is the sixth-largest in France, with a population of 303,382 in Nantes and a metropolitan area of nearly 950,000 inhabitants. Rennes received most legal and administrative institutions, and Nantes kept a financial role with its Chamber of Accounts. They had embraced the Industrial Revolution, thanks to Parisian investments; Nantes lagged behind, struggling to find profitable activities.

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