Nantes, France - Western Loire City

Famous Cathedral, Muscadet Wine, Fine Gastronomy and Great Shopping

Jun 11, 2007

Nantes is an historic city with some unusual attractions including the Tapestry of the Apocalypse,15th-century houses and many fine castles.

The city flourished on rum, sugar, cotton and the slave trade and in more recent times developed a huge industrial complex. Overall, it is not picturesque in the touristy sense but it does have a medieval quarter with streets of beautifully preserved 15th century houses, wonderful restaurants, a fantastic castle, and an elegantly austere cathedral. Pollution-free trams trundle by the wide boulevards and in spring the scent of magnolias fills the air - the trees are the offspring of the first ones brought from America in 1711.

France - Nantes Cathedral

There's a wonderful 15th statue of a woman in Nantes cathedral. She stands guard over a tomb and she has two faces: at the front her face is beautiful and serene, looking into the future, while at the back of her head is an old man's face looking back to the past. A haunting image. The cathedral is worth a visit for this alone.

For something less spiritual , how about a shopping mall? Not, however, your everyday mall, bright with kitsch, but an elegant 19th century shopping arcade named Passage Pommeraye. If you like to shop till you drop you could get a head start here. Nantes has many stylish boutiques and hat shops that would not look out of place on a Paris boulevard.

The Castle of the Dukes of Brittany sits snugly in the city's medieval centre. "Dukes of Brittany?" Yes, you thought you were in the Western Loire but Nantes was the capital of Brittany until fairly recent times. The castle looks wonderful at night, bathed in soft floodlight. Its wide moat separates it from the ancient streets around it. If you're looking for a romantic evening walk, this is it.

There are many fabulous castles in this part of France. One of the most dramatic is at Angers, just over an hour's drive from Nantes. With its seventeen huge black towers it is a formidable fortress which took 100 years to build. The formal gardens, covering its dried out moat, are spectacular - a feast of colour and artistic design.

The castle guards a very special treasure - the great Tapestry of the Apocalypse. At 120 yards long and 16 feet high it is one of the finest in the world and shows a series of horrifying and humorous scenes from the Book of Revelation. It was made between 1373 and 1380 and is also a subtle satire of 14th century politics: the seven headed dragon with ten horns, for example, symbolises either Satan or England, depending on which interpretation you trust.

This region is the home of dry, white Muscadet wine - marvellous with the local seafoods. The vineyards cover the valleys just south of Nantes and if you are really serious about tasting then take the Route Touristique du Vignoble Nantais (the vineyard route of Nantes) .

The copyright of the article Nantes, France - Western Loire City in Historical Travel is owned by Cathy Smith. Permission to republish Nantes, France - Western Loire City in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.