Sights in Nantes

The region around Nantes was settled as early as 900 to 600 BC and the first Celts settled here around 500. Throughout its history, the city was ruled by various rulers until the 18th century, when it benefited from the slave trade due to its strategic location and thus prospered. Nantes experienced another recession with the decline of the shipyards in the 1980s, but early on the city fathers set their sights on structural change and established the city by hosting major festivals, such as the classical music festival La Folle Journée, which takes place at the end of January.

Worth seeing in Nantes in particular is the Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne, meaning Castle of the Dukes of Brittany, which reopened in 2007 after 15 years of restoration work. The picturesque castle dates back to the 15th century and is surrounded by a 500 meter long wall. Architecturally, it combines Gothic and Renaissance elements. Sensationally, the architectural masterpiece shines in the dark, when the sophisticated lighting concept by Pierre Nègre and Sylvia Sieg bathes the entire castle complex in a mysterious glow.

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