What to See in Nantes, France: Free Audio Guide

Nantes is a western French city on the Loire River, where Breton heritage, medieval monuments and contemporary creativity meet along the waterfront. Visitors are drawn to its mix of historic sites such as the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany and modern attractions like Les Machines de l’île, all set in a lively urban atmosphere. Neywo offers a free audio guide for Nantes with 281 narrated places.

Exploring Nantes’ highlights

Nantes Cathedral

The Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul dominates Place Saint‑Pierre with its white stone façade and twin towers. Built over 457 years from 1434 to 1891, the Gothic interior reaches a vault height of 37.5 metres, higher than Notre‑Dame de Paris. Beneath the nave lie two crypts—one Romanesque from the 11th century and a larger 19th‑century crypt—displaying liturgical treasures and a permanent exhibition about the cathedral’s history.

Château des ducs de Bretagne

This fortified castle on the right bank of the Loire began as a 13th‑century defensive base and became the principal ducal residence under Francis II. Its architecture blends military strength with princely ambition, featuring elements from the 14th through the 18th centuries. After Anne of Brittany’s marriages to Charles VIII and Louis XII, the union of Brittany with France was sealed here in 1532 by an edict of Francis I. Today the château houses the Nantes History Museum.

Maillé‑Brézé

Moored on the Loire, the former French Navy destroyer Maillé‑Brézé is a T 47‑class vessel built in the 1950s and commissioned in 1957. At 132 metres long, she served in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, escorting France’s nuclear‑powered ballistic missile submarines. Decommissioned in 1988, she became a museum ship the same year and was classified as a historic monument in 1991, preserving a link to Nantes’ shipbuilding past.

Théâtre Graslin

Opened on 23 March 1788, this opera house was designed by Mathurin Crucy in the Italian style. A fire destroyed it in 1796, but it was rebuilt in time for Napoleon’s visit in 1811 and underwent a major restoration in 2003. Listed as a historic monument since 1998, the theatre gained a contemporary artwork in 2020 when Stéphane Thidet installed “Rideau,” a waterfall spanning its façade, and it featured in Jacques Demy’s film Lola.

Notre‑Dame de Bon‑Port

Also known locally as Saint‑Louis Church, this basilica stands out for its imposing religious architecture designed by Saint‑Félix Seheult and Joseph‑Fleury Chenantais. It has been a historic monument since 1975 and houses an organ built in 1891 by Louis Debierre, later protected as a historic monument the same year.

Château du Grand‑Blottereau

Situated in the Doulon‑Bottière district of Loire‑Atlantique, this historic pavilion represents a modest aristocratic residence within the Pays de la Loire region. Its simple form contrasts with the grander monuments nearby, offering a quiet glimpse of Nantes’ residential heritage.

Villa de la Chantrerie

Located on the left bank of the Erdre along route de Gachet in the Nantes Erdre district, this 19th‑century manor was registered as a historic monument in 1997. The villa’s setting near the river and its period architecture illustrate the city’s expansion during the industrial era.

Natural History Museum of Nantes

Founded from a private collection created in 1799 by pharmacist François‑René Dubuisson, the museum opened its current building in 1875, designed by Gustave Bourgerel. The grand two‑level hall and vestibule display mineralogy, paleontology and zoology, including fossils, minerals, stuffed animals and a striking whale skeleton. A vivarium added in 1955 introduced live animals to strengthen the museum’s educational role.

Tomb of Francis II, Duke of Brittany

This early‑16th‑century Renaissance tomb, carved in Carrara marble by Michel Colombe under the direction of Jean Perréal, commemorates Duke Francis II and his wives. Commissioned by his daughter Anne of Brittany, the monument originally stood in the Carmelite chapel before being moved to the cathedral, where it remains a masterpiece of Breton sculpture.

ancien observatoire astronomique de la Marine de Nantes

Built at the start of the 19th century, this modest building housed the hydrography school from 1827 to 1887. Standing at number 18 Rue Flandres‑Dunkerque‑40, it offers a reminder of Nantes’ maritime and educational past, reflecting the city’s historic connection to naval science.

Passage Pommeraye

This striking shopping arcade bridges a 9.5‑metre height difference between two streets with a three‑level gallery linked by a monumental staircase. Its neoclassical and Renaissance revival details earned it historic‑monument status in 1976, and a renovation completed in 2015 preserved its grandeur. The passage has also appeared in several Jacques Demy films, including Lola.

Chapelle Notre‑Dame‑de‑l’Immaculée‑Conception

Known as the Chapel of the Immaculate, this religious building on rue Malherbe in the Richebourg district began construction in 1470. It was first the Chapel of Saint Anthony of Padua, then the Chapel of the Minims after 1604, and received its present name after 1855, illustrating layers of local devotion over five centuries.

Nantes Museum of Arts

Housed in the Palais des Beaux‑Arts (1891‑1900) by Clément‑Marie Josso, the museum’s collections span French and European art from the 13th century to today. Works by Courbet, Delacroix, Ingres and Rodin sit alongside Monet’s Les Nymphéas à Giverny from his water‑lily series. The façades, roof and main staircases have been listed as historic monuments since 1975.

Basilique Saint‑Nicolas

Built between 1844 and 1869 to replace a 12th‑century church, this neo‑Gothic basilica follows an unusual north‑south axis due to a narrow plot. It measures 86 metres long, 32 metres wide, with a vaulted ceiling reaching 24 metres and a 100‑metre spire that shifts from a square to an octagonal tower. Gilded angels, granite and tufa stone, gargoyles, stained‑glass windows and detailed balconies enrich its façade, while the southern portal’s tympanum bears a statue of Saint Nicholas modeled after Abbot Fournier.

Église Saint‑Jacques de Pirmil

Described as the oldest church in Nantes, this late‑12th‑century building has been a historic monument since April 24 1997. Its simple Romanesque form offers a direct link to the city’s early medieval roots.

Explore Nantes with Neywo

Neywo’s free audio guide covers 281 narrated places across Nantes. The platform provides five walking tours, one bus route and one bike route, each designed for independent exploration:

• “Dukes, Kings and the Cathedral of Saint Peter” – 1.77 km, 115 minutes, 11 stops
• “Shipowners’ Nantes: Passage, Bourse and Theatre” – 2.11 km, 109 minutes, 12 stops
• “Île de Nantes: Machines, Ships and Memory” – 3.66 km, 111 minutes, 10 stops
• “Gardens, Art and a Biscuit Tower” – 2.26 km, 96 minutes, 12 stops
• “Erdre Banks: Hostages, Jazz and a Japanese Garden” – 2.51 km, 83 minutes, 9 stops
• Bus line “C1: Across the Heart of Nantes” – 5.1 km, 22 minutes, 6 stops
• Bike route “Loire Waterfront by Bike: Quays and Machines” – 2.9 km, 14 minutes, 6 stops

As you reach each point of interest, the app tells the story of that place, allowing you to move at your own pace with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages, making the experience accessible to visitors from around the world. Download Neywo and let the city’s history, art and waterfront reveal themselves step by step.