Nantes City Info

Nantes is a popular tourist destination in France, which was the former capital of Brittany, which is no longer officially part of the province. Nantes was transferred to the Pays de la Loire in 1962 when the modern administrative regions were set-up. It later achieved great wealth from colonial expeditions, the slave trade and shipbuilding - activities in turn surpassed by more recent industrial growth. Although much of the former provincial character of the city has been lost, thanks to such recent accretions as the tower blocks masking the Loire and motorways tearing past the city, it remains to its inhabitants an integral part of Brittany.

Nantes, which regularly tops 'quality of life' surveys in the French press, is anything but staid. Spirited bars and arty events, frequented by the town's 45,000 students, keep the atmosphere lively. An important 18th-century trading port, Nantes occupies a significant position at the meeting point of the Loire, Erdre and Sèvre rivers. Commercial productivity has taken its toll, however, and today office blocks conceal much of the riverfront; historic buildings are dwarfed by the unsightly Tour de Bretagne; and channels and tributaries have been paved over.

The climate of Nantes is mild and tourists can enjoy its greenery and other natural sights. People living here are well-cultured. They live in harmony without any racial feelings and discriminations. Their treatment towards tourists is cordial and friendly.

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