Dating in Nantes, from Place Royale to the Castle of the Dukes

The Castle of the Dukes of Brittany

The residence of the Dukes of Brittany turned Nantes history museum, the castle is surrounded by moats transformed into public gardens. You can walk around it on foot before climbing the ramparts for a view over the city. In summer, the moats host open-air concerts and film screenings. A meeting by one of the main gates, followed by a stroll in the courtyard, makes a grand yet relaxed opener.

Cathedral, Place Royale and Bouffay

The Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Cathedral, finished in the nineteenth century after more than four centuries of construction, rises above the centre. Walking down, Place Royale and its great fountain celebrate the city, the Erdre and the Loire. Right next door, the Bouffay quarter lines up its half-timbered houses and pedestrian streets where bars, restaurants and crêperies invite you to extend the evening after a cultural visit for two.

Passage Pommeraye and Île Feydeau

A nineteenth-century masterpiece, the Passage Pommeraye stacks three levels of galleries decorated with statues and lamps, for a date that feels almost cinematic. Not far away, the former Île Feydeau and Rue Kervégan recall Nantes’s maritime past with their leaning façades. On Lyad, Nantes members share their favourite corners; it is up to you to find someone to look up at these sights with.