RunCity

Nantes on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 9 of Nantes's best-known sights, including Jardin des Plantes, Lieu Unique (Tour LU), Château des ducs de Bretagne and more. It is about 6.5 km on foot, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Nantes leaderboard.

  • 9Stops
  • about 6.5 kmDistance
  • 2 hoursWalking
  • about 57 minRunning
Play Nantes in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Nantes
Photo: Eric Brosselin · CC BY-SA 3.0

Nantes' route runs from its botanical garden through the old town to the Île de Nantes and across the Loire, about 6.5 km. It starts at the Jardin des Plantes opposite the station and passes the Lieu Unique, an old biscuit factory now an arts centre, before reaching the white walls of the Château des ducs de Bretagne, free to walk around on its ramparts. The Gothic cathedral is a few minutes away.

The Passage Pommeraye, a 19th-century shopping arcade on three levels, and the columned Graslin Theatre lead down to the Loire quay and the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery. On the Île de Nantes, Les Machines de l'île keeps the Grand Éléphant, a giant mechanical elephant that walks with passengers on its back. The bonus stop is Trentemoult, a village of colourful fishermen's houses across the river, reached by the Navibus river shuttle on a normal transit ticket.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Jardin des Plantes

    Jardin des Plantes

    The botanical garden with its lawns and greenhouses.

    Photo: rosier · CC BY-SA 3.0

  2. Lieu Unique (Tour LU)

    Lieu Unique (Tour LU)

    The old biscuit factory tower, now an arts centre.

    Photo: Velvet · CC BY-SA 3.0

  3. Château des ducs de Bretagne

    Château des ducs de Bretagne Photo

    The white tuffeau castle walls and the moat from the front.

    Photo: Jibi44, avec l'aimable autorisation de LP de Nantes · CC BY-SA 3.0

  4. Nantes Cathedral

    Nantes Cathedral Photo

    The twin-towered Gothic façade of the cathedral.

    Photo: Eusebius · Public domain

  5. Passage Pommeraye

    Passage Pommeraye Photo

    The entrance of the 19th-century shopping arcade with its statues.

    Photo: Velvet · Public domain

  6. Place Graslin and Graslin Theatre

    Place Graslin and Graslin Theatre

    The columned façade of the opera house on its square.

    Photo: Selbymay · CC BY-SA 3.0

  7. Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery

    Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery

    The glass-plated walkway along the Loire quay.

    Photo: Chabe01 · CC BY-SA 4.0

  8. Grand Éléphant

    Grand Éléphant Photo

    The giant mechanical elephant of Les Machines de l'île.

    Photo: Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France · CC BY 2.0

  9. Trentemoult

    Trentemoult Bonus Photo

    The colourful former fishermen's houses across the Loire.

    Photo: Liberliger · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Nantes in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Nantes on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 9 stops on this route add up to about 6.5 km, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Nantes is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Nantes?

    Open Nantes in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Nantes leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Jardin des Plantes and finishing at Trentemoult. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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