Spectacular: The Grand Éléphant, a mechanical mythical creature made of wood and steel, is part of the Machines de l'île. Île de Nantes is a former shipyard in the middle of the river, now home to cafés, clubs, and galleries. (Photo: © David Gallard / LVAN)
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July 2026
How the French city of Nantes transformed its questionable historical image into a sustainable art city.
Nantes is the current coolest city in western FranceThe decline of the shipbuilding industry in the 80s spurred the port city to inventiveness. One mayor demonstrated how a municipality could become a art metropolis . The Voyage to Nantes is called the big Art exhibition in July and August. artificial has looked around in the run-up to this year's show.
The city owes its spectacular flourishing to the visionary socialist politician Jean-Marc AyraultHe took office as mayor in 1989 and consistently focused on Culture as a driving force for economic and social structural change. Together with the Cultural manager Jean Blaise He initiated projects that laid the foundation for today's cultural concept, Le Voyage à Nantes. The industrial city now presents itself as walk-in gallery – to put it simply.
The green guideline on the sidewalk is only a few centimeters wide and winds its way through the city of 340.000 inhabitants on the Loire. Anyone following this line needs neither a map nor a navigation system, but will intuitively find their way. more than 60 permanent works of art, historical monuments and hidden architectural treasures guided. The route links the historical heritage of the former Breton capital, such as the majestic Castle of the Dukes of Brittany and the elegant, three-story Pommeraye shopping arcade with contemporary installations.
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Among the most spectacular stations is the Island of Nantes, former shipyard site in the middle of the river, where today you'll find cafes, clubs, and galleries. Beer is now brewed in the former soap factory building. The cuisine is truly remarkable, thanks to the South American chef. An ideal environment for the colleges of design, architecture, and fine arts, the so-called Quartier de la Création – the largest creative complex of its kind in France. With its media campus and graphic design department, the universities offer places for 5.000 students. A perfect continuation of the mayor's ideas, who initially invited artists to work and create in what were then industrial wastelands.
A highlight of the tourist offerings on the former shipyard island are the famous Les Machines de l'île. The Big elephant At twelve meters tall, it towers over everything. A tall, mechanical mythical creature made of wood and steel, which carries passengers across the grounds of the former shipyard and powerfully spouts water from its trunk. Right next to it, the Carrousel des Mondes Marins invites visitors on a ride aboard fantastic deep-sea creatures, designed entirely in the spirit of the Nantes-born visionary Jules Verne.
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In the summer of 2026, the Cultural Festival new and rings from July 4th to September 6th a new era begins. fifteenth edition of the summer festival Le Voyage Estival marks the beginning of an ambitious, four-year cycle, which is dedicated to the four elements of nature and in 2026 will be entirely dedicated to the element of Earth.
Under the artistic direction by Sophie Lévy This year's route deliberately breaks with visual habits and focuses on fourteen completely new works of art by international cultural figures into focus. For the first time, deeper, more mysterious urban spaces are also being opened up, such as the historical crypts of the Nantes Cathedral or the lush green Extraordinary Garden.
The theme of earth is not only reflected in the sculptural contributions, but also permeates the region's culinary identity. In keeping with the year's theme, the festival presents an exclusive, organically produced original creation, the Muscadet du VoyageIt Wine list It combines the characteristics of the most important soils of the surrounding growing region and is ceremonially uncorked on opening night, July 4th.
The castle of the Dukes of Brittany accompanies the cultural summer with a major cultural-historical exhibition. Witches until June 28th, which sheds light on historical myths and modern role models, while the fourth edition of Decolonial expression(s) until November 8th, colonial narratives are being questioned. The latter directly connects to the legacy of Jean-Marc Ayrault, who also challenged the Critical examination of the city's history as a former slave port The author Timothée Demeillers reports that Nantes was the largest port in France and that the city's elegant architecture was financed not only by sugar and cotton but also by the slave trade. Nantes was the largest transit point for slaves destined for America and Great Britain – workers for the plantations. Not everyone in the city could cope with this courageous reckoning with history. The first memorial to the slave trade was quickly destroyed after its unveiling in the 90s. These days, open-mindedness is the order of the day. A big memorial It extends along the banks of the Loire and provides information about the shadows of the past .
Back to art and culinary delights. Those who leave the art trails of the city center can... Creativity along the water follow. One cycling tours leads into the sea of vines in the surrounding area, where the Château de la Frémoire Vertou invites visitors to open-air wine tastings. To the west lies the sixty-kilometer-long art trail. Estuaire the Loire River to its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean near Saint-Nazaire. Along the riverbank, surprises a variety of sights. 33 monumental open-air artworks the travelers, including a house seemingly sinking into the waves or a gigantic metal sea serpent directly in the sea.
This dense Interweaving of art and nature Thanks to the city's environmentally friendly concept, it can be easily accessed. The car simply stays parked, the entire area... The tram and bus network is completely free of charge for all guests every weekend.Those who wish to remain flexible during the week and enjoy free entry to museums and festival attractions can use the Nantes Pass, which is available for various time periods. For this consistent Commitment to sustainable tourism The Loire metropolis bears the state sustainability seal Destination Innovative Durable.
Nantes has followed Bilbao's example and, like its Spanish sister with the Guggenheim Museum, Art as a tourist magnet created. To the 800.000 tourists visit the art city on the Loire in the two months of the exhibition aloneA sustainable economic factor.
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Learn more🌐 Here it goes to Website from Le Voyage à Nantes.
📲 Click here to go to the Instagram page of the cultural concept Right this way.
🍽️ By the way: Anyone looking for culinary offers in Nantes will find them on the website Les Tables de Nantes find.DHB now also digital!Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!
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