Pays-de-la-Loire, France

State guide with cities, regions, and key information.

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Introduction
Pays-de-la-Loire stretches from the lower Loire Valley to the Atlantic in western France — a region of châteaux and vineyards, long sandy beaches and islands, salt marshes and one of Europe's most spectacular theme parks. For travellers it means Nantes, the inventive former capital of Brittany with its mechanical elephant; the white-stone châteaux of Angers and Saumur and the wines of the Loire; the great beach at La Baule and the surf and islands of the Vendée coast; the epic live shows of Puy du Fou; and the racing town of Le Mans.

Discover Pays-de-la-Loire

Nantes, the historic capital of Brittany and today the capital of Pays-de-la-Loire, is one of France's most creative and liveable cities. At its heart, the moated Château des ducs de Bretagne — once home to the dukes and to Anne of Brittany — now holds an excellent museum of the city's history, including its difficult past as a major Atlantic trading port. Just across the water, the former shipyards of the Île de Nantes have been reborn as Les Machines de l'île, a workshop of fantastical mechanical creatures inspired by Jules Verne (a native son) and Leonardo da Vinci, crowned by the Grand Éléphant, a twelve-metre walking mechanical elephant that carries passengers along the quays. Each summer the city stages Le Voyage à Nantes, painting a green line along the pavements to guide visitors past art installations, gardens and hidden corners across the whole city — a model of how contemporary art can reinvent an urban centre. Add the Gothic Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, the elegant Passage Pommeraye shopping arcade, the Jardin des Plantes and a lively food and bar scene, with the crisp white Muscadet wine made at the city's edge, and Nantes rewards two or three days of exploring on foot.

Travel Types

Nantes — the Creative City

The Château des ducs de Bretagne, Les Machines de l'île and its giant mechanical elephant, the Jules Verne heritage and the summer art trail of Le Voyage à Nantes.

The Loire — Angers & Saumur

Angers and its Apocalypse Tapestry, the white château and Cadre Noir riding academy of Saumur, the troglodyte caves and the wines of Muscadet, Anjou and Saumur.

Atlantic Coast & Islands

La Baule's great beach and the Guérande salt marshes, the Vendée coast and Les Sables-d'Olonne, and the islands of Noirmoutier and Yeu.

Puy du Fou & Le Mans

The epic live historical spectacles of Puy du Fou, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and its walled Roman and medieval old town, and the quiet rural interior.

Frequently asked questions

Nantes is one of France's most creative cities and rewards two or three days. See the moated Château des ducs de Bretagne and its city museum, ride the giant walking mechanical elephant at Les Machines de l'île on the former shipyards, and — in summer — follow the green line of Le Voyage à Nantes art trail through the streets. Add the Gothic cathedral, the Passage Pommeraye arcade and a lively food scene, with crisp Muscadet wine made just outside the city. Nantes is about two hours from Paris by TGV.

Yes — Pays-de-la-Loire covers the western, Anjou stretch of the Loire Valley. Angers guards a huge medieval fortress holding the Apocalypse Tapestry, the largest medieval tapestry in the world, while Saumur's white château rises above a town riddled with troglodyte caves, sparkling-wine cellars and the Cadre Noir riding academy. The region's wines — Muscadet near Nantes, Anjou rosé and Saumur's sparkling and still whites — are tasted at cellars throughout, and the riverside Loire à Vélo cycle route links it all. The grand châteaux of Touraine lie a little further upstream.

Puy du Fou, in the Vendée, is a historical theme park unlike any other — it has no rides, but instead stages vast, lavish live spectacles of French history, from Roman gladiators and Viking raids to musketeers and medieval knights, across a wooded estate, and has repeatedly been voted the best theme park in the world. Allow a full day (two for the full programme), book ahead in summer, and note that most shows are performed in French, though the spectacle carries across any language. It is about an hour from Nantes by car.

Cities in Pays-de-la-Loire

1 city with detailed travel information

Nantes