← Abalone Marathon de Nantes·Day trip

Nantes: A Slow Day in the City

A day that stays in the city on tired legs: the mechanical animals of the Machines de l'Île, the old shopping arcade, and a river shuttle across the Loire to the painted houses of Trentemoult.

DurationDay trip
TransitOn foot, by tram and by Navibus river shuttle
DepartsCentral Nantes

After the Abalone Marathon de Nantes: A Slow Day in the City

The Route: Graslin → Passage Pommeraye → Machines de l'Île → Navibus → Trentemoult → Nantes Logistics: Short walks, trams and the Navibus river shuttle. No train needed. Marathon Month: April Duration: Day trip

Graslin ──(walk)──> Passage Pommeraye ──(walk, across the Loire)──> Machines de l'Île
                                                                        │
             Nantes ◄──(Navibus)── Trentemoult ◄──(Navibus from the Gare Maritime)──┘

The day after the marathon, the easiest trip is no trip at all. Central Nantes is compact, and most of what is worth seeing is close to where the race started, so tired legs can cover it in short stages with plenty of sitting down. Late April is usually mild and green, with the odd shower.

The Passage Pommeraye and the Old Town

Start beside Place Graslin at the Passage Pommeraye, a 19th-century shopping arcade on three levels with carved staircases, which is indoors if the weather turns. From there, the Bouffay district and the Château des ducs de Bretagne are a short walk east. The castle's city history museum usually closes on Mondays, so check the day before planning around it.

Les Machines de l'Île

Cross the Loire to the Île de Nantes, where the race began. In the old shipyard halls, Les Machines de l'Île builds mechanical creatures inspired by Jules Verne and Leonardo da Vinci. The Grand Éléphant, 12 metres tall, walks around the site with passengers on its back, and the Galerie des Machines shows the workshop's other inventions. Check opening days and times for late April.

Trentemoult by Navibus

From the Gare Maritime stop on the north bank, the Navibus river shuttle crosses the Loire to Trentemoult, a former fishermen's village of brightly painted houses and narrow lanes on the south bank. It is a short, flat walk with cafés by the water. The Navibus is part of the Naolib network, which is free at weekends but charged on weekdays, so buy a ticket if you go on the Monday.

Getting Back

Take the Navibus back across the river and walk or take the tram to your hotel.