The Voyage à Nantes by bike

A cycling outing that takes the form of an urban tourist trail, immersing you in the town, leading you to discover startling corners of the historic city of the Breton dukes. You won’t want to miss anything along the trail’s green line: the cultural stops; the major monuments; the works of art; and the distinctive elements of the destination that is Voyage à Nantes. This outing offers an original way of spending a fine day in town, with, as a bonus, a mini-cruise on the Navibus along the Loire.

The route

Starting point: Nantes Tourisme, opposite the Château de Nantes. Making use of the green trail wending its way through Nantes’s streets. There are a few spots that are not geared to cyclists, meaning you do have occasionally to slightly deviate from the trail’s thread. The description is given going in an anticlockwise direction. 

Adaptations for cyclists:

• The downloadable GPS tracks take into account the necessary adaptations cyclists need to make and put to the fore the best cycling options for getting to see all the sites. So, keep your wits about you, inquisitive cyclists! 
• Stretches where you have to dismount and push your bike: the stairs at the tunnel for the Canal St-Félix (there is a side-gutter you can use to help push your bike down); the train station underpass; at the Jardin des Plantes; along Cours Cambronne; on Square Maurice Schwob; in Parc des Oblates; along Quai des Antilles; on the Schoelcher Footbridge; on Rue Kervégan (a one-way street). – On paved stretches and in pedestrian zones, please ride very slowly.

Deviations from the green line to avoid stairs and one-way streets:

• at the northern exit to the Jardin des Plantes, take Rue de la Refoulais;
• on the Île de Versailles,
• Quai Ceineray, continue along the cycle track as far as La Motte Rouge Bridge to then switch to the west bank of the Erdre;
• at the level of St-Mihiel Bridge, go via Rue de Châteaubriant;
• Allée des Tanneurs, go via Rue de l’Arche-Sèche, then Place Royale and climb Rue Crébillon;
• leaving Cours Cambronne, descend via Rue Piron and Rue Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny;
• on your bike, leaving the track of the Parc des Oblates (Bd de Cardiff), come back towards the extraordinary garden to ride a bit along the road;
• avoid the Mail du Front Populaire and head on to Rue Nouë Bras de Fer via Rue Frida Khalo.

At certain points, the green line may have worn away (e.g. at the river port or in the parks) or even climb railings! Keep your eyes peeled!

Don’t miss

• Nantes: the château and its reflective pool; culinary stops; Nymphéa; Le Lieu Unique; the Jardin des Plantes; the cathedral; the Chapelle de l’Oratoire ; Passage Pommeraye; La Cigale; Théâtre Graslin; Cours Cambronne; the Mémorial de l’abolition de l’esclavage; Lunar Tree; Misery former quarry; the Jardin Extraordinaire; the Marcel Schwob and des Oblates Parks; L’arbre à basket; the Carrousel des mondes marins; Résolution des forces en présence; Les anneaux; Hab galerie; Station Prouvé; the Machines de l’île; Mètre à rubans; Air; Canadienne; L’absence... There’s a lot to take in!