Jardin des Plantes

Nantes


Opened in 1860, this exquisitely landscaped park is among France's most interesting botanical gardens. Century-old magnolia and mulberry trees, Japanese maples, tulip trees, redwoods (sequoias) and magnificent cedars tower above beautiful flower beds, duck ponds, fountains and the enchanting Serre de l'Île de Palmiers, a glass 19th-century hothouse filled with palm trees and decked out with tables and chairs for lounging on. There is a children's playground and goats to pet at the park's northern end, near the train station.

Other highlights include Les Bancs Processionaires, a funky series of wooden benches that increase in size from minuscule to gargantuan.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Nantes attractions

1. Musée d’Arts de Nantes

0.18 MILES

A six-year renovation job by London architects Stanton Williams has done wonders for Nantes’ art museum, open again since 2017 inside the historic Palais…

2. Cathédrale St-Pierre et St-Paul

0.34 MILES

Inside Nantes' Flamboyant Gothic cathedral, the tomb of François II (r 1458–88), Duke of Brittany, and of his second wife, Marguerite de Foix, is a…

3. Château des Ducs de Bretagne

0.39 MILES

Forget fusty furnishings – light-filled rooms inside the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany house multimedia-rich exhibits detailing the city's history. Look…

4. Musée d’Histoire Naturelle

1.13 MILES

Nantes' Natural History Museum has a fascinating collection of minerals, fossils, stuffed animals and an impressive whale skeleton. There are frequent…

6. Les Machines de l’Île de Nantes

1.42 MILES

Nantes' quirkiest sight is this fantasy world – a serious and seriously wacky workshop with mechanical contraptions galore displayed in plant-filled…

7. Le Cale 2 Créateurs

1.57 MILES

Edgy temporary art exhibitions, events and happenings fill this old industrial slipway, shaped like a wedge of cheese at the foot of Île de Nantes'…

8. Musée Jules Verne

2.05 MILES

Overlooking the river, this is a magical museum with 1st-edition books, hand-edited manuscripts and cardboard theatre cut-outs. Child-friendly interactive…