A weekend in Nantes: The French city has much to offer fans during Rugby World Cup

France’s sixth-largest city will be treated to an Irish invasion later this year when Ireland take on Tonga in the first of four Rugby World Cup games that will be hosted at Stade de La Beaujoire, the home of FC Nantes.

Andy Farrell’s Grand Slam-winning heroes open their World Cup campaign against Romania in Bordeaux on September 9 and the fans that make the journey to Nantes a week later (September 16) are in for quite the treat.

Nantes is a spectacular place, a classy, modern city with a rich and chequered history. Stade de La Beaujoire, easily accessible from the city centre via tram, is an impressive sight. 

Opened in May 1984 ahead of the European Championship a month later, the stadium hosted two matches at that tournament and six at the soccer World Cup in 1998. 

While the original capacity of the home of FC Nantes was 52,923, in 1998 it was converted to an all-seater stadium and its current capacity is 38,128.

It obviously lacks the size and wow factor of the Stade de France in Paris but Stade de La Beaujoire has its charms too. With a beautifully designed venue, supporters need not fear a seat in a poor viewing area: there simply isn’t one.

A word to the wise though, the steps are steep and seem to get steeper the higher up you go so watch your step going up and especially coming down. 

As for the players, should Ireland toil against Tonga, the Irish camp certainly won’t be able to blame their travails on the pitch. It’s a carpet.

While the Rugby World Cup is a terrific opportunity for Nantes to put its best foot forward, it has plenty of attractions beyond sport. 

TAKING THE VOYAGE

More immediately, the city will host Le Voyage à Nantes, an annual arts festival that began on July 1 and runs until September 3.

Artists are invited to create something visionary, imaginative, and different for the streets and surrounding areas.

Le Voyage à Nantes is a route through the city literally assessed by following a green line drawn on the ground, a simple but extremely clever idea.

It’s a brilliant way to explore the city. Our adventures were aided by having a 48-hour pass to explore the city. The pass offers unlimited transport and access to 50 different attractions. 

The 48-hour pass is one of four options available for visitors. It costs €37, €10 more than the 24-hour pass. A 72-hour pass will set you back €45 while a seven-day pass comes in at €85. As investments go, it’s well worth it as there’s plenty to see and do.

After our visit to Stade de La Beaujoire, the next item on the agenda was a walking tour of the city.  Jardin des Plantes, a spectacular municipal botanical garden right in the heart of Nantes, was a particular treat and falls firmly into the ‘must visit’ category.

The Castle of the Dukes of Brittany was another highlight. The inner courtyard reveals an elegant 15th-century residence and other buildings dating back from the 15th to 18th century. Now a 32-room museum, there’s no better place to visit to get a broad overview of the history of Nantes.

Cathedral St-Pierre and St-Paul is another impressive sight, though we only got to see the outside of an incredibly imposing and intricate building as it is currently under renovation after being damaged by an arson attack in 2020.

The hope is it’ll be reopened soon but history may be against it given the original building was only completed in 1891, a mere 457 years after work commenced.

Our second full day in Nantes began on an eerie note. Visiting The Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery is, as its name indicates, not an especially joyous experience but its presence on the Loire river banks shows that Nantes is not a place that seeks to deny or run away from distasteful parts of its history. The memorial is the largest such site in the world and is a fitting tribute to those who struggled — and still struggle — against the horror of slavery.

Upon entry, visitors are greeted with The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the word “freedom” written in 47 different languages from areas affected by the slave trade.

The monument serves as a solemn reminder of Nantes’ history as the most active slave-trading port in 18th-century France. It’s well worth a visit.

On a decidedly lighter note, the Marine World’s Carousel at the former shipyard would make even the biggest cynic smile. It features three floors of merry-go-rounds with weird and wonderful-looking sea creatures and is well worth a visit.

ROCK THE MACHINE

The highlight of the trip was still to come. The Great Elephant of the Machines is beyond cool. In fact, it is nothing short of spectacular. 

It’s 12m high, weighs 48.4 tons, and can carry 50 people on its back for a 30-minute ride that won’t be forgotten. It even sprays water from its truck! 

This elephant is also eco-friendly, having been fitted with a hybrid engine in 2018. It’s one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen.

On the food front, things began rockily as the waiter in La Cigale, the restaurant we attended on our first night in Nantes, evoked memories of Basil Fawlty by telling us the press menu options were a choice of fish or, well, fish. Ideal if you like fish. Not so much if you don’t.

Happily, things swiftly improved. Lunch at Le Coin des Crêpes the next day was lovely while dinner at L’Aristide was top-notch. Two things made it so. Firstly, our waiter was from Leicester and helpfully provided us with a menu in English, a gesture that spared us resorting to Google Translate. Secondly, local wine (Muscadet) was beyond delicious and helped the beef go down easily.

The last full day of our French adventure brought us to Clisson, a stunningly picturesque town a half-hour train ride from Nantes. The scenery at this Tuscan-style town was truly incredible. The focal point of the town is Chateau de Clisson, a castle that dates back to the 12th century. It offers incredible views of the town below and when the sun shines, as it did on our visit, it’s impossible not to be blown away by Clisson’s charm. If you visit Nantes, you simply have to visit this delightful piece of paradise.

Our base for the trip was Hotel de France Oceania, located right in the centre of Nantes.

The rooms were spacious and classy and the delicious buffet breakfast catered for every taste.

The good news is visiting Nantes is not difficult as Aer Lingus and Ryanair have multiple flights a week there from Dublin Airport.

Those who opt to make the journey certainly won’t regret it.

This article was first published on August 24, 2023.