Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne

The castle was rebuilt from 1466 by Francis II, last duke of an independent Brittany, and finished by his daughter Anne, who became queen of France twice; the Edict of Nantes was signed here in 1598. Its two characters are striking: from outside it is a defensive ring of grey schist towers and a moat, and from the courtyard it is a light tuffeau limestone palace with dormers and a carved staircase. The ramparts can be walked for free around most of the circuit. Inside, the Nantes history museum runs to thirty-two rooms and does not avoid the city's role in the Atlantic slave trade, which it treats at length.

What you actually see

• The two faces - grey fortress outside, white palace in the courtyard.
• The rampart walk - a free circuit of the walls above the moat.
• The city museum - thirty-two rooms on Nantes and its trade history.
• The slave trade rooms - the museum's direct treatment of the port's past.

When to go

Year-round; the courtyard and ramparts are open daily and free, the museum closes Mondays outside summer. Evenings light the walls well.

Honest expectations

The museum is large and text-heavy, and English translation is partial in places. The rampart walk closes in high wind. Ticket queues build in July and August.

Nearby

The Machines de l'Ile lie across the river; Nantes cathedral is a short walk.