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2 Days in Vannes and Nantes

Hello -

I am spending a day each in Vannes and Nantes. Things to do, places to eat. Appreciate the recommendations.

Posted by
12172 posts

I skipped Nantes but spent a two days in Vannes. Vannes has a really nice port area with cafes. Right next to that is a surprisingly large medieval center including ramparts. A short drive from Vannes is Carnac with different prehistoric monoliths, dolmen and cairns. My personal favorite is Cairn Gavrinis, which is reachable by a ferry tour from Larmor-Baden (a short drive from Vannes). It was discovered fairly recently and reminds me of Newgrange in Ireland. The tour and signage is all in French but includes a guided look inside the cairn as well as a brief tour of a partially submerged henge. Seeing the tides in the Gulf of Morbihan are exciting by themselves. They're nearly white water rapids between the small islands in the bay when the tide is going out.

Posted by
151 posts

If you do not have a car in Vannes, and cannot reach other places along the gulf of Morbihan, you could take a shuttle boat from the port in Vannes to the island Ile d'Arz.
In Nantes, there is quite much to do and see for 1 or 2 days, in the historical center (near the castle of the Dukes of Brittany, Bouffay, Graslin...), on the island Ile de Nantes to see the elephant and the machines. Around Nantes, there are also a few towns like Clisson, Le Croisic, Guérande, the castle in Haute-Goulaine... About special events in Nantes, according to the period you are there, you may have a look at http://visite.bretagne.free.fr/index.php/en/cities/nantes.html