Self Guided Podcast Tour The Palimpsest of Nantes

Nantes, France
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Duration2h 19m
Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesGerman, English
Group sizeUp to 99 travelers

Overview

Explore the beautiful, contradictory heart of Nantes on a journey through a city that built its 18th-century wealth on the transatlantic slave trade and its modern identity on radical mechanical imagination. Join urban-design expert Clara and Adrian as they trace the red thread from opulent merchant plazas and a subterranean memorial to abandoned shipyards reborn as fantastical art parks. Confront the shadows of the past, marvel at the steel of the future, and discover how Nantes transforms difficult history into a canvas for renewal.

- A 4.5 km self-guided tour with 8 stops over 139 min
- Ideal for travelers interested in Art, Design and Aesthetics and History and Memory
- Immersively told in a podcast style by experts and locals
- Matching audio content, AI guide and navigation through the app

What's included

  • Verified facts woven into an engaging story
  • Interactive in-app guide for questions about the story and surroundings
  • Precise navigation between the stops
  • Immersive podcast-style audio featuring experts and locals

What to expect

  1. Chateau Des Ducs De Bretagne
    10m
    The historical seat of power in Nantes, now housing a groundbreaking museum that unflinchingly details the city's role as France's primary slave-trading port.
  2. 10m
    The historical financial heart of Nantes, where the immense wealth generated from the triangular trade was managed and normalized into everyday business.
  3. 10m
    An 18th-century mansion built by a wealthy slave trader, adorned with mascarons that subtly reflect the city's colonial ties and dark source of wealth.
  4. Memorial to the abolition of slavery
    10m
    A poignant, subterranean memorial built directly into the docks where slave ships once departed, honoring the victims of the transatlantic slave trade.
  5. 10m
    A pedestrian bridge named after a prominent French abolitionist, serving as a physical and symbolic transition from the historical port to the island of artistic renewal.
  6. Les Machines De L'ile
    10m
    The epicenter of Nantes' imaginative present, where former shipyards have been taken over by fantastical, Jules Verne-inspired mechanical creatures.
  7. Grue Titan
    10m
    A preserved giant yellow shipyard crane that stands as a monument to the city's working-class shipbuilding history, anchoring the modern leisure space.
  8. HAB Galerie
    10m
    A former colonial banana warehouse repurposed as a massive contemporary art gallery, encapsulating the theme of historical spaces finding creative renewal.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

From the main transit hub in Nantes, take local transit toward Château des ducs de Bretagne. Walk the final stretch to Château des ducs de Bretagne, 4 Place Marc Elder, 44000 Nantes. Check the current local connection on the day of travel.

End point

From HAB Galerie, 21 Quai des Antilles, 44200 Nantes, walk to the nearest transit stop and travel back to the main transit hub in Nantes. Check the current local connection on the day of travel.

Additional information

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
From
€5.99 €4.79 per person
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  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts
  • Instant confirmation
  • You'll choose your date and travelers and pay on viator.com. Prices vary by date, group size and option.
Operated by Red Thread · Booked through Viator
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