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Version française / French version

Nantes is France's 6th largest town, located on the Loire Estuary, 50 km from the Atlantic coast. It is a city of history, culture and imagination … and a region of tourism, of course.

Nantes had a long history from the Middle Ages until now.

Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne

Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne

Castle of the Dukes of Brittany

Being the last of the Châteaux of the Loire Valley before the Atlantic Ocean, the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany is freely accessible and hosts the Nantes historical museum. Built from the 15th to the 17th centuries, the castle houses a royal palace of elegant renaissance facades and ornate.

Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne

Cathedral of Nantes

The Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Nantes. The construction of the cathedral began in 1434 and took 457 years to finish, finally reaching completion in 1891.

Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne

Shipyards Park (Parc des Chantiers)

This public park covers 13 hectares on the west of "île de Nantes". You can discover flagship elements which are used in shows, such as the Isle’s Machines and its giant elephant, or the ship-building workshops. A walk along the Loire, landscaped gardens, a 600 m2 beach, a play area and a solarium fill this huge space tailor-made for enjoyment and strolling around.

Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne

Nantes’ famous citizens

Nantes is also the birth city of famous writer Jules Vernes, of Nobel peace prize Aristide Briand, of the duchess Anne of Brittany, Queen of France.

Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne

French filmmaker Jacques Demy grow up and made several movies in Nantes.

The Loire Valley

Nantes is close to the vineyards of the Loire Valley, where French wines such as the Muscadet are produced.

Around Nantes

The town of Saint-Nazaire (40 km from Nantes) offers visits of the STX shipyard and the Airbus factory. At less than two hours from Nantes, you will find the Châteaux of the Loire Valley, seaside resorts, the Mont Saint-Michel and many others interesting touristic sites.

More information about ...

A tourist information desk will be available at the conference venue during the entire conference.

If you plan to stay after the conference, note that 14 July is a national holiday (Bastille Day, the French National Day) with festivities and fireworks at night in all French cities.

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