Nantes & Atlantic Loire Valley

Stretching from Guérande in the west to the Marais Poitevin in the south, the Atlantic Loire Valley is a wonderland full of magnificent treasures to explore. Here, the combined action of the mighty Loire and the Atlantic Ocean has created an incredible variety of landscapes. At the same time, history left a deep mark on the territory, with over 40 architecturally stunning towns and villages boasting a unique mix of castles and troglodyte cave dwellings.
Throughout the Renaissance, the valley was the preferred seat of the royal power due to its strategic position and the role of the Loire as a critical travel route in the country. This significantly impacted the cultural and artistic development of the area, so much so that this part of the Loire Valley, from Saumur to the Atlantic Ocean, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
When the borders were redrawn after WWII, the region's capital became Nantes. But you could take Nantes out of Brittany, but there's no way to take Brittany out of its longtime capital, Nantes.
This artsy city in France, on the banks of the Loire River, has reinvented itself many times. Celts founded it around 70 BC, and it became part of Brittany in 937 AD.
The Edict of Nantes, a Fren