The Loire-Atlantique is a French department, located in the Pays de la Loire region. This destination is full of incredible and breathtaking places that you must know and discover. The beaches are one of the natural jewels of the region. Those that line the Côte d'Amour and Côte de Jade, offer very diverse landscapes: small wild creeks around Pornic, large beaches of dunes around Saint-Brévin, the city at the beach in the bay of La Baule, or the beach of Saint-Marc-sur-Mer. As you can see, you will be spoilt for choice! Swimming, water activities or sand castles, no doubt that everyone will be able to find his happiness in the Loire-Atlantique and to devote himself to his favorite activities. A thousand miles away from conventional amusement parks, there is an extraordinary world in the heart of the Ile de Nantes, nestled under the naval shipyards' former naval buildings: the Machines de l'île. A real street theater, this artistic project, unprecedented until now, constitutes a formidable urban scenography. The fabulous castle of the Dukes of Brittany and the Nantes History Museum must absolutely be on your itinerary, as it is unusual to see such a well-preserved fortress, still surrounded by its moat, in the very heart of such an important city. Take a short stroll to Place Royale, to admire the superb fountain there, before heading into the typical medieval district of Bouffay.
When to visit the Loire-Atlantique ? It can be visited all year round. The Voyage à Nantes is a permanent offer: a "dispersed monument" stretching over 12 kilometers. A green line drawn on the ground leads all year long from a work signed by a great artist of today to a remarkable element of the heritage, from the must-sees of the destination to unknown treasures, from a historical alley to a contemporary architecture, from a surprising viewpoint on the city to an incredible sunset on the estuary. Museums and various monuments will welcome you all year long. You can enjoy the beaches all year round, walking, reading, collecting shells or simply admiring the beautiful scenery. For the thrill seekers, kite-surfing and sand yachting will delight you on windy days!
The Loire-Atlantique enjoys a temperate oceanic climate that brings mild temperatures all year round as well as a significant amount of bad weather, characteristic of western France. Winters rarely fall below zero, with an average of around 5°C, and summers remain just as mild, with an average of 18°C. Precipitation, on the other hand, occupies up to 100 days per year.
