10 Best Things to Do for Couples in Nantes

Versailles Island (L'Île de Versailles) is a Japanese garden with tranquil surroundings that's on an island only accessible by boat. Visiting this attraction with your partner generates an innate sense of tranquillity throughout your entire holiday.

In the park, you'll find several Japanese-inspired buildings as well as impressive rock formations and serene waterfalls. The island itself was artificially created in the 19th century, but it's been a Japanese garden since 1983. You can experience it all for yourself in the Erdre river north of the city centre.

The Bouffay District (Le Quartier Bouffay) is the old town district of Nantes where you can explore the historic charm of a medieval town with shops and restaurants. Many of the buildings are quite old, with some dating back to the 15th century.

Inside this district, you and your partner will find quite a few shops and restaurants among the timber-framed facades and stone buildings, each offering an old-world ambiance with modern convenience and standards. Try it all out for yourself on the east side of the city centre.

Nantes museums are some of the most alluring attractions in the city, offering valuable insight into multiple subjects you and your partner can enjoy. Some of the local art museums in town have tens of thousands of pieces ranging from historic to contemporary works.

If you're more interested in history, you'll find a wide variety of options available, including museums detailing local history and others showcasing natural history and the development of life. Nantes is even where you'll find the famous Jules Verne Museum. They're located all over town, but there's a higher concentration near the city centre.

Grand Blottereau Park (Parc du Grand Blottereau) is a vibrant green space in town where you'll find well-protected park land and exotic plants. The park comprises 19 hectares of space and is settled opposite an extravagant 18th-century mansion.

When you visit this park, you'll find plenty of walking paths to enjoy, but one of the more popular highlights is the greenhouse collection. Inside, you'll find several exotic plants that are unique in France, along with a Mediterranean rockery and some banana trees. It's located in Doulon-Bottiere east of the city centre.

Passage Pommeraye is a shopping arcade that's relatively small, but it was crafted with exquisite attention to detail in an alluring renaissance style. The arcade was constructed in 1843 and has been an iconic landmark of the city ever since.

When you visit this arcade, you'll find several shops and restaurants set within across 2 different levels. Be sure to visit the second floor to get a closer look at the intricate sculptures lining the railing. It's all located between rue Santeuil and rue de la Fosse in the south-western part of the city centre.

Couples spa experiences in Nantes make it easy to relax and immerse yourself in pampering pleasure and incredible treatments. Many local spas even offer discounts for couples, so booking together is a great way to ease up the impact on your budget.

When you visit the local spas, you'll find a sleep design coupled with state-of-the-art treatments that go far beyond a simple massage. You'll find aroma treatments among some along with flower baths and saunas. You can explore spas all over town, though most tend to be close to the city centre and the river.

Trentemoult is a neighbourhood known for its colourful houses, where you'll find pristine walking paths and charming bistros to visit with your partner. Most houses in the area have red-tiled roofs and are about 3 storeys tall with narrow streets connecting them all.

Visiting this neighbourhood will also offer the opportunity to check out a local shipyard and grab a bite to eat at one of the riverfront bistros. The atmosphere is friendly overall, much like what you'd expect from a former fishing village. It's located on the south side of the river in Reze and accessible by river bus.

The Banks of the Erdre (Les bords de l'Erdre) is a popular trail loop perfect for you and your partner to take in the brilliant surroundings and vibrant nature. This trail keeps you along the banks of the river and takes about 2 and a half hours to complete in total if you want to traverse its entire length.

The trail stretches about 5.6 miles in total with an elevation gain of 479 feet. It sports a loop route type, so it's easy to traverse the whole thing and be exactly where you need to be by the end. It starts near the city centre and stretches north-east from there.

La Cigale is a stunning brasserie or French-style restaurant where you'll find a delicious menu coupled with stunning and regal decor. The decorations here sport an exaggerated Art nouveau style that was popular when the restaurant opened in 1895.

Being more than a century old, this restaurant is considered a historic monument, so it's notably well preserved. The actual food is stunning and catered towards a French bourgeois audience, so you and your partner can feel fancy. It's all located on Place Graslin on the west side of the city centre.

L'Appart des Anges is a wine bar where you'll find a wide variety of drinks along with a surprisingly diverse menu. The decor is notably relaxed and welcoming, which makes it easier to enjoy the array of wines they have on offer suitable for all palates and budgets.

The food here is quite impressive, with a combination of French and Spanish cuisines available. The tapas, tartines and sardine are perfectly cooked, and the staff always receives high marks from visitors and professional critics alike. It's located on the east side of the city centre.