Nantes and Bordeaux are often referred to as the Atlantic Capitals of France. Nantes is the gateway to the Loire Valley wine region and is known for having a beautiful riverfront and a more contemporary feeling. Bordeaux is known for having the second most historic buildings in France, only behind Paris as well as being in the heart of the Bordeaux wine region. If you are trying to decide between Nantes or Bordeaux, this is the ultimate guide to help you decide which city to visit.
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Nantes or Bordeaux Overview
Nantes
Nantes is the sixth-largest city in France with over 300,000 residents. It is known for having a high quality of living and for being one of the most environmentally friendly cities in Europe. It won the European Green Capital Award in 2013 and has continued to become even more sustainable.
For centuries is one of the main port cities in France because of its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Because the city was heavily damaged during WW2, more buildings were built in the 20th century than any other era. The area around Nantes is known as “Chateau Country” because of the large number of chateaus in the area.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux has a population of nearly 260,000 people and a metropolitan area that has nearly 1.2 million which makes it the 6th largest in France. The region around Bordeaux is known around the world for its incredible wine. The area around the city brings in 14.5 billion euros each year due to the wine industry.
The city is known for having elegant architecture and a laid back atmosphere. The city is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Only Paris has more preserved historical buildings in France than Bordeaux. A common saying about Bordeaux is that when you’re here you eat very well and drink even better.
Places to See
Nantes
Château des Ducs de Bretagne was the residence of the Dukes of Brittany from the 13th century to the 16th century.
Les Machines de l’Île is known for the Great Elephant that is a giant mechanical elephant that is 12 meters tall.
Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle is the French history museum.
Nantes Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church that started construction in 1434.
Cours Cambronne is one of the most iconic city squares in Nantes. It is one of the newer square as well, not being built until 1791.
Bordeaux
Place de la Bourse is one of most iconic places in Bordeaux. The building around it are known their classic French architecture.
La Cité du Vin is a museum that is all about wine and is known for its modern design.
Big Bell of Bordeaux is a 40 meter bell tower in the middle of Bordeaux.
Rue Sainte-Catherine is the longest pedestrian street in Europe at 1.2km long.
Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux is a beautiful opera house that opened in 1780.
Food
Nantes
Beurre blanc, or buerre Nantais, is a buttery sauce made with butter, vinegar, white wine, and shallots. It is one of the local favorites and is put on many dishes, especially seafood. Being so close to the Atlantic, seafood plays a large role in the local cuisines. Of course, you have to remember to try some of the local wine. The most famous wine from the area is Muscadet, a dry white wine that is produced in the Loire region.
Bordeaux
Being that Bordeaux has such close proximity to the ocean, seafood is quite popular here. Raw and cooked oysters are popular here. One of the local specialties here is Entrescote a la Bordelaise which is a dish mainly consisting of lamb and beef. People here eat A LOT of meat probably because meat goes well with red wine. Wine governs just about every local cuisine in Bordeaux. As far as snacks or desserts go, macarons are sweet cookies that were first made in the 15th century.
Getting Around
Nantes
If you plan of staying in the center of the city you should be able to walk to where ever you want to go. Biking is a popular option for exploring Nantes. Most of the main roads have bike lanes running along the side as well as many streets designated for pedestrian and bike use only. You can rent a bike for 10 Euros a day or 20 Euros for the week from the Nantes Métropole. You can also use the Bicloo bikes which are basically the city bikes with stations all over the city. Bus and tram tickets will cost you 1.70 Euros for a single ride, otherwise, you can buy a 24-pass for just 5.60 Euros.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is an easy city to get around. The center of the city is a beautiful area that has a high density of landmarks you can walk to. To get outside of the city center you can use the network or public transportation. You can buy a 24-hour ticket for 5 Euros and a 7-day pass for 14.20 Euros. There is even a ferry that runs along the river that’s part of the network of public transportation. If you want to go see the famous wine country, I would recommend doing one of the many tours that will take you from Bordeaux to the wineries.
Nightlife
Nantes
The areas around Place du Bouffay and Place du Pilori are known to have the best nightlife in the city. If you start off at either of these two squares, you will have access to dozens of bars. Bar hopping is a popular thing to do on a night out. Le Hangar à Bananes, or The Hangers, is another popular place for nightlife. The Hangers is a popular place for university students because there are multiple big bars at the same place. Some of the best nightclubs in the city are CO2, Conclave, and The Colors.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux has a lot of university students which adds to the liveliness of the nightlife. There are many bars to go bar hopping in the middle of the city. Probably the best area for clubbing is around Quai du Paludate. One of the best clubs you should check out is Discothèque La Plage. Like many cities in Europe, the party scene here typically doesn’t get going until after midnight so make sure you plan accordingly.
Day Trips
Nantes
Angers is a city known for its architecture, chateaus, and castles.
Château de Saumur is located in the town of Saumer. It was originally built as a castle but was later turned into a chateau.
Pornic is a coastal town on the west coast of France. It is also known for its Chateau de Pornic.
Bordeaux
Arcachon is a resort town on the coast only 50km from Bordeaux.
Saint-Emilion is a town in the wine hills near Bordeaux. It is known for its medieval architecture.
Périgueux is a city to the east of Bordeaux. It is known for the Cathedrale St-Front which has five large domes.
If you visit Bordeaux, you may want to head southeast to visit the beautiful city of Toulouse. If you visit Nantes you could head to the north and visit Rennes.
Overall
Nantes and Bordeaux both deserve to be visited although they both offer quite different experiences. Nantes is known for being one of the best places in France to live, being the gateway to the Loire Valley wine region, and for its contemporary art and architecture. Bordeaux is known for having elegant buildings, being home to the second most historic building in France, and being in the center of the Bordeaux wine region.
If you are into exquisite buildings and French history then you will want to choose Bordeaux. Nantes has more of a contemporary feel to it so if that is more of your thing then you should go to Nantes. Once again, both cities are great but it just depends on what you value in a city.