Nantes

This tab will be all about Nantes, my new hometown for the next months.

When I arrived at the airport in January with its two baggage carousels, I first was under the impression that the city won’t necessarily be bigger than the one where I study in Germany. I was scared that my semester abroad could be boring, that I chose the wrong city. The big difference is: Nantes has a Starbucks, four to be exact. So at least my daily dose of coffee would be great, I thought. When I then sat down with my mug, I inhaled all the new impressions of the people walking in and ordering their coffees. The styles, the different language, the melody of their tones and that there are actually people who like pumpkin spice late in January.

While I looked outside the window I felt the rhythm of the city. I suddenly had the desire to explore every inch of this new city, my new city. I asked myself where are these people going for drinks, where are they clubbing, where are they spending their rainy Sunday afternoons? I obviously knew where they were drinking coffee…

Now one month into my exchange, I am more than happy to call Nantes my home. And with time I found so many beautiful places, hiding somewhere in this City. If you ever have the chance to go to France then you should definitely consider visiting Nantes.
And here is why:

First, the city’s location is more than perfect, Nantes is a city in Loire-Atlantique. The name of this region is purely based on geographical references: Pays (“lands”) de la Loire (“of the Loire”). The Loire is the longest river in France, its region is famous for the Loire Valley which is listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is rich in castles, châteaux and beautiful sceneries. From Nantes, you can easily travel north-, east-, south-, and westbound. For example, it only takes two hours by train to Rennes, two hours to Paris, three hours south to Bordeaux and half an hour to the Atlantic ocean in the west. I am already looking forward to warmer days with surfing and relaxing days at the beach.

Besides its location, Nantes has an exquisite gourmet kitchen. I will share some of my favorite restaurants, cafés, and bars with you in a separate blog post. In general, if there is one thing I love about France then it’s the french cuisine. I literally could bath in crêpes, eclairs, and wine all day.

Furthermore, Nantes is a charming little city with many historical corners. The city’s style reminds a bit of Paris, due to its many old buildings in the gothic and renaissance style which create a dreamy, nostalgic atmosphere. I already panned several posts on sights worth seeing.

Who still thinks Nantes is a boring topic to blog about, this was just a little glimpse of Nantes and in the following posts I will go in-depth about the topics: travel, sights, fashion, food, and drinks – literally everything I find interesting enough to share.