Visit the Château des Ducs de Bretagne: tickets, prices, opening hours

Fancy some cultural visits in France during the vacations? Follow the guide to visit the Château des Ducs de Bretagne!

Located in the historic heart of the city of Nantes, the Château des Ducs de Bretagne is a fortress and one of the city’s – and indeed the region’s – most important heritage monuments. It reopened its doors in 2007 after 15 years of renovations and installations to house the urban history museum, and welcomes hundreds of visitors every day.

If you’d like to visit the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, here’s all the information you need to organize your visit!

History of the Château des Ducs de Bretagne

Photo Credit: Flickr – unclwink

Today’s Château des Ducs de Bretagne was built in the 15th century on the site of the first ducal castle, which was built on a Gallo-Roman wall in the 13th century. It was built on the instructions of the last duke of independent Brittany, François II. He wanted the château to be the residence of the ducal court, but also, and above all, a veritable military fortress to confront the royal power.

In the years that followed, Duchess Anne de Bretagne asked for improvements and decorations. Marked by the early influences of the Italian Renaissance style, the château, and in particular its sculptural decorations, were inspired by this style.

In the two centuries following Brittany’s annexation to France in 1532, the château served multiple functions, first as the Breton home of the kings of France, then as a barracks, then a military arsenal and finally a prison. Despite numerous incidents, such as fires and weather damage, the château remained in excellent condition until stored gunpowder caused an explosion in 1800.

In 1862, the Château des Ducs de Bretagne was classified as a historic monument. In 1924, following its sale by the State to the City of Nantes in 1915, the château became a municipal museum. Some time later, during the Second World War, the building was occupied by German troops, and a bunker was built inside the château during this period.

What to see and do at the Château des Ducs de Bretagne

Photo Credit: Flickr – Sandro Bognolo

Castle exterior

The first impression you’re likely to get when you visit the Château des Ducs de Bretagne is that it’s truly imposing – even intimidating – when you see not only its 500-meter perimeter wall, but also its moat, part of which has been converted into flowerbeds, while the other has been reclaimed and filled with water.

However, once you enter the courtyard, you’ll probably be even more amazed by the stark contrast between the granite blocks of the wall and the 15th-century ducal residence in white tufa stone, as well as the 16th- and 18th-century buildings within the walls.

From here, you can either enter the castle to visit the interior and the urban history museum, stroll through the courtyard and spend some time on the terrace of the castle brasserie, or walk along the parapet walk and enjoy a panoramic view of the city from each of the 7 towers linking the curtain walls.

Inside the château

The château’s interior, with its blend of Gothic architecture and Italian Renaissance decor, is simply divine and will take you back several centuries. The château also houses the Nantes Urban History Museum. This tells the story of the city of Nantes and Brittany in a series of 7 never-before-seen sequences:

• The château, Nantes and Brittany up to the 17th century
• Nantes, daughter of the river and the ocean
• Trade and black gold in the 18th century
• Nantes in Revolution
• A colonial and industrial port (1815-1914)
• At war – 1914-1918 / 1939-1945
• An Atlantic metropolis, today and tomorrow

With over 1,500 works on display, this tour is a historical reminder of centuries gone by, and you’ll be totally transported. From ship models to maps and scientific instruments, to Pierrick Sorin’s multimedia creation representing a vision of the city and occupying the entire 32nd room.

Please note: not all rooms are accessible during self-guided tours, and you can only discover them if you sign up for a guided tour of the Ducs de Bretagne castle.

Temporary exhibitions

Numerous temporary exhibitions are organized and you can admire them while you visit the Château des Ducs de Bretagne. For example, an exhibition on the Amazon takes place from June 15, 2019 to January 19, 2020. Another exhibition on Nantes rock has been on show since February 24, 2018, and will run until November 10, 2019.

How do I get to the Château des Ducs de Bretagne?

There are several ways to get to the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, no matter where you’re coming from. This one is close to Nantes tourisme, and its exact address is: 4, Place Marc Elder, 44000 Nantes.

By car

To get to Château de Nantes by car, simply take :

• From Paris: A11 « Nantes exit
• From Bordeaux: A83 « Nantes exit
• From Rennes: RN 137 « Nantes exit

Once in town, simply follow the arrows pointing in the direction of the Château des Ducs de Bretagne.

Parking lots

For parking in the city center, you can go to :

• Cathedral parking lot
• Baco
• Moulin-Mairie
• Cité internationale des Congrès

By tramway

You can reach the Château des Ducs de Bretagne by streetcar by taking :

• Line 1: « Duchesse Anne » stop

By TGV

From Paris, you can take the TGV to Nantes. There are 20 shuttles a day, and the journey takes around 2 hours.

Château des Ducs de Bretagne opening hours and prices

Photo Credit: Flickr – Eusebius@Commons

Opening hours

Courtyard and ramparts

• Every day: 8.30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• July and August (every day except Saturday): 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Inside the castle

• Every day (except Monday): 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• July and August (every day except Saturday): 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Please note: the château is closed on January 1st, May 1st, November 1st and December 25th.

Rates

• Adult price: €8
• Free for children under 18