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All France Nantes

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Nantes

5 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Nantes, France

Updated November 15, 2021

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Unusual Attractions in Nantes

Nantes, France

Machines of the Isle of Nantes

Massive puppet-automaton machines created by French artist collective Machines de l’Ile.
Armadillo in kit

Nantes, France

Nantes' Natural History Museum

Home to the "Rat King" of Nantes and other wonders of the natural world.

Nantes, France

l'Île de Versailles Jardin Japonais

This small island, a byproduct of 19th-century canal construction, is now home to a charming Japanese garden.

Nantes, France

'Mètre à Ruban'

A massively oversized measuring tape sculpture sits inside a hidden yard.
Permanently Closed

Nantes, France

Hamster Villa

Sleep in the hay, spin the wheel and eat grain pellets to your heart's delight.
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The House in the Loire.

Couëron, France

House in the Loire

The sunken structure looks like the victim of a catastrophic flood.
7 miles from Nantes
Alien as “The Leviathan”

Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau, France

The Grotesques of the Chapel of Bethlehem

Do these monsters look familiar? The gargoyles on this church are all from pop culture.
8 miles from Nantes
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Recent Nantes Activity

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    has been to Machines of the Isle of Nantes

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    has been to 'Mètre à Ruban'

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  • Pakinho

    wants to go to Machines of the Isle of Nantes

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    wants to go to 'Mètre à Ruban'

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Lists Featuring Nantes

Rats of Karni Mata Temple
Paxton Gate Exterior
Albino Squirrels of Olney, Illinois

A Rat Lover's Tour of the World

15 places where rodents are celebrated, feared, preserved, and studied.

15

Including Karni Mata Temple, Nutty Narrows Bridge, and Paxton Gate

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