Visit the Château des Ducs de Bretagne : tickets, prices, times

Want to visit France during the holidays? Follow the guide to visit the Castle of Dukes of Brittany!

Located in the historic heart of the city of Nantes, the Château des Ducs de Bretagne is a fortress that is one of the most important monuments of the city's heritage, and even of the region. This place opened its doors again in 2007 after 15 years of renovations and facilities to host the Urban History Museum and hosts hundreds of visitors every day.

If you want to visit the castle of Dukes of Brittany, then here is all the information you need to organize your visit!

History of the Castle of Dukes of Brittany

The castle of the Dukes of Brittany today was built during the course of XV century at the location of the first ducal castle, which was built on a Gallo-Roman wall in the 13th century. It was built according to the instructions of the last Duke of Independent Brittany, François II . He wanted to make this castle the place of residence of the ducal court but also, and above all, a true military fortress in order to face the royal power.

In the years that followed, the Duchess Anne de Bretagne quémanda of construction and decoration. Marked by the first influences of the Italian Renaissance style, the castle, including its carved decorations, are inspired.

During the two centuries that followed the connection of Brittany to France in France 1532 , the castle had many functions, first as the Breton lodge of the kings of France, before becoming a barracks, then a military arsenal and finally a prison. Despite numerous incidents, such as fires and damage over time, the castle remained in excellent condition until the stored powder caused an explosion in 1800.

♪ 1862 , the castle of Dukes of Brittany is classified as a historic monument. ♪ 1924 , after its sale in 1915 to the City of Nantes by the state, the castle houses a municipal museum. A little later, during the Second World War, the building was occupied by the German troops and a bunker was built during this period in the castle enclosure.

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

The exterior of the castle

The first impression that you will probably have when you go to visit the Dukes of Brittany castle is that it is really imposing — even intimidating — at the moment you see its wall whose perimeter is 500 metres, but also its purple , one part having been reopened in parterres, and the other having been sanitized and filled with water.

However, once you enter the courtyard, you will probably be even more surprised by the striking contrast of the granite blocks of the wall with the residence ducale in white tuffeau stone dating from the 15th century, as well as the buildings of the 16th and 18th century that stand in the enclosure.

From there you can either enter the castle to visit the interior and the Urban History Museum either walking in the courtyard and spending time at the terrace of the brewery or walk on the castle Round path and enjoy a panoramic view of the city to each of the 7 towers connected by the courtines.

The inside of the castle

The interior of the castle, combining both a Gothic style architecture and a decoration inspired by the Italian Renaissance is simply divine and will take you a few centuries in the past. In addition, the castle contains the Museum of Urban History of Nantes. This one tells the story of the city of Nantes and Brittany in a series of 7 unpublished sequences i.e.:

• The castle, Nantes and Brittany until the 17th century
• Nantes, daughter of the river and the ocean
• Black trade and gold in the 18th century
• Nantes in Revolution
• A colonial and industrial port (1815-1914)
• In wars – 1914-1918 / 1939-1945
• An Atlantic metropolis, today and tomorrow

This journey through more 1500 works , is a historical reminder of past centuries and you will be totally transported. From ship models to scientific maps and instruments to the multimedia creation of Pierrick Sorin representing a vision of the city and occupying the entirety of the 32nd room.

Attention : all rooms are not accessible during free visits and you can only discover them by registering to a guided tour to visit the castle of Dukes of Brittany.

Temporary exhibitions

Many temporary exhibitions are organized and you can admire them while you visit the Dukes of Brittany castle. For example, an exhibition on Amazonia takes place from 15 June 2019 at 19 January 2020 . Another exhibition on Nantes rock is, she, present since 24 February 2018 and will remain until 10 November 2019 .

How to go to the Dukes of Brittany castle?

There are several possibilities to get to the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, no matter where you come from. This one is located near Nantes tourism, and its exact address is: 4, Place Marc Elder, 44,000 Nantes .

By car

To get to Nantes Castle by car, just take:

• From Paris: the A11 « Sortie Nantes »
• From Bordeaux: the A83 « Sortie Nantes »
• From Rennes: the RN 137 « Sortie Nantes »

Once in town, simply follow the arrows indicating the direction for the Dukes of Brittany castle.

The parking lot

With regard to parking possibilities in the city center, you can go to:

• Parking Cathedral
• Baco
• Moulin-Mairie
• International Congress

By tram

You can go by tram to the Château des Ducs de Bretagne by taking:

• Line 1 : stop « Duchesse Anne »

TGV

From Paris, it is possible to take a TGV to Nantes. It has 20 shuttles a day and the journey takes about 2 hours.

Schedules and prices of the Dukes of Brittany Castle

Schedule

Court and ramparts

• Every day8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• July and August (every day except Saturday): 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Interior of the castle

• Every day (except Monday): from 10am to 6pm
• July and August (every day except Saturday): from 10am to 7pm

Attention : the castle is not accessible on 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 25 December

Rates

• Rate Adult: 8€
• Free for – 18 years