Nantes Cathedral

Nantes Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Nantes Cathedral, the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, stands in the centre of Nantes, in western France, near the Château of the Dukes of Brittany, and entry is free. It is a Gothic cathedral with a remarkably bright interior, and it was badly damaged by a fire in 2020, set by an arsonist, which destroyed the great organ and some stained glass; restoration work has been ongoing, so some parts may be closed.

Walking tours of Nantes combine the cathedral with the Château of the Dukes of Brittany and its history museum, the Passage Pommeraye shopping arcade, the Graslin district and the Machines of the Isle of Nantes, where a giant mechanical elephant walks visitors around. The green line painted on the pavement, Le Voyage à Nantes, guides visitors through the main sights. Nantes is two hours from Paris by high-speed train. The cathedral is active, and visiting pauses during services. Trams stop at the Duchesse Anne-Château station, a few minutes' walk from the cathedral.

Visiting Nantes Cathedral: what to see

Construction of the cathedral began in 1434, on the site of a Romanesque cathedral, and it took more than four centuries to complete, with the choir finished only in 1891, yet the building has a unified Gothic style. It is built of white tufa stone, which gives the interior its brightness, and the vaults of the nave rise to thirty-seven metres, among the highest in France. The west facade has two towers and five portals carved with scenes of the Last Judgement and the lives of saints. The cathedral's most important monument is the tomb of Francis II, the last Duke of Brittany, and his wife Marguerite de Foix, commissioned by their daughter Anne of Brittany and carved by Michel Colombe in the early sixteenth century, one of the masterpieces of French Renaissance sculpture, with statues of the four cardinal virtues at the corners.

The crypt holds the cathedral's treasury. The cathedral was also damaged by fire in 1972. The nave's slender columns rise without capitals into the vaults, emphasising the height. The south transept holds a monument to General Lamoricière, carved by Paul Dubois in the nineteenth century. The stained glass of the choir was largely replaced after the Second World War, and a large window by Jean Le Moal fills the south transept with colour. The crypt displays reliquaries and silverwork. The outer walls show the pale tufa stone, and the square in front is framed by old houses. The Porte Saint-Pierre, a remnant of the city walls, stands beside the cathedral.

Nantes Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, though restoration work since the 2020 fire may close some areas. Nantes is lively all year, and the Voyage à Nantes art festival in summer places installations around the city. The Folle Journée classical music festival in late January or early February fills the city with concerts. Spring and summer are pleasant for walking along the Loire. The cathedral's white interior is especially bright on sunny days. Allow about half an hour for the cathedral, and visit the Château of the Dukes of Brittany nearby. Restoration updates are published by the diocese, so check before visiting which parts are open.