“I grew up by a castle.”

That’s what I told Feng when we first met and chatted about our respective hometowns. Mind you, I wasn’t bragging, just merely stating a fact. French, castles, old monuments and historical landmarks were part of the landscape. We visited them as kids but didn’t think much of them, unless they were really special (I do have good memories of the yearly mandatory school visit to the LU cookie factory because of the free sampling at the end!).

When Feng first came to Nantes in 2008, on our way from the train station to my parents’ place, we passed the Château des Ducs de Bretagne. “Oh my God, you did grow up a five-minute walk to a castle!” he said. “I thought you were exaggerating!”

I wasn’t. The Château des Ducs de Bretagne served as the centre of the historical province of Brittany until its separation in 1941. It was the residence of the Dukes of Brittany between the 13th and 16th centuries, subsequently becoming the Breton residence of the French Monarchy. Renovations took place years ago and it is free to visit the courtyard and the fortified ramparts. And yes, it is located in the city centre, where I lived until I left home at 18.

Even though I have been to the Château a thousand times, I still enjoy an informal visit… even more so after living in Canada, where there isn’t so much “old history” around!

Château des Ducs de Bretagne
Château des Ducs de Bretagne
Nantes Tourisme
Nantes Tourisme
Birds and Tourists
Birds and Tourists
Somewhat Creepy Modern Art
Somewhat Creepy Modern Art
Château des Ducs de Bretagne
Château des Ducs de Bretagne
The Inside Courtyard
The Inside Courtyard
The Towers
The Towers
The City from the Towers
The City from the Towers
The LU Cookies from the Tower
The LU Cookies from the Tower
City from the Tower
City from the Tower
The LU Cookies from the Tower
The LU Cookies from the Tower
Old Walls
Old Walls
From the Mirador
From the Mirador
Old Walls
Old Walls
Visited 26 times, 1 visit(s) today

10 Comments

  1. Holly Nelson July 1, 2013 at 3:54 pm

    So pretty – French chateaus are so much more elegant than the heavy British castles. So much prettier. You were lucky to live there x

    Reply
    1. Zhu July 2, 2013 at 7:12 am

      I kind of like British castles: at least, no one invaded you!

      Reply
  2. Jeruen July 2, 2013 at 5:35 am

    It reminds me of Ghent, which has Gravensteen, a castle that is right in the middle of the city. Streetcars pass by it every day! So I guess people who live in cities like Nantes and Ghent can say they grew up 5-minutes-walk from a castle!

    Reply
    1. Zhu July 2, 2013 at 7:13 am

      Funny that another foreign city has the same “setup”!

      Reply
  3. La Madame July 2, 2013 at 8:40 am

    Le château est super beau 🙂 Mais maudit que c’est de mauvais goût les têtes qui dépassent de l’eau!! 😀

    Reply
  4. Dennation July 3, 2013 at 7:20 pm

    I grew up near a château as well, Château Laurier, hahaha.

    Reply
    1. Zhu July 4, 2013 at 5:50 am

      That’s actually more classy than my old French castle! 😆

      Reply

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