Nantes and Around
Nantes -
Jules Verne Museum (Nantes) Jules Verne was born in Nantes and lived on an island in the middle of the Loire River. The Jules Verne Museum, is not the original Verne house, but has souvenirs from Jules Verne, as well as models of the futuristic machines described in his novels.Les Machines de L'lle - See Jules Verne's machines as huge creations, especially the Le Grand Elephant that walks. Go round and round on Les Carrousel des Mondes Marin - with three levels of marine creatures, ride on a Pirate fish, jellyfish, giant crab and more! And visit the workshop to see how designers are making new mechanical machines. Jardins des Plantes - Take your picnic lunch to the Jardin des Plantes, lots of trees and shade, plus fun plant sculptures - giant chickens, sleeping, resting.Grand Parc du Puy du Fou (near Cholet) - Puy du Fou is a spectacular European history theme park. Watch gladiator games in a replica of the Roman Coliseum, see a Viking raid in action (with full size boats), cross over the drawbridge into a fortified medieval city, wander through an 18th century village, plus sword fights with the musketeers, live performances, medieval jousting, birds of prey and puppet shows, and a nighttime extravaganza. Don't miss a medieval lunch, drumsticks areserved on swords. Highly recommended by a family with five children, "this park literally took my family's breath away."
"Blue Mine" (La Mine Bleue, Noyant-la-Gravoyere) - The Blue Mine was once a slate mine. Put on a blue hard hat, descend in an elevator deep into the mine, ride on a train that winds through tunnels and some very large caverns where the slate was mined. A second tour is themed to Jules Verne's "Voyage to the Center of the Earth" where you'll see prehistoric fossils, inventions and an underground laboratory.
