Dukes of Brittany, a three-level arcade and a city on the Loire
The Nantes scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk from landmark to landmark, solve a riddle at each one by looking closely at what is around you, and unlock the stories and legends behind it. From the fine arts museum to the Loire quays the route covers 2.9 km and 10 stops, only about 36 minutes of walking, while the riddles and stories in between turn it into a game of around 2 hours that starts the moment you choose.
Highlights include the Gothic cathedral with the tomb of Duke Francis II, the moated Château des ducs de Bretagne, the trumpeting angels of Sainte-Croix, Place Royale, the staircases of Passage Pommeraye and Théâtre Graslin. The centre of Nantes is compact and largely flat, so on foot you move easily from the medieval Bouffay quarter to the elegant 18th-century districts and the Loire.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 36 min · 2.9 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
What you do on the Nantes hunt, between the museum and the river
Riddles in tufa, iron and glass
At every stop the riddle is built into something you can see: the pale tufa of the cathedral front, the moat and walls of the dukes' castle, the iron railings and glass roof of Passage Pommeraye. Observation and a little deduction are all it takes, so nobody in the team needs to know Breton history beforehand.
Dukes, merchants and a hard chapter of history
Solved riddles open up the stories: how Anne of Brittany, twice Queen of France, carried on the work on her father's castle, why the city's belfry ended up on top of Sainte-Croix, and how 18th-century Nantes grew rich as France's main slave-trading port. The audio narration can tell these stories while you walk from the Bouffay down to the quays.
2.9 km from the museum to the Loire quays
Walking accounts for about 36 minutes: from the museum to the cathedral and the castle, through the narrow lanes of the Bouffay, west past Saint-Nicolas to Place Royale and Graslin, then down to the Loire. Google Maps takes you from one stop to the next, and the centre of Nantes is largely flat.
Lunch in the Bouffay, a pause by the river fountain
Nothing runs against the clock, so stop for lunch in the lanes of the Bouffay or sit by the fountain on Place Royale, and continue the same afternoon or on another day. The app adds tips for local food and shops, from the old quarter to the streets around Graslin.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who the game in Nantes suits: Loire weekends, families with kids and office teams
Two hours between castle and cathedral
Two hours or so is enough to see the dukes' castle, the Gothic cathedral and the 18th-century merchant city, which makes the game a good start to a weekend in Nantes or an easy afternoon between meetings. The riddles keep the pace lively without turning the walk into a lecture.
Trumpeting angels and a grand staircase for kids
Kids enjoy walking along the castle moat, spotting the trumpeting angels on top of Sainte-Croix and climbing the grand staircase of Passage Pommeraye, with sculpted figures watching from the galleries. Each team needs an adult, and the last stop on the Quai de la Fosse is a quiet, serious place worth talking about with older children.
Teams that finish by the river
A group can be split into teams of five or fewer, everyone holding the game on their own phone, and each team can leave the Musée d'Arts with a few minutes' head start on the next. The memorial on the Quai de la Fosse makes a calm gathering point at the end, a short walk from the cafés around Théâtre Graslin.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Certaines questions étaient difficiles mais avec des enfants réactifs ont s’en est sortis
Oliver Dorscheid (verified owner) –
Nice game
GAUTILLOT– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Sympa et ludique
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Bonjour, Nous avons aimé l’activité mais pour les enfants en dessous de 10ans les textes sont un peu long et peu adaptés. Merci à vous.
Tardieux– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Cette activité nous emmène dans plusieurs lieux à voir à Nantes. On peut le faire à son rythme et les énigmes sont accessibles. Par contre, attention, j’ai payé pour 2 adultes mais c’est inutile quand on le fait ensemble. Du coup, j’ai perdu 6 euros.
Pascal– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Activité plaisante à faire. Mais les énigmes sont faciles
George Papas (verified owner) –
I chose to do this activity with my girlfriend in the city of Nantes. It was economical and fun, I was quite happy too because I found the puzzles clever and easy to solve.