How to visit Estuaire Nantes<>Saint-Nazaire ?
All sites are accessible freely*. Art installations based in Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, in open-air or in art centres, will give you the opportunity to wander and discover the historic and contemporary heritage of these two towns. They are all accessible by foot, by bike or by public transport.
Throughout the trail, visitors will also be able to stop and have something to eat in various friendly places : the Isle of Nantes canteen, the Carnet canteen with its mobile architectures, or the crêperie-bookstore of Lavau-sur-Loire. Or bring your picnic!
Estuaire has also provided an easy access for people with reduced mobility or with a handicap. Please contact the ticket office for more information.
With Estuaire Nantes<>Saint-Nazaire , you get to choose how you want to visit the different sites and artworks .
The coach and boat visits are organised by Estuaire, in collaboration with Veolia Environment, Project Partner.
* Except for the Museum of Fine Arts of Nantes
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Various options
The Mixte
Embark on a cruise that reveals the river and its landscapes: it will prove to be the perfect way to discover the river banks, its picturesque towns along the way, or the wild and mysterious fauna and flora of the natural reserve. All this served with gigantic industrial buildings and a port heritage, all of which needing to be preserved and looked after.
To get a closer look at the art installations, the on-land route is the best. Once landed in Nantes or in Saint-Nazaire, a coach will take you to the north bank or the south bank of the river (choice to be made at the time of the booking).
The cruise
On the north bank :
Daniel Buren / Roman Signer
Jimmie Durham / Erwin Wurm
Tatzu Nishi / Kinya Maruyama
I.C.I. (Micro-architectures and Light Habitat Meeting)
On the south bank :
I.C.I. (Micro-architectures and Light Habitat Meeting)
Kinya Maruyama (Paimbœuf)
On the north bank:
Tadashi Kawamata (Lavau-sur-Loire)
Tatzu Nishi (Cordemais)
The All-by-Coach
A coach will also take the countryside roads of the estuary to get a closer look at some of the art pieces. A mediator will accompany you on your trip. This visiting option means that you get to spend more time on sites, especially for the urban part (Nantes and Saint-Nazaire).
On the south bank :
Roman Signer (Rezé)
Erwin Wurm (Le Pellerin) Micro-architectures and Light Habitat Meeting (Frossay)
Kinya Maruyama (Paimbœuf)
On the north bank :
Tadashi Kawamata (Lavau-sur-Loire)
Tatzu Nishi (Cordemais)
Jimmie Durham (viewpoint at Indre)
The Mini
Departing from Nantes :
Embark for a one hour cruise to Le Pellerin: once you have gone through the pieces of Daniel Buren, Jeppe Hein, Roman Signer, Jimmie Durham, stop by at the Vinaigrerie. Self-claimed a “show room for doers“, the Vinaigrerie is a vast factory, pierced by light, and welcoming the reflections of the river, facing the quay of the ferry. Once the property of ship-owners, it has now become a residence space for artists. From the 6th of June to the 21st of August, MP Vite Association presents the exhibition DASEIN MACHEND.
But the Vinaigrerie is also a Bistrot where you can eat and drink a little something !
Get back to Nantes at sunset !
And don’t forget to visit Fontevraud and Oiron, as well as the sound and taste cruises.
Rates
The Mixte
Full rate 23€ / Reduced rate* 20€
Under-aged 15€
The All-by-coach
Full rate 18€ / Reduced rate* 15€
Under-aged 10€
The Mini
Full rate 14€ / Reduced rate* 14€
Under-aged 8€
Taste Cruise
Normal rate 30€
Clubbing Cruise
Normal rate 25€
Fontevraud Abbey / Oiron Castle Option
(train + coach + tickets)
Full rate 25€ / - 25 years old 16€
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How and where to buy your tickets ?
Ticket outlet : Please make sure you book your tickets in advance !
In Nantes
1. Le Lieu Unique
at the ticket office
or phone the 00 33 (0)2 40 75 75 07
payment by credit card, Pass Patrimoine, Chèque vacances ANCV, Chèque Culture
Get your tickets sent at home for 1€ only !
Quai Ferdinand Favre, Nantes (between the southern entrance of the train station
and the Cité des Congrès)
From the 23rd of April to the 4th of June: from Tuesday to Saturday, 1pm to 8pm (closed on the 1st of May, open from 3pm to 7pm the 8th and the 29th of May).
From the 5th of June to the 16th of August: from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm
2.Tourist Information Desk
Feydeau Reception desk
3, cours Olivier de Clisson
From Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm
(10.30am on Thursdays)
Cathedral Reception desk
2, Place Saint-Pierre From Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 1pm
(10.30am on Thursdays) and from 2pm to 6pm
In Saint-Nazaire
Estuaire outlet
at the Tourist Information Desk
Submarine Base,
Bd de la Légion d’Honneur, Ville-Port
From the 28th of April to the 7th of June : from Tuesday to
Sunday, 9.30am to 12.30pm, 2pm to 6pm (closed on the 1st of May)
From the 9th of June to the 16th of August :
From Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm
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Departing day…
From Nantes
Access
- Parking of Les Chantiers,
Boulevard de la Prairie au Duc, Isle of Nantes (400 places)
- Tramway line 1, Chantiers Navals stop (10 minutes walk from the Prouvé Station)
- Tramway line 1, Gare Maritime stop, then take the navy bus to the Isle of Nantes’ pier (everyday, from 9am to 8pm, with a valid TAN transport ticket)
- Bus n°58, Prairie au Duc stop
Information
Ticket outlet:
Prouvé Station:
Prairie au Duc, Isle of Nantes (next to Les Chantiers’ Parking)
From the 9th of June to the 16th of August, from Tuesday to Sunday, 8.45am to 7pm (9pm on the following Fridays : the 12th and 26th of June, the 10th and 24th of July, the 7th of August)
Phoneline on the day of your trip: 00 33 (0)2 40 75 75 07, from 8.45am to 9.30am
Leaving by boat :
Isle of Nantes’ pier
5 minutes walk from the Prouvé Station
Leaving by coach :
Les Chantiers’ Parking
5 minutes walk from the Prouvé Station
From Saint-Nazaire
Access
Parking of the submarine base, West Indies esplanade, Ville-Port
From the train station, various buses go towards the centre of town,
then a free shuttle service goes to the submarine base.
Information
Ticket outlet :
Estuaire outlet at Saint-Nazaire’s Tourist Information Desk
Submarine base, Bd de la Légion d’Honneur, Ville-Port
From the 9th of June to the 16th of August, from Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm
Leaving by boat :
Pier, Quai du commerce
5 minutes walk from the Tourist Information Desk
Leaving by coach :
Quai de Commerce, by the LiFE
2 minutes walk from the Tourist Information Desk
Attention !
When leaving by boat, make sure you arrive 25 minutes before the departure.
When leaving by coach, make sure you arrive 15 minutes before the departure.
By doing so, you will be able to choose your place (by the window ? In front of the coach,
at the back of the boat ?). No possible claim for visitors arriving late.
Animals are neither allowed on the boat nor in the coach.
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The Prouvé station
Information and ticket collection (the departing day)
Prairie au Duc, Isle of Nantes (next to the Chantiers’ Parking)
Starting on the 5th of June
By the end of the sixties, Jean Prouvé was asked by the oil company TOTAL to rethink their corporate image. The architect developed a prototype for a revolutionary petrol station : the station would move according to the variations of the traffic. This prototype is a 13-sided polygon, with a light structure, on two levels, all of it could be taken apart, and 50 of them were produced.
For Estuaire, the station has been transformed into the information desk, giving the opportunity to live and share a moment of design history. The contracting authority, a designer and an architecture lover, here partners with Métalobil (Nantes) for the interior design.
Jean Prouvé (1901-1984) is an architect and a self-taught designer. Coming from an artistic family background and influenced by the School of Nancy, he is considered by many as one of the 20th century greatest inventors of structures in architecture. Iron craftsman, engineer and manufacturer, but also humanist inventor always on the move, he created numerous technical solution and his creations – furniture, signs or buildings – are proofs, if needed, of his significant impact on the modern architecture and design.
Courtesy : Jean-François Godet
Work produced thanks to the support of Groupe Coupechoux, Official Partner.
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Get ready…
Accommodations
You will find different kind of accommodations along the Loire estuary.
To help you with your choice, please refer to :
Nantes Metropole Tourist Information Desk
www.resanantes.com or 00 33 (0)8 92 464 044
Saint-Nazaire Tourist Information Desk
www.saint-nazaire-tourisme.com or 00 33 (0)2 22 40 65
Gîtes de France en Loire-Atlantique
www.gites-de-france-44.fr or 00 33 (0)2 51 72 95 65
Loire-Atlantique Camping
www.ohlala-resa.com
Charming and picturesque accommodations
www.uncoinchezsoi.net – www.uncoinunique.com
(10% discount for visitors of Estuaire 2009)
Catering
Nantes’ Canteen
Quai des Antilles / Isle of Nantes
Open everyday, except on Sunday evening
And Monday, from midday to midnight
Rate : 10€ for lunch / 12€ for dinner
No booking (300 tables…)
Sittings: 12.30pm > 2pm and 7.30pm>11pm
Le lieu unique restaurant
For more information about the opening hours and potential booking : 00 33 (0)2 51 72 05 55
www.lelieuunique.com
Le Carnet Gourmand / Frossay
Meet Jean-Luc Daunay and his team in an exceptional setting: once there, enjoy the local and maritime products of the menu.
Open from Tuesday to Sunday, from midday to 9.30pm.
The crêperie-bookstore of la Maison du Port / Lavau-sur-Loire
Reopened for the 2007 edition of Estuaire, Yseult welcomes you in his garden, with a terrace designed by Tadashi Kawamata.
Open from Tuesday to Sunday
From 10am to 9pm /
00 33 (0)2 40 34 61 73
The Absence
ENSAN square / Isle of Nantes
Bar and nibbling
Open from Tuesday to Sunday
from 10am to 8pm
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Get organised…
Estuaire by bike…
A map ‘Estuaire by bike” is available at every site.
The Bike Day
Sunday 7th of June
The Bike Day goes through 9 different towns, situated either north or south of the river, from Nantes to Couëron-Le Pellerin. Come with your family or with some friends and enjoy the 40kms ride, in complete safety. The Bike Day is not a race, and anyone can join in. For this special occasion, all ferries will be booked for cyclists and pedestrians.
5 catering and resting places will be made available for the day : On the Isle of Nantes (in the naves), Indret, Pé Castle in Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau, Bikini Island in Le Pellerin and on the quays of Couëron.
The Loire river by bike in the Pays de la Loire region : www.loire-a-velo.fr
The Lila Shuttle will carry your bike !
The Lila Shuttle links Nantes to Paimboeuf (Canal de la Martinière/Pellerin stop). This is the right opportunity for you to discover by bike the course of Estuaire, and to come back by coach and vice-versa !
From Tuesday to Sunday
Departing from Nantes’ Coach Station (Quai Baco) : 1.30pm
Departing from Paimboeuf (Tourist Information Desk) : 6pm
Rate : 2€ (limited amount of seats – booking mandatory 24 hours before your departure :
00 33 (0)2 40 75 75 07)
Renting bikes
All along the course of the river, from Nevers to Saint-Nazaire (more than 20 partners and 4 agencies), enjoy the large amount of choice and services of Détours de Loire: bike rentals, accessories, repatriation of the rent equipment, luggage transfer, and tailor made tours.
Various renting spots are available:
Détours de Loire, Nantes’ agency
– Baco Coach station – Allée de la Maison Rouge – 00 33 (0)2 40 48 75 37
– Bar and Crêperie La Martinière – Le Pellerin – 00 33 (0)2 28 21 59 68
– L’estuaire Restaurant
Chemin Estuaire – Paimboeuf 00 33 (0)2 40 39 60 54
Rental rate: 14€ for the day / 9€ for half a day.
www.detoursdeloire.com
Détours de Loire also offers a day trip along the Estuaire (on Sundays).
The 28th of June, the 26th of July, the 16th of August
Rate :
From 5€ to 8€ per person
Bookings : 00 33 (0)2 40 48 75 37
Road signs
All along the route, Estuaire signs will help you find your way to the art installations.
Roadmap
Michelin’s roadmap of the estuary is available at each of our sites for 1€ (it includes all the places, catering sites,…)
Mediation
Whether you are by boat or by coach, a mediator will accompany you on your trip, guiding you through the landscape and the work of the artists.
On some of the sites, the mediator will also provide useful tips, and help you organise your future visits.
Estuaire 2009 catalogue
Special Issue of the journal 303
In June, the 303 magazine will give you an insight of the event: art critics, artists interview, the genesis of the event…
To discover the region and the local area
www.ohlaloireatlantique.com
www.enpaysdelaloire.com
Find Estuaire at your local shopkeeper, thanks to the partnership between Estuaire and local associations of Nantes (Plein Centre, UNACOD) and Saint-Nazaire.
Get organised...
Destineo
With Destineo, you are one click away from your destination: various itineraries, timetables, connections (train, coach, tramway, bus shuttle and plane), key places (hotel, restaurants, tourist destinations…), traffic information… just ask, and Destineo will tell you.
www.destineo.fr
Transportation
TER package : for 35€, by yourself or with 2, 3, 4, or 5 persons, friends or family, travel to every destinations of the Regional network of the Pays de la Loire, as much as you want !
The package is valid for two consecutive days.
www.ter-sncf.com