Three centuries of botany, sea-faring and the green fingers of the gardeners have made the gardens what they are today. Maybe you’ll be able to smell the adventure coming from the fragrances of travel…
The botanical gardens host over 10,000 taxa, which places it among the top 5 collections in France. Some of these have been cultivated on-site in one of the ornate elegant 19th century green- houses. You can visit the gardens independently or with a botanical gardener.
In connection with the new station, the garden has also expanded and now opens out onto the city. It has also been fitted with a new entrance, showcasing the park’s magnolias along the esplanade, and extends the garden beyond its walls, out onto the forecourt.
Every summer edition of Le Voyage à Nantes has offered a brand-new collaboration between an artist and the Direction Nature & Jardins. This is how, from 2013 to 2017, Claude Ponti’s Dormanron (aka, the “giant bench”) and Dépodépo (a play area where giant flower pots are turned into huts and gazebos) were born.
Following in the footsteps of Ponti, illustrator Pedro, and artist Johannn Le Guillerm, the city now turns to multifaceted graphic designer Jean Jullien to take over the Jardin des Plantes.
In December 2022, 5 installations left the Jardin des Plantes for good, while Fileur (“Spinner”), Observateur (“Observer”) and Passeur (“Ferryman”) remain to welcome visitors at the garden gates. Some characters have even ventured outside the park, like: Hisseur (“Climber”) on the façade of Nantes’ City Hall in Rue de Strasbourg, and the Débitumeur (“De-asphalter”) near the castle.
Cimetière de la Bouteillerie
9 and 11, Rue Gambetta
Created in 1774, this cemetery offers many views of the city throughout its six hectares. One
of its distinctive characteristics is its WWI military section, with graves of German soldiers. There are also the mausoleums of many of Nantes’ most important families.
7 days a week: 8 am – 8 pm. 02 Nov – 31 Jan: 8 am – 6 pm.
Uneven surfaces in some pathways.
The Orangerie Café
At the top end of the garden, with an outdoor patio overlooking the park.
T. 02 28 44 27 08
Artworks #LVAN
5 Rue Ecorchard, 44000 Nantes
How to get there?
Parking(s) nearby: Parking Gare Château, Parking Château, Parking Gare Sud 3
Public transport: Gare Nord, Trébuchet, Gare Sud, Bouteillerie
Self-service bicycles: Gare De Nantes Nord 2 (n°62), Gare De Nantes Nord (n°60), Jardin Des Plantes (n°63), Gare De Nantes Sud (n°70), Duchesse Anne (n°49), Lieu Unique (n°61), Saint Clément (n°64)
T. +33 (0)2 40 41 65 09
Website
> Café de l'Orangerie
The reception of the plant garden is open every day :
Opening hours between 08.10 and 19.03 :
from 13.30 to 17.00 (outside school vacations)
from 10.30 to 12.00 and from 13.30 to 17.00 (during school vacations)
Opening hours between 20.03 and 07.10 :
from 13.30 to 18.00 (outside school vacations)
from 10.30 to 12.00 and from 13.30 to 18.00 (during school vacations)
Opening hours of the garden here
Special offer for PASS Nantes holders
Book PASS Nantes
For Pass Nantes holders : VIP entry to some greenhouses and a gift packet of seeds at the end of the visit.
At the top end of the garden, with an outdoor patio overlooking the park: restaurant open for lunch, tea room-ice cream parlour in the afternoons.
7/7. Closed in January.
THE ORANGERIE CAFÉ