Château des Ducs de Bretagne, Nantes, France

The Château des ducs de Bretagne (Castle of the Dukes of Brittany) is a large castle located in Nantes. It 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. Today the castle houses the Nantes History Museum.

The restored edifice now includes the new Nantes History Museum, installed in 32 of the castle rooms. The museum presents more than 850 objects of collection with the aid of multimedia devices. The castle and the museum try to offer a modern vision of the heritage by presenting the past, the present and the future of the city. Night-time illuminations at the castle further reinforce the revival of the site. The 500-metre round walk on the fortified ramparts provides views not just of the castle buildings and courtyards but also of the town.

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User Reviews

Anne West-Leclou (43 days ago)
Amazing museum - very educational. You can choose short or extended self-guided visits

Akshay Mannur (2 months ago)
Beautiful castle. Good evidence of history you will just spend some nice time in here after visiting

alex Taylor (2 months ago)
Easily a two day visit. It's huge. Audio available and displays well set out.

Seamus McInerney (3 months ago)
Love this spot. Especially the coffee shop in the courtyard. Access to the courtyard and ramparts is free. There are charges for the chateaux itself and the exhibition space. Have not yet visited the chateaux but did visit an excellent visiting exhibition on the Vikings.

Khanh DO (5 months ago)
Really nice experience spending here. People who enjoy to engage more in history events can spend up to 2 more hours here, to see all the events that took placr in Nantes in gẻneral, and in this chateau alone. It explains deeply about the history of Nantes and chateau de Bretagne. The Chateau also opens for free for those who are just interested in the landscape of the chateau. Besides, The castle also have a nice green grass yard surround it for those who want a small picnic outside, bath in the sun and enjoy the chill air of the chateau.

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Lübeck Cathedral

Lübeck Cathedral is a large brick-built Lutheran cathedral in Lübeck, Germany and part of the Lübeck UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1173 Henry the Lion founded the cathedral to serve the Diocese of Lübeck, after the transfer in 1160 of the bishop's seat from Oldenburg in Holstein under bishop Gerold. The then Romanesque cathedral was completed around 1230, but between 1266 and 1335 it was converted into a Gothic-style building with side-aisles raised to the same height as the main aisle.

On the night of Palm Sunday (28–29 March) 1942 a Royal Air Force bombing raid destroyed a fifth of the town centre. Several bombs fell in the area around the church, causing the eastern vault of the quire to collapse and destroying the altar which dated from 1696. A fire from the neighbouring cathedral museum spread to the truss of the cathedral, and around noon on Palm Sunday the towers collapsed. An Arp Schnitger organ was lost in the flames. Nevertheless, a relatively large portion of the internal fittings was saved, including the cross and almost all of the medieval polyptychs. In 1946 a further collapse, of the gable of the north transept, destroyed the vestibule almost completely.

Reconstruction of the cathedral took several decades, as greater priority was given to the rebuilding of the Marienkirche. Work was completed only in 1982.

The cathedral is unique in that at 105 m, it is shorter than the tallest church in the city. This is the consequence of a power struggle between the church and the guilds.

The 17 m crucifix is the work of the Lübeck artist Bernt Notke. It was commissioned by the bishop of Lübeck, Albert II. Krummendiek, and erected in 1477. The carvings which decorate the rood screen are also by Notke.

Since the war, the famous altar of Hans Memling has been in the medieval collection of the St. Annen Museum, but notable polyptychs remain in the cathedral.

In the funeral chapels of the southern aisle are Baroque-era memorials by the Flemish sculptor Thomas Quellinus.

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