Île de Nantes facts for kids

Aerial view of the île de Nantes

The île de Nantes on the map of Nantes

The île de Nantes (which means "Island of Nantes") is a cool island right in the middle of Nantes, a city in France. It's surrounded by two parts of the Loire river. These parts are called the "bras de la Madeleine" to the north and the "bras de Pirmil" to the south. This island is one of the eleven main areas, or neighborhoods, of Nantes.

Island Size and Its Story

The île de Nantes is about 4.9 kilometers (3 miles) long and 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) wide. It wasn't always one big island! Long ago, it was many smaller islands. These smaller islands were separated by different branches of the Loire river. Locals sometimes called these branches "Boires."

Over time, during the 1800s and 1900s, these river branches were filled in. This connected the smaller islands like "île Beaulieu" and "île Sainte-Anne" into the single large island we see today. The island is now one of the most modern and well-kept parts of Nantes. You can find cool new buildings here, like a big sports arena for basketball. The island also has many trees and flowers. This helped Nantes be named the European Green Capital in 2013!

Getting Around the Island

The île de Nantes is connected to the rest of the city by 13 different bridges. These bridges help people get on and off the island easily.

• Eight bridges cross the "bras de la Madeleine" river branch:
  • Éric Tabarly bridge
  • Résal bridge (this one is for trains!)
  • Willy Brandt's bridge
  • Aristide Briand bridge
  • Général Audibert bridge
  • Haudaudine bridge
  • Passerelle Victor Schoelcher (this is a bridge just for people walking!)
  • Anne-de-Bretagne bridge
• Five bridges cross the "bras de Pirmil" river branch:
  • Léopold Sédar Senghor bridge
  • Georges Clemenceau bridge
  • Pirmil bridge
  • Pornic bridge (another train bridge, but it also has a bike path!)
  • Trois continents bridge

There's also a railway bridge called the Vendée's bridge that crosses the island itself. However, there isn't a train station on the island for people to get off.

Cool Places to See

The île de Nantes has many interesting spots to visit:

• Machines of the Isle of Nantes: This is a super cool place with giant mechanical animals and machines you can ride!
• Court of justice of Nantes: This is where important legal decisions are made for the city.
• Titan cranes: These are huge old cranes that used to be used for shipbuilding. Now they are landmarks.
• Blockhaus DY10: A historic concrete bunker from World War II.
• The Palais des Sports de Beaulieu: A large indoor sports hall where many games and events happen.
• Buren's rings: A series of colorful rings along the river, especially pretty at night.
• The hangar à bananes (banana warehouse): This old warehouse has been turned into a lively spot with restaurants and bars.

See also

In Spanish: Isla de Nantes para niños