Bouffay district

The Bouffay district, cradle of Nantes

The Nantes audio-guided tour plunges you into the Bouffay district, Nantes life par excellence. And it is nothing new: it was here that the Namnetes established their Celtic city, making this district the true historic cradle of the city.

From the Namnetes to the fire brigade

The Celtic village had a fine bronze industry and exchanged tools, wheat and hemp for amphorae, carpets, oils and jewellery. With the Roman conquest and the birth of Condevicnum, the city grew around this nucleus. The name Bouffay appeared in the tenth century, with the construction of the Bouffay castle for Conan I of Brittany. In February 1718, a fire starting at a wig-maker's ravaged a large part of the district: this tragedy gave birth to the first fire brigade of the city.

What there is to see

The Bouffay is a maze of narrow alleys where many fifteenth-century half-timbered houses survive, witnesses to medieval Nantes. Lively by day as by night, the district is full of restaurants, bars and small shops. With the Sainte-Croix church at its heart, it is one of the most lively and authentic areas of the city, ideal for strolling.

Practical information

The Bouffay district is in the heart of the city centre of Nantes, near the château of the Dukes of Brittany. It can be walked freely, at all hours. Its alleys, largely pedestrian, are especially lively in the evening; restaurants and shops follow their own opening hours.

Why is the Bouffay the cradle of Nantes?

Because it was here that the Namnetes founded their Celtic city, around which the town then developed in Roman times.

What to see in the Bouffay district?

Its medieval alleys, its fifteenth-century half-timbered houses, the Sainte-Croix church and its lively atmosphere of restaurants and bars.