Commerce Square

Place du Commerce, the beating heart of Nantes

The Nantes audio-guided tour takes you to Place du Commerce, the meeting point par excellence of the city. Close to transport and the main streets, this large pedestrian square fills with chalets at Christmas and terraces in summer, to the rhythm of Nantes life.

From a merchant port to a pedestrian square

It is hard to imagine that in the Middle Ages, this place was outside the city walls. Where the tram lines now pass flowed an arm of the river, by which merchant boats arrived from the Loire: one then stood on the Place du Port-au-Vin, bordered by moats protecting the fortified town. In the fifteenth century, the rise of maritime activity prompted the shipowners to build new infrastructure. The filling in of the river arms in the twentieth century gave the square its present face.

What there is to see

The square opens onto fine buildings, including the former stock exchange, and is an ideal starting point for exploring the city centre. Lively at all hours, lined with shops and cinemas, it is a convenient landmark for the people of Nantes as for visitors. Through the seasons, Christmas markets and summer terraces make it an essential place of life.

Practical information

Place du Commerce is in the heart of the city centre of Nantes. Entirely pedestrian, it is freely accessible at all hours and on the level, and forms a major hub of the tram network. It is an excellent starting point for discovering the city.

What was once on Place du Commerce?

In the Middle Ages, an arm of the Loire and the Place du Port-au-Vin occupied the site, outside the walls of the fortified town bordered by moats.

Why is the square a meeting point?

By its central location, its tram service and its proximity to the shopping streets, which make it the most convenient meeting place in Nantes.