Nantes' leaning houses

The leaning houses of Nantes

The Nantes audio-guided tour draws your attention to a curiosity well known to the inhabitants: some houses in the city lean dangerously. The phenomenon is particularly striking on the Quai de la Fosse, facing the port, where the façades seem to follow a surreal angle.

Unstable ground, as in Pisa

Nantes is a river city, crossed by the Loire and the Erdre, and once dotted with many river arms now filled in. The buildings were often constructed on the banks of these watercourses, on sandy and unstable ground. The foundations, not deep enough to reach the firm ground, began to slide over time. It is exactly the same phenomenon as for the famous Tower of Pisa, which explains the tilt of these façades.

What there is to see

On the Quai de la Fosse, observe the façade of the bakery that has completely lost its symmetry: the offset is particularly marked at the level of the windows. Looking up along the streets near the port, you spot other buildings whose lines undulate strangely. These leaning houses are an unusual and amusing curiosity, which tells in its own way the river past of Nantes.

Practical information

The leaning houses can be observed above all along the Quai de la Fosse and the neighbouring streets, facing the port, in the heart of Nantes. The façades can be contemplated freely from the street, at all hours and on the level, along the walk. They are residential buildings and shops, to be observed from the outside.

Why do the houses of Nantes lean?

Because they were built on sandy and unstable ground, beside former river arms, with foundations too shallow that slid over time.

Where can you see the leaning houses?

Above all on the Quai de la Fosse, facing the port, where the façades, such as that of a bakery, have clearly lost their symmetry.