Historically part of the ancient Duchy of Brittany, it still owes much allegiance in terms of culture. Large tracts of the ancient forest that once covered the area can still be seen, but there is also room for the vineyards which produce the famous Muscadet wines. The coast is dotted with resorts and blessed with wide, sandy beaches.

Once the capital of Brittany, Nantes is the seventh largest city in France and the fourth largest port. Its position as a trading centre brought huge wealth, and the western part of the town still boasts magnificent 18th century buildings on and around the Ile Feydeau.

The medieval quarter, centred on the 15th century château, is where the original Bluebeard (Gilles de Retz) was said to have murdered hundreds of children before being convicted of sorcery in 1440. The Edict of Nantes, which ended the Wars of Religion in 1598, was issued here. Several important museums and art galleries include the Musée Jules Verne, commemorating the writer who was born in Nantes.

Fans of fine food heading east make sure they stop in Ancenis which has a well deserved reputation for gourmet restaurants. The hillsides are coated with vines, one of the smallest appellations being Malvoisie whose origins date back to Roman times. Parts of the château date from the 10th century and the market is on Thursdays.

	La Baule beach

St Nazaire was completely destroyed by Allied bombing in WWII and has been rebuilt around the port. Possibly the most interesting feature for the tourist is the underwater submarine base built by the Germans, which can still be seen in the St Nazaire basin. Le Croisic is a small fishing port which is busy in the summer and weekends out of season. New building work on the outskirts puts some visitors off, but the old port still has charm and in many ways it appears almost Breton.

A few kilometres up the coast is La Baule which is often claimed to be one of the most beautiful resorts on the Atlantic coast, with one of the longest beaches in Europe.

The département has a number of châteaux, most of which are older fortresses dating from as early as the 12th century, including Blain and Clisson. The church at Le Loroux-Bottereau has 13th century frescoes.

Pornic is a charming seaside resort on the coast with a harbour full of yachts. The medieval château was badly restored in the 19th century.

The château at Châteaubriant is split into two parts, one pre-15th century and one post – it includes an enormous square keep. An important rural trading centre, it has been famous for its livestock market since the Middle Ages.