Page 215 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Brittany

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E Usine LU, Lieu Unique grow beneath the oldest
Rue de la Biscuiterie, Quai Ferdinand- magnolias in Europe. In the
Favre. Tel (02) 40 12 14 34. Open Tue– tropical greenhouses flourish a
Sun pm, Jul–Aug: daily pm. 8 great many species of orchid.
The history of Nantes is
inseparable from that of the E Musée Jules-Verne
almost legendary biscuit, the 3 Rue de l’Hermitage. Tel (02) 40 69
Petit-Beurre LU, which people 72 52. Open Jul–Aug: daily; Sep–Jun:
have enjoyed for over a century. Mon, Wed–Sat, Sun pm. & 8 Jul–
In 1846, the Lefèvre-Utile, a Aug.
couple from Lorraine who This small house at the top of a
settled in Nantes, opened their steep street is the birthplace of
first pâtisserie. To challenge the writer Jules Verne. The
competition from British imports, museum that it
they began making biscuits on an now contains
industrial scale and in 1885 built gives a detail-
a factory. The Petit-Beurre was ed account of
launched, followed by the Paille his life and
d’Or. From 1913, the factory work, and of
turned out 20 tonnes of biscuits the peculiar
per day. When it became too world that
small to meet the growing he created
demand, the site was abandoned. in his novels. Jules Verne, born in
Threatened with demolition Books, Nantes in 1828
in 1995, the factory was rescued souvenirs,
and, since 1999, what became quotations, humorous
known as the Lieu Unique drawings, cards, magic lanterns
(Unique Place) has become a and models draw the visitor
cultural centre where festivals, into the imaginary world
shows and exhibitions take created by the writer. There is
place. It is very popular with also furniture from his house
the people of Nantes. in Amiens, where Verne spent
Le Gaulage des Pommes, by Émile Bernard, most of his life.
Musée d’Arts Y Jardin des Plantes
Boulevard Stalingrad & Place Sophie- Environs
Denial and Apparition of the Trébuchet. Open daily. The 11th-century Château de
Angel before St Joseph. Opened in the early 19th Goulaine, 13 km (8 miles)
Highlights of the 19th-century century, the botanical garden – southeast of Nantes, contains a
collections include works by the second-largest in France collection of tropical butterflies,
Ingres, particularly his beautiful after the Jardin des Plantes in and an exhibition documenting
portrait of Madame de Senon- Paris – covers 7 ha (17 acres) the history of the LU biscuit
nes (1814), by Delacroix (Caid, and contains 12,000 species of factory. The reception rooms
Moroccan Chief), and by Corot plants. It was originally a garden are sumptuously decorated.
(Democrites and the Abderitans), of mostly medicinal plants,
as well as paintings by the but sea captains brought back + Château de Goulaine
Barbizon School. In the room exotic specimens that rapidly Haute-Goulaine. Tel (02) 40 54 91 42.
devoted to Courbet, the subject broadened its scope. Today, Open Jul–Aug: daily; rest of year: call
matter and compo sition of The the garden contains over 200 ahead. & 8 for groups, all year
Gleaners demonstrates his skill varieties of camellia, which round by arrangement. 7
as a realist.
E Les Machines de l’Iles
des Nantes
I’Iles de Nantes.
This former scrap of wasteland
on the banks of the Loire is an
ongoing urban redevelopment
project. The Nefs, the ancient
naval workshops, are home to
Les Machines de l’Iles des
Nantes. Visitors can ride the
Grand Elephant, an articulated
wooden elephant, and visit bars
and restaurants. Musée Jules-Verne in Nantes, the birthplace of writer Jules Verne

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