In the city of Nantes, on the Loire River in the Upper Brittany region of western France

 “A wood that smells of the sea.” ― Nina George, The Little French Bistro

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(in western France) The city of Nantes is found at the head of the estuary of the Loire River, where it is joined by the Erdre and the Sèvre rivers, 35 miles (56 km) from the Atlantic coast, southwest of Paris. Once a busy seaport in the estuary of the Loire, Nantes was chosen in the old times by the dukes of Brittany as their historical capital. Though the city still boasts a unique architectural heritage with its magnificent Château des ducs de Bretagne, a Renaissance-style castle nestled in a fortress, a medieval quarter, and one of the highest cathedrals of France, it has been transformed in recent decades, perhaps more than any other city in France. Spirited and innovative, this artsy place was founded by Celts around 70 BCE and in 937 CE, it joined the duchy of Brittany. The Edict of Nantes, a landmark royal charter guaranteeing civil rights to France's Huguenots (Protestants), was signed in Nantes by Henri IV in 1598. By the 18th century Nantes had become France's foremost port, and in the 19th century -- following the abolition of slavery -- it became an industrial center. (The world's first public transport service, the omnibus, began operating here in 1826.)