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the lovely, miles-long seafront promenade lined with hotels. Like Le Touquet and Dinard, La Baule is a 19th-century creation, founded in 1879 to make the most of the excellent sandy beaches that extend around the broad, sheltered bay between Pornichet and Le Pouliguen. A pine forest, planted in 1840, keeps the shifting local sand dunes firmly at bay. All in all, this can offer an idyllic stay for those who will enjoy a day on the beach, an afternoon at the shops on Avenue du Général-de-Gaulle and Avenue Louis-Lajarrige, and an evening at the casino.

WHERE TO EAT AND STAY IN LA BAULE

La Ferme du Grand Clos.

$ | FRENCH | At this lively restaurant in an old farmhouse, 200 yards from the sea, you should understand the difference between crêpe and galette to order correctly, since the menus showcase both in all their forms (try the galette with scallops and leaks). Or you can opt for the simple, straightforward menu featuring food the owner Christophe Mercy likes to call la cuisine de grand-mère (grandma’s cooking). Come early for a table; it’s a very friendly and popular place. | 52 av. du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny | 44500 | 02–40–60–03–30 | MC, V | Closed Mon. and mid-Nov.–mid-Dec.

Concorde.

$–$$ | This bright-blue-shuttered, white-wall establishment numbers among the least expensive good hotels in pricey La Baule. Once past the formica-clad front desk, the lobby reassures with its elegant, solid Louis Treize–style chairs, antique armoires, and solid wood beams. Upstairs, guest rooms are calm, comfortable, and modernized—faux Louis XV furniture lends a nice grace note. The Concorde is but a short block from the beach (ask for a room with a sea view). Pros: close to beach; good value. Cons: no restaurant; lengthy annual closure. | 1 bis, av. de la Concorde | 44500 | 02–40–60–23–09 | www.hotel-la-concorde.com | 47 rooms | In-room: no a/c, Internet. In-hotel: bar | AE, DC, MC, V | Closed Oct.–mid-Apr.

Hôtel de la Plage.

$$–$$$ | One of the few hotels on the beach in St-Marc-sur-Mer, southeast of La Baule, this comfortable lodging was the setting for Jacques Tati’s classic comedy Mr. Hulot’s Holiday. It has been updated since and, hélas, the swinging door to the dining room is no longer there. But the view of the sea and the sound of the surf remain. The restaurant—reserve a beachfront table in advance—serves seasonal fish specialties like the choucroute de la mer (sauerkraut with fish). There’s also a brasserie for more casual dining. Pros: silver-screen claim to fame; beachside setting. Cons: old-fashioned; overrun by French families in midsummer. | 37 rue du Commandant-Charcot, 10 km (6 mi) southeast of La Baule, | 44600 | St-Marc-sur-Mer | 02–40–91–99–01 | www.hotel-delaplage.fr | 30 rooms | In-room: no a/c, Internet. In-hotel: restaurant, bar | AE, MC, V | FAP.

NIGHTLIFE IN LA BAULE

Occasionally you see high stakes on the tables at La Baule’s casino (6 av. Pierre-Loti | 44500 | 02–40–11–48–28).

NANTES

72 km (45 mi) east of La Baule via N171 and N165, 108 km (67 mi) south of Rennes.

The writer Stendhal remarked of 19th-century Nantes, “I hadn’t taken twenty steps before I recognized a great city.” Since then, the river that flowed around the upper-crust Ile Feydeau neighborhood has been filled in and replaced with a rushing torrent of traffic, and now major highways cut through the heart of town. Still, Nantes is more than the sum of its traffic jams. Stay a spell to discover its many charms.

Getting Here and Around

TGV trains leave Paris’s Gare Montparnasse for Nantes every hour, covering the 387 km (240 mi) in just 2 hours 10 minutes (€72). Trains make the 2-hour, 30-minute run up the coast from Nantes to Quimper (€31.40) twice daily, stopping at Vannes (1hr, 15 mins; €19). Nantes’s train station, at 27 boulevard Stalingrad, is across the street from the Jardin des Plantes and a 10-minute walk from the Vieille Ville. Cariane Atlantique runs four daily buses to Rennes (2 hrs), as well as to other nearby towns.

Visitor Information

Nantes Tourist Office.

| 7 rue de Valmy | 44000 | 08–92–46–40–44 | www.nantes-tourisme.com.