When looking at holiday destinations in France, Nantes is not usually the first place which springs to mind.

In fact, when first offered the chance to go earlier this month with other journalists from the region I had to quickly check on the map to see exactly where it was.

But having suffered several decades of economic hardship, the city has undergone something of a renaissance and the authorities are promoting as a tourist destination.

Located on the Loire, the promise of fine wines in the former capital of Brittany seemed the perfect antidote to the recent efforts of covering the General Election for the paper.

It is now much easier to travel to Nantes from the region as bmi regional has recently started running flights during the summer from Bristol Airport, which is where my trip began.

The airport has just undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment to deal with the number of passengers which travel through every year.

Among the new additions include a terraced restaurant, the first in the country, for fliers to enjoy a relaxed meal before they take to the skies.

The airport also has a business lounge which offered a relaxing start to the trip and more importantly a free bar.

It is only an hour between Bristol and Nantes and with bright skies the journey was pleasant, helped by yet another complimentary drink on the flight.

We were quickly through the airport, where boarder officials share the same sense of humour as others from all over the world.

The centre of Nantes is about a 15 minute taxi ride from the airport so it was not long before we arrived at our base for the trip – L’Hotel, which is in the heart of the city.

It is exactly what I expected from a three-star hotel. The rooms were pleasant enough, the continental breakfast in the morning provided a good foundation for the day and the staff where always helpful.

One point it is worth noting is that Nantes prides itself on its green credentials. While this has many benefits, it means there is very little air conditioning in the city so the rooms can get a little stuffy in the summer heat.

And the summer heat is exactly what we enjoyed on a first night. Our guide booked us on a boat to head inland to take in the many French mansions which line the banks of the Loire.

There were about 100 people on the vessel, which served wine and cheese boards with locally produced sausage. After a day of travelling, the two hour trip was just what was needed.

It is possibly to take another boat which serves full meals but instead we dined at Lieu Unique – a restaurant located in the town’s old biscuit factory.

Only a few hundred yards from our hotel, it provided the perfect end to evening. As well as a restaurant it is bar frequented by many locals to create a lively atmosphere in which to enjoy the good food.

The next morning we started on a tour of Nantes, a city transformed by an investment in public art in the last few years.

Although many of the spectacular installations remain all year around, throughout July and August a festival takes place to show of the work of artists from around the world.

‘Le Voyage À Nantes’ is a tour around the city which not only shows off the art but also other attractions, such as the botanical gardens (make sure you stay off the grass) and the bustling market.

Helpfully, they have put a green line all around the town to help guide tourists around the town. There is plenty on the tour – certainly enough to take up a number of days.

After an exhausting morning on our feet, we stopped for yet another lunch on a boat before spending the afternoon at the former dockyards.

Once a thriving shipbuilding city, Nantes suffered when the industry moved on but in recent years the abandoned docks have been transformed and are now home to some of the region’s biggest attractions.

Among them is the star attraction, a 60-foot high mechanical elephant taking the people around the dock which has to be seen to be believed.

Nantes is the birthplace of Jules Verne and no-where is this more obvious than at the docks, now known as ‘Les Machines’, which is adorned with ‘steam-punk’ themed attractions.

The evening was once again spent at another of the many fine restaurants available. Good food is certainly not a problem, especially locally caught fish. As expected, wine is also not in short supply.

Muscadet is local tipple made from grapes grown just south of the city. It is possible to tour the vineyards although this is something we did not do.

Next morning we had a tour of the spectacular Château des Ducs de Bretagne, which is now home to a museum detailing the history of Nantes. Although it costs to enter the museum, it is free to walk the ramparts of the castle to get some spectacular views.

The art is not confined to the city limits and in the afternoon we jumped in a car and drove towards the Atlantic along the banks of the Loire, stopping off to look at a number of art installations along the way, including a house in the middle of the river.

While it was a pleasant drive in sun, to truly enjoy the sites it is probably best to spend a whole day as there are many installations along the way.

For the final evening we decided to enjoy a bit more of the nightlife. While it is probably not the location for a stag or hen-do, there is certainly plenty to enjoy.

The night culminated at Le Nid, a cocktail bar 32-storeys high which offers a view of the city and is certainly worth a visit.

After perhaps a mojito too many, we spent the final morning cycling around the city. As mentioned earlier, Nantes is a very green city so despite my slightly thick head and confusion at French roundabouts, navigating Nantes was not difficult with motorists all very accommodating.

The ‘voyage’ is quite a long trip so cycling is possibly the best way to see many of the installations.

While it was a tiring trip, it was certainly extremely enjoyable with plenty to do.

It is a city which has a great deal to offer whether you are an art lover, interested in the history or simply a lover of food and drink.

TRAVEL FACTS

-Flights with bmi regional from Bristol to Nantes: One way tickets from £79

(bmi regional flies from Bristol to Nantes twice per week on Tuesday and Saturday)

-One night at L’hotel in a standard room: 79 Euros

-Pass Nantes (which allows unlimited travel public transport and entry to 30 attractions): 40.50 Euros (lasts 72 hours)