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Nantes
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During the 18th century, prior to abolition of slavery, Nantes was the slave trade capital of France. This kind of trade led Nantes to become the first port in France and a wealthy city. When the French Revolution broke out, Nantes chose to be part of it, although the whole surrounding region soon degenerated into an open civil war against the new republic. The excesses of the revolution led to thousands of summary executions, mainly by drowning in the Loire River. In the 19th century, Nantes became an industrial city. The first public transport anywhere may have been the omnibus service initiated in Nantes in 1826.
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Nantes is Brittany's largest town, although in spirit it seems closer to the Loire Valley's château country. The mouth of the Loire is 48km (30 miles) away, and here it divides into several branches. Nantes is a busy port that suffered great damage in World War II. It's best known for the Edict of Nantes, issued by Henri IV in 1598, which guaranteed religious freedom to Protestants (it was later revoked). Many famous people, from Molière to Stendhal, have lived here. But Nantes hardly rests on its illustrious past.
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Nantes has a dedicated RWC "gateway" website at www.http://www.nantesrugby2007.com. The Tourist board ... offers you a wide range of options to discover the region, the city of Nantes, find accommodation, maps and search for restaurants. http://www.nantes-tourisme.com
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Although Nantes has a good range of domestic connections within France, its links with other European cities are less good. If you are looking to get to Nantes from regional UK cities which don't have direct links, fly to Paris Charles de Gaulle and pick up an internal connecting flight.
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In the 19th century, Nantes became an industrial city. The first public transport anywhere may have been the omnibus service initiated in Nantes in 1826. It was soon imitated in Paris, London and New York. The first railways were built in 1851 and many industries were created. In 1940, the city was occupied by German troops. In 1941, the murder of a German officer, Lt. Col. Fritz Hotz, caused the retaliatory execution of 48 civilians.
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Nantes, France's sixth-largest city, lies on the Loire estuary in the west of France, some 50 kilometres from the Atlantic coast. A former commercial and maritime centre of Brittany, the city boasts a strong historical and cultural heritage. Nantes was the capital of the independent duchy of Brittany back in the Middle Ages and came to be a key trading port in the 18th century, thanks to its strategic position at the Loire, Erdre and Sevre rivers. Today, the city remains a prosperous and popular part of Western France. Its impressive Chateau, the cobbled streets and the charming half-timbered houses in the medieval Bouffay quarter still remind visitors of Nantes' glamorous past. But the city has more to offer than just history.
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