Le Voyage en Hiver

Le Voyage en Hiver: Nantes Illuminated by Art

Since 2022, Le Voyage en Hiver has offered a unique and sensitive reinterpretation of the city of Nantes during the holiday season. Designed by SPL Le Voyage à Nantes, this winter event transforms the metropolitan area into a vast artistic trail where illuminations, visual creations, and festive activities combine to enchant the long winter nights.

"La nuit, je vois": A Signature Luminous Trail

The centerpiece of Le Voyage en Hiver, the installation "La nuit, je vois" by artist Vincent Olinet, serves as the guiding thread of the trail. Stretching over 1.5 kilometers between the Château des ducs de Bretagne and the Muséum d'histoire naturelle, this artwork transforms traditional Christmas lights into genuine light sculptures. Inspired by the ornaments, motifs, and heritage elements of Nantes' facades, these creations suspended from buildings paint a luminous portrait of a city in suspension, between dream and reality.

A Rich and Multidisciplinary Program

Le Voyage en Hiver brings together an exceptionally diverse program in a single trail across the city:

• New Artistic Creations: Each edition features new monumental visual artworks in public spaces, such as Petite maman Noël by Virginie Barré on the Feydeau esplanade or Mon manège éternel, a snow caterpillar imagined by Quentin Faucompré on Place du Bouffay.
• Spectacular Illuminations: 42 kilometers of garlands, 66 decorated streets, 14 illuminated squares, 185 street crossing decorations, and 130 trees lit up.
• Christmas Market and the Other Market: Crafts, local creators, and Nantes' gastronomic specialties.
• Musical Programming: Concerts, choirs, and sound installations, including the activation of Nantes' bells "À toute volée" by Dominique Blais.
• Exhibitions: In the metropolitan cultural institutions, notably at the Château des ducs de Bretagne, the Musée d'arts de Nantes, and the Musée Dobrée.
• Activities for All: Children's workshops, Santa's mailbox, decorated shop windows, and programming for must-see sites like Les Machines de l'île.

Iconic Locations Featured

The trail passes through Nantes' most emblematic locations: the Château des ducs de Bretagne serves as the starting point, while the passage Pommeraye dons its festive attire, the place Graslin hosts a monumental Christmas tree, and the place du Bouffay transforms into a magical space with its artistic installations. The Cours Franklin Roosevelt, Opéra Graslin, and the Muséum d'histoire naturelle also benefit from exceptional lighting.

A Unifying Event for the Region

Beyond its artistic dimension, Le Voyage en Hiver is a powerful driver of attractiveness for the Nantes metropolitan area during the holiday season. By bringing together merchants, cultural institutions, artists, and residents around a common trail, the event strengthens social bonds and revitalizes the city center during the end-of-year weeks, attracting visitors from across the region and beyond.