Jardin des Plantes Nantes

Opened in 1860, this exquisitely landscaped park is among France's most interesting botanical gardens. Century-old magnolia and mulberry trees, Japanese maples, tulip trees, redwoods (sequoias) and magnificent cedars tower above beautiful flower beds, duck ponds, fountains and the enchanting Serre de l'Île de Palmiers, a glass 19th-century hothouse filled with palm trees and decked out with tables and chairs for lounging on. There is a children's playground and goats to pet at the park's northern end, near the train station. Other highlights include Les Bancs Processionaires, a funky series of wooden benches that increase in size from minuscule to gargantuan.