For a long time, the medieval heart of Nantes was the Bouffay district. Over the years, the city has grown outside the walls and that former neighborhood is now a pedestrian area where modern restaurants and bars mix with medieval houses with wooden structures and remnants of Renaissance fireplaces. Its streets still bear the name of the ancient medieval guilds and realities: the old hospital street, piazza del cambio, via del slaughterhouse, etc. The Bouffay Square – former home of fairs, tournaments and even executions – is now invaded by dozens of students and tourists who chat animatedly sitting at the tables of the bars. A walk along the cobblestone streets and wooden houses – some dating back to the 15th century – seems almost a leap back in time to the Middle Ages.
