Rue Cr茅billon (Cr茅billon Street), Nantes
Cr茅billon Street is one of the most prestigious and iconic shopping streets in Nantes. Stretching 240 meters through the city center, it links the Royal Palace to Graslin Square and intersects several notable streets, including Santeuil Street and Gu茅rande Street. Since 2011, the street has been fully pedestrianized, allowing visitors to stroll freely along its gently sloping path while admiring luxury storefronts such as The Kooples, G茅rard Darel, Lacoste, and Mauboussin. The street was fully repaved in 2017鈥�2018 and is lined with tempered glass porticoes designed in 1985 by architect Bernard Barto, which double as public lighting thanks to diffused neon.
Cr茅billon Street is also notable for its elegant architecture and historical buildings, such as the H么tel de France at number 24. Just twenty meters from the Graslin Theatre, this 4-star hotel occupies an 18th-century mansion that once belonged to Jean-Joseph-Louis Graslin, the visionary behind the district鈥檚 urban planning. The hotel, established after World War II, features 72 rooms and a refined Louis XVI-style reception hall. Between numbers 18 and 20 lies the Cr茅billon-Scribe Passage, a commercial arcade opened in 1961 that connects to rue Scribe and houses several ready-to-wear boutiques, blending modern commerce with historical charm.
More than just a shopping destination, Cr茅billon Street holds cultural significance in Nantes. It pays tribute to the 18th-century French playwright Prosper Jolyot de Cr茅billon and has the rare distinction of giving birth to a local verb鈥攃r茅billonner, meaning "to window shop" or "to browse aimlessly." This playful term reflects the street鈥檚 deep-rooted role in the city鈥檚 social life and shopping culture. As noted by local writer St茅phane Pajot, it is the only known case in France where a street name has inspired a verb in common use.
Cr茅billon Street is also notable for its elegant architecture and historical buildings, such as the H么tel de France at number 24. Just twenty meters from the Graslin Theatre, this 4-star hotel occupies an 18th-century mansion that once belonged to Jean-Joseph-Louis Graslin, the visionary behind the district鈥檚 urban planning. The hotel, established after World War II, features 72 rooms and a refined Louis XVI-style reception hall. Between numbers 18 and 20 lies the Cr茅billon-Scribe Passage, a commercial arcade opened in 1961 that connects to rue Scribe and houses several ready-to-wear boutiques, blending modern commerce with historical charm.
More than just a shopping destination, Cr茅billon Street holds cultural significance in Nantes. It pays tribute to the 18th-century French playwright Prosper Jolyot de Cr茅billon and has the rare distinction of giving birth to a local verb鈥攃r茅billonner, meaning "to window shop" or "to browse aimlessly." This playful term reflects the street鈥檚 deep-rooted role in the city鈥檚 social life and shopping culture. As noted by local writer St茅phane Pajot, it is the only known case in France where a street name has inspired a verb in common use.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Nantes. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 黑料吃瓜网 App
Rue Cr茅billon (Cr茅billon Street) on Map
Sight Name: Rue Cr茅billon (Cr茅billon Street)
Sight Location: Nantes, France (See walking tours in Nantes)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Nantes, France (See walking tours in Nantes)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Nantes, France
Create Your Own Walk in Nantes
Creating your own self-guided walk in Nantes is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Nantes Introduction Walking Tour
Dubbed 鈥淭he Sleeping Beauty of France,鈥� Nantes is a city that found rebirth through culture and creativity. Straddling the Loire River in western France, its history stretches across two millennia. The city's name comes from the Namnetes, a Celtic tribe that made their home here before the Romans arrived. The latter incorporated the settlement into their empire in the 1st century BC,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles