Parc des Oblates, Public park in Chantenay-Sainte-Anne district, Nantes, France.
Parc des Oblates is a park in Nantes built across a sloped hillside with multiple levels, offering views toward the Loire River. The grounds feature varied plants and trees at each level, creating a continuous green space from top to bottom.
The park opened in 2013 as the 100th park created in Nantes. It was built on the site of a former convent garden that sat near the Loire River.
The name recalls the Franciscan Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart, founded in 1875 by Sophie Gazeau de La Brandanière, known in religion as Sister Marie-Thérèse. The community kept a farm with a large kitchen garden and livestock, and the shared gardens still show traces of a former French-style garden with statues facing the convent's courtyard of honour.
The park lies on a hillside above Bas-Chantenay, and the 165-metre sunken "chemin des soupirs" drops 15 metres between the upper entrance and the Maison de l'apiculture below. The slope is steep, so allow time for the climb back up. A children's play area was added in autumn 2013.
A flock of Belle-Île sheep tends to the meadows in the lower section and helps maintain the grass naturally throughout the year. These animals are part of the park and can be seen during a visit.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,858 contributors worldwide.
