Nantes has a dense and varied collection of things to see and do for a city of its size. The Château des ducs de Bretagne anchors the old town; the Passage Pommeraye is one of the most beautiful shopping arcades in Europe; and Les Machines de l'Île, with its enormous mechanical animals, is one of the most genuinely original attractions in France. The museums are consistently good, and the old Bouffay quarter rewards unhurried wandering.