Place General Mellinet is a handsome urban-planning stop west of central Nantes, built around a circular square and a set of matching 19th-century houses. It is not one of the city's blockbuster sights, but it shows a quieter, more residential side of Nantes architecture.
The square works best as part of a walk between the Jules Verne Museum, the river, and the western neighbourhoods. Come for the proportions and the calm rather than for a long visit; it is a good reminder that Nantes is rewarding beyond the castle and Machines de l'Ile.