Nantes and its surroundings offer you many historic places to visit: the Château d'Anne de Bretagne, the famous LU building, the Museum of Arts... you can rent a small boat to discover the large old houses which line the banks of Erdre river, take the river shuttle to visit Trentemoult, a small village with colorful houses...
You can also drive or take a boat ride along the northern coast of the Loire estuary to the long sandy beaches of La Baule, Saint-Nazaire or Pointe du Croisic. The southern part of the Loire estuary gives you access to Pornic: a very pretty port, its castle and its fishing village and for long and healthy walks, along the bay of Bourgneuf, tasting fresh oysters with a glass of white wine.
You can visit the Passage du Goin which is a route to the island of Noirmoutier or take the boat to spend a whole day on this small but magnificent protected site.
Other historic villages are also close to Nantes: Clisson with its immense fortifications and its traditional old center.