Nantes. France

You can take Nantes out of Brittany (when the regional borders were redrawn in WWII), but you can't take the influence of Brittany from its long-time capital, Nantes. With its innovative spirit, this city on the river Loire has a track record of reinventing itself. Founded by Celts around 70 BC, Alain Barbe-Torte established the duchy of Brittany in Nantes following a series of invasions in 937 AD. The Edict of Nantes, a landmark charter guaranteeing rights to France's Protestants, was signed by Henri IV in 1598.