Top Sights to See in Nancy in Lorraine, France
UNESCO-Listed Old Town with Stanislas Square and Art Nouveau Houses
Jun 7, 2009
Nancy, the capital of Lorraine, is an interesting provincial city in eastern France. The top sights here are the old town with its UNESCO World Cultural Heritage listed Baroque squares: Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière, and Place d’Alliance. Nancy has several Art Nouveau buildings worth seeing while several museums have important collections of École de Nancy Art Nouveau decorative art objects and local Lorraine historical items. The large La Pépinière park, which is often used for free cultural events, has many romantic tree-lined lanes to stroll in while children will enjoy the large play areas and the small free zoo. Fast TGV trains make Nancy a feasible day trip from Paris too.
Stanislas, Duke of Lorraine and Twice King of Poland
Nancy’s inscription on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list is largely due to the building efforts of Stanislaw I Leszczynski (1677-1766). Stanislas, as he is known in French, lost the Polish crown twice but his son-in-law, French King Louis XV, allowed him to play monarch by making him Duke of Lorraine and Barr.
Stanislas was generally an educated, cultured, and benevolent ruler. He transformed Nancy, the capital of Lorraine, in a grand-scale building program that saw the public buildings and squares of Nancy converted through innovative eighteenth-century architecture and elegant decorations.
UNESCO-Listed Squares in Nancy, Capital of Lorraine
Three public squares in old town Nancy are inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. The largest and most impressive is Place Stanislas. This rectangular square measures 124 m by 106 m (136 by 116 yd) and is one of the most elegant public spaces in Europe. The square is lined by pavilions with harmonious facades designed by Emmanuel Héré while Jean Lamour crafted the very impressive wrought-iron work and gates with gilded details.
At the center of the square is an 1831-statue of Stanislas – the French revolutionaries took care of the original one of King Louis XV. Numerous inviting outdoor cafés and brasseries trade on Place Stanislas.
Just off Place Stanislas, and often overlooked by visitors, is Place d’Alliance. This much smaller square is lined by further buildings designed by Héré.
To the north of Place Stanislas, behind the Arc de Triomphe originally dedicated to Louis XV, is the elongated, narrow Place de la Carrière. Héré remodeled this square with government buildings and the ducal palace, now housing the interesting Lorraine history museum.
Art Nouveau and the L’École de Nancy in Lorraine
Nancy was home to several important decorative artists working in the Art Nouveau style between 1885 and the First World War. Works by these artists can be seen in the Musée de l’École de Nancy (Museum of the Nancy School), which is just outside the old town past the main train station.
Several Art Nouveau facades survived in Nancy. The Nancy Tourist Information Office has free maps with suggested walking routes that pass by these buildings (many not open to the public).
Churches in Nancy, France
Nancy has several churches although these are surprisingly not all that impressive – especially when compared to the magnificent cathedral in nearby Metz. The most interesting church in Nancy is the Notre Dame de Bon Secours some way to the south of the old town. This Baroque church was erected by Stanislas in 1738 and contains his tomb as well as that of his wife, Catherine Opalinsk, and the heart of their daughter Marie, queen consort of France.
Churches in the old town worth seeing include the Baroque Église St Sébastian and the eighteenth century cathedral. The impressive-looking Basilique St Epvre off Place de la Carrière is a nineteenth-century, neo-Gothic basilica. Its roof blew off in a storm just days before the end of the second millennium causing some consternation.
La Pépinière Park and Zoo in Nancy, Lorraine
The 23-ha (58-acre) La Pépinière is the green lungs of the old town of Nancy a mere block to the east of Place de la Carrière. This lovely park with many romantic tree-lined lanes is great for strolling and often used for cultural events. Children will enjoy the large and well-equipped playing areas as well as a small zoo. Admission is free.
Transportation to Nancy in France
Getting to Nancy is easy by train or car. Fast TGV trains make Nancy a 90-minute train ride from Paris Gare de l’Est. For bearers of rail passes, Nancy can thus be a feasible day-trip excursion from Paris, or save by staying in the cheaper hotels in Nancy and arrive in Paris early in the morning.
Slower trains are available from Nancy to amongst others Metz (40 min), Luxembourg (90 min), Strasbourg (75 min), Basel (3h), Dijon (2h30), and Lyon (4h).
By car, Nancy can easily be reached on Autoroute A31(E21) running from amongst others Luxembourg and Metz via Nancy to Troyes, Dijon, and Lyon. Langres, a small wall-enclosed fortified town is a great stop 90 minutes from Nancy when driving on the A31 to the south.
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