The capital of the Dukes of Lorraine, Nancy has a rich heritage. Its eighteenth-century heart is a UNESCO World Heritage site and includes the Place Stanislas, one of the most beautiful squares in the world.
The main attractions of Nancy are art and architecture. Eighteenth century saw the development of Nancy as one of the prime cultural places in France, while Stanislas Leszcynski, polish king who lost his throne, and father-in-law of Louis XV, came to Nancy as the last of the independent dukes of Lorraine. He ordered one of the most successful urban renewals of the period in all France, and Nancy owes him the beautiful Place Stanislas, brightly renovated in 2005.
At the turn of the twentieth century, Nancy was one of the birth places of Art Nouveau. Émile Gallé, Auguste and Antonin Daum, Jacques Gruber, Louis Majorelle, Victor Prouvé, Eugène Vallin are some of the well-known artists from École de Nancy. Many of their works became famous, esp. glassware and embellished furniture work, to be seen in the city museums.
As the administrative capital, or prefecture, of Meurthe and Moselle, and the historic capital of the Dukes of Lorraine, the city of Nancy today has 105,000 inhabitants while the surrounding urban community, divided into a further 20 administrative communes is home to 250,000 and a services and working area which has 350,000 inhabitants.
Nancy is literally at the heart of the Lorraine region, 300 km from Paris (90 mins on the high-speed train) and 90 km (45 mins) from Strasbourg. Located equidistantly between Metz to the north and Epinal to the south, it is less than an hour from the lakes and forests of the Vosges massif, an hour from the lakes and recreation areas of Meuse, an hour from the city of Luxembourg to the north and Germany to the east.
Places to see
There are many places worth visiting in Nancy and around. We refer to the Tourist Office for a more exhaustive presentation of those places, and give here our very short list.
- Nancy is famous around the world for its group of architectural masterpieces inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List: Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d’Alliance. The Grand Hôtel de la Reine located on Place Stanislas will host the FroCoS+Tableaux Conference Dinner.
- Not far away from Place Stanislas, you can find the old town. The FroCoS reception will take place in the Dukes Palace in the old town. Do not forget before coming or after leaving, to have a look at the Craffe gate, one of the famous views of Nancy.
- Nancy is also famous for its many Art Nouveau houses. A map with the major Art Nouveau houses can be downloaded from the Tourist Office.
- For a walk in a park, go to the Pépinière Park, a large green area a few meters away from Place Stanislas and the old town.
Interesting links:
Virtual tours from Place Stanislas, Nancy
Place Stanislas from Flag Jacquet
Place Stanislas from City Hall
Transport
Tourisme
Art
Musee des Beaux-Arts
Musee Historique Lorrain
Ecole de Nancy
Art Nouveau and Art Déco