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City in Grand Est, France
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Moala assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Nancy is a moderate-sized city in the Grand-Est region of (eastern) France. Nancy is the capital of the French département of Meurthe-et-Moselle, and is the economic capital of the Lorraine region. It is also a major French university centre, with over 47,000 students and three major universities. Once the industrial and cultural powerhouse of Northeast France, the city boasts a very diverse architectural and cultural heritage. Parts of the historical city centre are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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The town square was built by Stanislas Leszczyński, Duke of Lorraine and former King of Poland, in the 18th century. It has a Stanislas statue pointing to the north and fountains and wrought iron gates in the two northern corners. The surrounding buildings are all in a single, classic style, adding to the grandeur of the square. In the summer, there is a very impressive light show every night at 10:45.
Porte Héré
A Baroque arch by Emmanuel Héré, along the northern side of the Place Stanislas, leading to the Place de la Carrière. It was built at the same time as the Place Stanislas, in honour of King Louis XV.
Place de la Carriere is a tree-lined square with notable buildings around it.
Part of the Old City, Place St-Epvre includes the St-Epvre basilique and square with many cafés and restaurants.
14th-century gate at the edge of the Vieille Ville, with two towers giving it the look of a fairy-tale castle.
Place d'Alliance has a central fountain, modelled after those in Piazza Navona in Rome.
A beautiful three-storey house constructed in 1902 by the architects of École de Nancy.
A villa built for Charles Fernbach, a wine merchant, by the architect Émile André.
Museum of Fine Arts
A well-balanced collection of paintings from different periods, including "The Battle of Nancy" by Eugène Delacroix.
Dedicated to art-nouveau Nancy school of architecture, this museum occupies a building which itself is a fine specimen of the style.
Museum of Lorraine History
History of the Lorraine region. Since April 2018, the main museum is closed for renovation, but the Ducal Chapel is still open, free of charge.
A natural history museum devoted to animals
Museum of the History of Iron
A museum of the history of iron manufacturing in Lorraine, told through models of iron factories, iron artifacts, and historical drawings. Text only in French.
A historic 18th-century mansion.
A castle completed in 1533, and one of the few châteaux in Lorraine spared after the Thirty Years' War.
A square park in the heart of the city. It was once used as a garden to grow trees for other parks/green areas in Nancy and the region. Now it is a pleasant and relaxing setting. There is a small zoo, a couple of bars and a children's puppet theatre. The open-air Auditorum hosts free concerts during summer evenings. Main entrances are at place Stanislas and place de la Carrière.
A nice park, southwest of the city centre. Tends to be less crowded than the Pépinière during summer. Includes an Alsatian-style house.
A botanical garden, one of the most beautiful of the country, in the western outskirts of town.
A small park on a hill, northwest of the city centre. The park is not very interesting, however there is a great view over the whole city.
A pleasant promenade along the canal. Near the marina.
The opera house is in one of the eastern pavillons of place Stanislas. It hosts most of the city's opera shows. Early booking is strongly recommended.
A medium-sized hall for classical music shows and popular music concerts.
A 25,000-seat zenith in open air, for large popular music concerts or sport events, on the northern outskirts of the city.
A small hall dedicated to modern music: rock, electronic, R&B....
The city's main theatre, housed in a former 19th century tobacco factory.
A small municipal theatre.
A major cinema chain. Mostly dubbed American blockbusters and mainstream French movies.
ASNL
The local football (soccer) team has been playing in the Ligue 1 championship for many years. While it has never won the first division championship, it has steadily maintained itself among the French professional-level leagues throughout its existence. One of the club's most famous players is former French international Michel Platini. The ASNL plays in the Stade Marcel Picot (20,000 seats).
The local basketball team is one of the major clubs in the country. It won the French championship in 2008 and 2011.
There are 9 swimming pols in the greater Nancy area.
October
Deli
French restaurant
French restaurant
A small quality restaurant. Traditional Lorraine and Polish cuisine. The menus are directly inspired by food served at the court of King Stanislas.
A somewhat quirky restaurant with "traditional" French fare. Friendly staff who speak English, brilliant presentation and absolutely brilliant food.
French cuisine.
French cuisine
A grand old restaurant, close to the train station, should be visited just for the interior decorations alone. Traditional French bistro cuisine. Good food. Excellent wine list, and restaurant well known for its specialities such as its veal steak.
Specialty beers.
Irish pub. Pool table.
Speciality beers, especially Belgian beers.
Irish pub. Live Irish music twice a month.
Wine bar.
Brew their own beer.
Speciality & imported beers.
Nancy's only IYHF hostel
Cheap, clean rooms (including bed, TV, sink), shared bathrooms are much less appealing.
Hotel very near the main city attractions, small but quiet room. Don't expect charm.
A 3-star hotel, in the old town, close to major attractions. Used to be an old mansion. Great rooms, filled with antique furniture, paintings and rugs.
Very nice looking mid-upper range 3-star hotel in the center of town.
A 4-star hotel, in the old town, close to major attractions.
By train
Nancy is served by two major railway stations:
By car
Nancy is an important regional automotive hub:
By bus
International bus services are operated by Flixbus. Coaches usually stop at the Porte Sainte-Catherine, near the marina.
By boat
Nancy is crossed by the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, which is open to navigation for small boats and péniches. The Port de Nancy Saint-Georges offers dockage to visiting boats.
On foot
Nancy is on the GR 5, a 2,600 km-long footpath that links the North Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.
By public transportation
The local public transportation system is operated by the Service de transport de l'agglomération Nancéienne, known as STAN.
By bicycle
html. Cycling can be an excellent way to get around during spring and summer (much less in winter).
By car
The streets of the city are narrow and not adapted to mass traffic.
Taxis
The fares are fixed by the authorities and can vary depending on your destination or the time of the day.20 (as of January 2011).
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
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