Our Blog - Nancy, France - October 2008

By TGV Nancy was only a 90 minute trip from Paris, making it a perfect distance for a weekend trip.

Place Stanislas is the main square in Nancy and probably its best known site. The square is named for Stanislas Leszcynski, former king of Poland and father in law to Louis XV. Louis offered the Duchy of Lorraine to Stanislas who left a legacy of spectacular buildings, completed between 1751 and 1760.

Dividing the Old Town from the New Town is the Arc De Triomphe, erected in the 1750's to honor Louis XV.

Nancy is well known as the home of Art Nouveau which originated there in the late 19th and early 20th century. In Place Stanislas there were a number of exhibits, this one was an example of Art Nouveau.

Another example of Art Nouveau is this house, called Villa Majorelle built by the architect Henri Sauvage. It was built for Louis Majorelle who was an important furniture designer in the Art Nouveau style.

The Brasserie L'Excelsior was built in the early 20th century, in the style of Art Nouveau. We took a short break here after a long day of sight seeing.

The last example of Art Nouveau we saw was this building with the elaborate metal exoskeleton.

The Porte de la Craffe gate is Nancy's only remaining portion of the original medieval fortifications. It was built in the 14th and 15th centuries and the arch pictured here served as a prison during the revolution.

As mentioned the gate was built during the 14th century, specifically this portion was built in 1336.

This is the Ducal Palace, built in the 13th century, and today is the home of the Museum of Lorraine (the area of France).