Nancy in a Day
Good to know before you go
If you come by car, I can recommend parking at "Parking Indigo Nancy Carnot" since it is close by the attractions and has cheaper prices than other parking spaces. Within 10 minutes you can walk to the beginning of this itinerary,
Accommodation
If you are visiting from further away and want to spend the night - we stayed at a hotel a little bit outside of Nancy called "Novotel Nancy". It has nice rooms with breakfast and also a pool which is nice for hot summer days.
Nancy
Nancy can be divided into three parts:
- New Town (Ville Neuve)
- Royal City
- Old Town (Ville Vieille)
The New Town
The new town was built by the Duke of Lorraine south of and four times bigger than the old town. It has more of a grid-layout. This is todays main shopping area.
Eglise St. Sebastien
is a beautiful church build in the 18th century.
The Royal City
The royal city was built in the 18th century to connect the old and new town.
Alliance Square
This itinerary starts at the Alliance Square. A square in the city centre of Nancy. Since 1983 it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Place Stanislas and Place de la Carrière.
It is the smallest out of the 3 squares but just as pretty and therefore has a more intimate feeling. The fountaint was meant to be installed at Carrière Square but ended up here.
Place Stanislas
UNESCO World Heritage Site Place Stanislas was built in the 18th century and is the jewel of the city with it's baroque gold-decorated gates. It is ligned by the town hall, the musee des beaux arts, the opera and the grand hôtel.
Musee des Beaux Arts de Nancy
The Museum of Fine Arts in Nancy is my favorite place in the city since it has a very special collection: one of Yayoi Kusamas famous infinity rooms "Fireflies on Water" along with other great art installations.
The infinity room is a room with mirrored walls and you walk along a walkway hovering over a shallow pool into the middle of the room. The water and mirrors reflects the lights installed in the room which creates a magical feeling being surrounded by infinity.
The room is only allowed to be entered by one person at the same time for 60 seconds.
Open from Wednesday to Monday (Tuesday is closed) from 10am-6pm.
It is free for everyone under 26 years, students and on the first Sunday of the month. General admission is 10€.
Amorino Ice Cream
Stop by Amorino to grab a delicious ice cream shaped like a rose with a macaron on top.
Arc Héré
From Place Stanislas you can see the Arc Héré with the Goddess of Glory. The latin sentence dedicated to Louis XV means "The fear of enemies, the maker of alliances, the people's adornment and love".
The arc forms the northern end of Place Stanislas and is leading to Place de la Carriére.
Place de la Carrière
Next up is the third UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the end is Palais du Gouvernment. It was created in the 16th century as a riding arena.
Parc de la Pépinière
Parc de la Pépinière is the largest green space in Nancy with a rose garden, sports areas and a small zoo: the "Espace animalier" where you can see free roaming peacocks.
The Old Town
The old town reaches from Porte de la Citadelle to Place St. Epvre with its narrow streets with small shops and restaurants.
Porte de la Citadelle
The porte was built in the 17th century for the city`s defense surrounded by ditches. It is the end of the old town. It also has a small secret medieval garden with roses, mint and thyme among other things.
Porte de la Craffe
The gothic city gate is the oldest monument in the historic city. Porte de la Craffe was built before Porte de la Citadelle in the 14th and 15th century and served as a prison until the 19th century. Nowadays it is the symbol of the old town.
Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine
The palace of the Duke of Lorraine is located in the heart of the old town and it houses the "Lorraine Museum" dedicated to art and history. The tombs of the Dukes of Lorraine can be seen at the Eglise des Cordeliers next to it.
Basilica of Saint Epvre of Nancy
Built in the 19th century and located in the heart of the old town is the beautiful basilica. The basilica was built on the remains of a church from the 14th century. It has stained glass windows donated by Franze Joseph from Austria, wood panels from Ludwig II from Germany and stone paving from the Appian Way from Pope Pius from Italy.
Surroundings
Also worth a visit near Nancy are:
- Chateau du Luneville with Parc des Bosquets (30 minutes by car)
- Chateau de Fleville (16 minutes by car)
- Metz (45 minutes by car)
Enjoy Nancy!
I hope you will have an amazing trip, take lots of pictures and come home with numerous beautiful new memories!
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