Visit France > Lorraine > Nancy

At the end of the 19 th century, Nancy became a major influence in Europe's Art Nouveau movement... Through the "Ecole de Nancy", a few dozen visionary artists and manufacturers transformed the town into a key centre during that exciting period. 

In the 18 th century, thanks to Stanislaw, ex-King of Poland and Duke of Lorraine, Nancy had already become a centre of European culture. During his reign here, the Duke built what have since become some of the world's architectural masterworks, in particular the famous Place Stanislas, classed part of our World Heritage by UNESCO.

For many centuries a historical capital, one can still today see many traces of Nancy's glorious past, especially in the streets of the Old Town (Ville-Vieille): the Duke's Palace, former home of the Dukes of Lorraine, and numerous 16 th, 17 th and 18 th century private mansions.

Nancy has a much-envied reputation as a cultural centre thanks to its international festivals, and its numerous museums with their impressive collections of works by many of Europe's greatest artists...

Not to be missed

Architectural Heritage

A large collection of 18th C buildings around Place Stanislas, Place Alliance and Place Carrière, the old town, the Porte de la Craffe and the Opera-Theatre

Museums

Musée des Beaux-Arts (Fine Art - 14th to 21st C paintings and the Daum collection), the Ecole de Nancy Museum (furniture and decorative arts) and its garden, the Lorraine Museum (history of Lorraine), the Museum Aquarium, the Story of Iron Museum, The Montet Botanical Gardens (green-houses)… 

In brief: Stanislaw the builder, as Duke of Lorraine, transformed Nancy into one of the Western World's intellectual capitals.