Experience the best of Nancy

Nancy grew as the capital of the dukes of Lorraine, and in the eighteenth century the last of them, Stanislas Leszczyński, a former king of Poland, gave it a new heart. The Place Stanislas, framed by pavilions and gilded wrought-iron gates, joins the Place de la Carrière and the Place d'Alliance in a UNESCO-listed ensemble, while the Ducal Palace and the Porte de la Craffe, a medieval gate, recall older days.

Around 1900 the city became the centre of the École de Nancy, the Art Nouveau movement of Émile Gallé, Louis Majorelle and the Daum glassmakers. Their work fills a museum in a villa and shows in façades across town. The Parc de la Pépinière offers shade close to the centre, Lunéville and its palace lie to the south-east, and Metz is an easy trip to the north.

Sweets are Nancy's pride: the bergamot boiled sweet, the macaron and the madeleine of nearby Commercy. Quiche lorraine, pâté lorrain in a pastry case and tarts of golden mirabelle plums fill out the regional table, with mirabelle brandy to follow. Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of Lorraine, is honoured with a parade each December, and early summer light suits the squares best.