Nancy

Nancy is the historic capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department of France's Grand Est region, about 150 km west of Strasbourg. Direct trains from Strasbourg Gare Centrale take about 1 hour 25 minutes on TER Fluo Grand Est or TGV services, with fares from about EUR 30 that are cheaper when booked in advance through SNCF Connect or ter.sncf.com. Driving via the A4 and A33 takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, and parking in the centre is paid. The station is about a ten-minute walk from the old town. The centrepiece is the Place Stanislas, an 18th-century square built for Stanislas Leszczynski and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the Place de la Carriere and the Place d'Alliance. Its gilded wrought-iron gates, fountains and the Hotel de Ville make it one of the most admired squares in France. The Musee des Beaux-Arts stands on the square, and the Triumphal Arch leads to the Place de la Carriere and the Parc de la Pepiniere. Nancy is also a centre of Art Nouveau, with the Ecole de Nancy museum and many facades in the town, and the Porte de la Craffe and the Palais des Ducs de Lorraine, which houses the Musee Lorrain, show the medieval and ducal past. A suggested day begins with a morning train, a walk to the Place Stanislas and the old town, lunch at a brasserie near the Place Stanislas serving Lorraine dishes such as quiche lorraine, followed by an afternoon at the Ecole de Nancy museum or the Musee des Beaux-Arts, and a walk through the Parc de la Pepiniere before the evening train. Nancy is well known for macarons and Bergamotes de Nancy, which are good gifts. Spring to autumn offers the best weather for outdoor strolling, and the Christmas market in December brings a lively seasonal atmosphere, but it also draws crowds. Early arrival and a compact walking route make the day manageable.