Nancy, France

We left Alsace on May 7, Monday and arrived at Nancy just in time for dinner.  We stayed at a Mercure Hotel near Place Stanislas.  We chose the hotel mainly because it is closed to the historical center.  The hotel is only so so and we dined at a gastronomic restaurant just next to the hotel, the worst meal since arriving to France.  After dinner, I walked over to the Place Stanislas to photograph the night scene. I then went with Grace early next morning again to have a proper tour of the area.

Place Stainislas was built between 1752-1755 by Duke of Lorraine, former two times king of Poland,  Stanisław Leszczyński.  The City Hall of Nancy (Hôtel de Ville) is situated at the northern side of the square.

The square was packed with local people at night with many restaurants and cafe around it.  The statue in the center of the square is Stanisław Leszczyński.

At eastern side of the square are two symmetrical buildings, one housed the Opéra National de la Lorraine, and the other is the Grand Hôtel de la Reine.

Opéra National de la Lorraine  photographed in the morning sun.  On the western side of the square, there are another two identical buildings, one housed the Fine Art Museum and the other, the Pavillon Jacquet.

The southwest and southeast entrance into the square are gilded wrought iron gates and lanterns created by Jean Lamour (1698–1771).  The northeastern gate leads to Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation de Nancy.

At northern side of the square, the buildings was lower, in the center is the Arc de Triomphe built by Emmanuel Héré, the architect to Stanisław Leszczyński.

Beyound the Arc de Triomphe is the Place de la Carrière, which leads to Palais du Gouvemement.

 Arc de Triomphe at night.

Arc de Triomphe under the morning sun.

At northeastern and northwestern sides are two gilded wrought iron gates with ornate fountains by Barthélémy Guibal (1699–1757).

Place de Carriere is lined on two sides by row houses and trees all the way to the Palais du Gouvemement.

Palais du Gouvemement as seem at night.

The columns as seem from the hallway of the Palais du Gouvemement.

I have to hold Grace up and have her climbed up one of the base of the Column to get the picture of the Basilica Saint-Epvre.

 Walking away from the Place de Carriere and passing the Place de Saint-Epvre, we turned onto the Grand Rue.  On one side of the Grand Rue is the Musèe de Lorain, a fine example of early Renaissance architecture.

There are many interest small shops, restaurants and boutiques along the Grand Route.

The Grand Route took us all the way to the old city gate of Loraine, Porte de la Craffe, built in 1463.  We then turn to the east and walked through the beautiful Parc de la Pépinière and traced our footsteps back to the Place Stainislas to have breakfast and people watching.  The day was la Fête de la Victoire 1945 in France and she had a new president François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande.  It was about time for us to pack up and drive back to Paris.