Things to do in Nancy
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Musée Lorrain
Once home to the dukes of Lorraine, the regal Renaissance Palais Ducal now shelters the Musée Lorrain. The rich fine arts & history collection spotlights medieval statuary, engravings and lustrous faience (glazed pottery). The regional art & folklore collection occupies a 15th-century former Franciscan monastery. Inside, the Gothic Église des Cordeliers and the 17th-century Chapelle Ducale, modelled on the Medici Chapel in Florence, served as the burial place of the dukes of Lorraine.
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Lefèvre-Lemoine
Ahhh, they just don't make sweetshops like this 1840s treasure anymore. A bird chirps a welcome as you enter this world of sugar-coated nostalgia. One of the old-fashioned sweet tins made a cameo appearance in the film Amélie. Bergamotes de Nancy (boiled sweets made with bergamot, the citrus fruit that flavours Earl Grey tea), caramels, glazed mirabelles (plums) – decisions, decisions…
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Blue Note Why Not Club
This vaulted subterranean discotheque, at the far end of the courtyard, has jazz and blues concerts (€8 to €10) each Thursday (except during school holidays) from 21:00 to 23:00 or 00:00; karaoke on Sunday from 23:30 to 02:00; and, from about 23:00 (02:00 on Sunday), two dance floors, one Latin, the other disco.
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Musée de l'École de Nancy
A highlight of a visit to Nancy, the Musée de l'École de Nancy brings together an exquisite collection of art nouveau interiors, curvaceous glass and landscaped gardens. It's housed in a 19th-century villa about 2km southwest of the centre; to get there take bus 122 or 123 to the Nancy Thermal or Paul-Painlevé stop.
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Musée des Beaux-Arts
Daum-made art nouveau glass and a rich selection of paintings from the 14th to 21st centuries are among the star exhibits at this outstanding museum. Caravaggio, Rubens, Picasso and Monet masterpieces hang alongside works by Lorraine-born artists, such as Claude Lorrain's dreamlike baroque landscapes.
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Brasserie Excelsior
As opulent as a Fabergé egg with its stucco and stained glass, Excelsior whisks you back to the decadent era of art nouveau. Brusquely efficient waiters bring brasserie classics such as oysters (in the R months), juicy steaks and banquet-like seafood platters to the table.
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Maison des Sœurs Macarons
When Nancy's Benedictine nuns hit hard times during the French Revolution, they saw the light in heavenly macaroons. They're still made to the original recipe (egg whites, sugar, Provençal almonds) at this old-world confectioner. A dozen box (€7) makes a great gift.
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Chez Tony
Generously heaped plates of antipasti, freshly made pasta, colourful garden chairs, big smiles all round – it's a Tuscan garden party every lunchtime at Chez Tony in Nancy's covered market. Toast your find with a glass of olive liqueur or Chianti.
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Cathédrale
The interior of the domed, 18th-century cathédrale is a sombre mixture of neoclassical and baroque. The organ loft and the ironwork, by Jean Lamour and his students, are from the end of the 1750s.
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Bronze Sculpture
Just south of the train station is a bizarre bronze sculpture, a square column with a pile of – no, it can't be! – on top. Clues about its meaning can be found on the nearby brass plaques.
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Aux Délices du Palais
Purple walls and glitter balls, this shabby-chic bistro serves whatever the jovial chef fancies cooking – from flavoursome tagines to fajitas. Great value, so it's no wonder it has an enthusiastic local following.
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Opéra National de Lorraine
A harmonious blend of neoclassical and art nouveau styles, this is Nancy's lavish stage for opera and classical music. The resident orchestra perform at concerts apéritifs (€5), held one Saturday a month.
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La Bouche á L'Oreille
Chandeliers and flowery wallpaper give this bistro the feel of an overgrown doll's house. The menu places an emphasis on cheese, from creative salads to raclette and fondues. Service can be slooow.
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Café Théâtre le Vertigo
Go boho at this superb café-theatre, decked out with red velvet banquettes and black-and-white tiles. The eclectic line-up skips from improvised theatre to stand-up comedy and gigs.
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Maison Huot
North of the Vieille Ville, art-nouveau town houses include Maison Weissenburger , built in 1904, and Maison Huot , constructed a year earlier.
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Maison Weissenburger
North of the Vieille Ville, art-nouveau town houses include Maison Weissenburger , built in 1904, and Maison Huot , constructed a year earlier.
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Chez Tanésy – Le Gastrolâtre
A 16th-century town house has been transformed into this homey, intimate bistro specialising in mouth-watering Lorraine- and Provence-inspired cuisine, including fowl.
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Le Ch'timi
On three brick-and-stone levels, Le Ch'timi is the place to go for beer. It's a beloved haunt of students who come for the 150 brewskies, 16 of them on tap.
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Le Varadero
Cuba it isn't, but this trendy bar still gets the good vibes flowing with live Latin and jazz on the terrace in summer. DJs hit the turntables at the weekend.
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Baccarat
Shop like royalty (or window-shop like mere mortals) for exquisite crystal and jewellery here, where the simplest ring – impossibly delicate – goes for €150.
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Le P'ti K
A slinky interior and prime people-watching terrace on place Carnot make this a great spot for an apéro (aperitif).
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Daum
At Daum's flagship shop you can admire limited-edition crystal knick-knacks and jewellery, often with a naturalistic theme.
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Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation
Crowned by a frescoed dome, Nancy's 18th-century cathedral is a sombre mixture of neoclassical and baroque.
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Au Vieux Gourmet
A grocery since 1889, this place carries luxury products (Fauchon, Hédiard) as well as staples.
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