Top Choice

Place Stanislas

Getty Images/iStockphoto

The fountain of Neptune in the Rococo style and the gilded wrought iron portico in the north-west corner of the place Stanislas in Nancy, France.

Lonely Planet may earn a commission from affiliate links on our site. All recommendations and reviews reflect our own independent opinions.

Nancy’s crowning glory is this grand neoclassical square and Unesco World Heritage Site. Designed by Emmanuel Héré in the 1750s, it was named after the enlightened, Polish-born duke of Lorraine, whose statue stands in the middle. The square is home to an opulent ensemble of pale-stone buildings, including the hôtel de ville and Opéra National de Lorraine, as well as gilded wrought-iron gateways by Jean Lamour and rococo fountains by Guibal – look out for the one of a trident-bearing Neptune.


Must-see attractions