Is it compact enough to see in one day (including the 2 major museums), or would it be better to stay overnight? I'm most interested in its Art Nouveau architecture and Galle glass and furniture.

Yrs, you can do it. Have lunch at the beautiful Brasserie Excelsior and buy the tin of famous bergamottes of Nancy at Ffevre-Lemoine on Rue Henri Pontcaré

Yes, you can do it. Have lunch at the beautiful Brasserie Excelsior and buy the tin of famous bergamottes of Nancy at Ffevre-Lemoine on Rue Henri Pontcaré

Are the macarons there different from Parisian ones?

I agree, it can be done in one day. And the glass in particular is worth the visit. But I must say, in nearly 25 years of travelling to France, the Chateau d'Adomenil in nearby Luneville, is on my Top 10 list. Beautiful location. Beautiful rooms. Sublime cuisine. Wonderful, fairly priced wine list (perhaps because the Lorraine isn't much of a producing region in its own right and has nothing to protect).

Take one night half-board before or after your trip to Nancy.

Hi M,

The Art Nouveau museum (Ecole de Nancy) is a jewel.

The Fine Arts Museum is so-so (all the really good stuff was taken to Paris) except for the glass.

You could do the town in a day, but I suggest an overnight.

Be sure to have lunch or dinner at L'Excelsior.

Enjoy your visit.

I did it as a day trip from Paris this January and had a fabulous time

very underrated city - the huge place Stanislaus or whatever it's called is spectacular

city center very compact - train station a short walk from everything

yes, Place Stanislas really is special. I did it in a day trip -- the Art Nouveau museum was tops, but Nancy has an excellent regional historical/art museum there, one of the best in France. That was my second top thing (and a beautiful park next to it). It is combined with the Ducal Palace and the Cordeliers church on a site and the entry ticket. These several buildings are right in the heart of the Old Town. The church has some famous tombs in it, and funerary sculpture, it was the place for royalty to be buried. The chapel is worth seeing, also.

I didn't go to the regular fine arts museum (Beaux Arts), as there were too many other things I wanted to do.

They have some interesting things in the Musee Historique Lorrain, which I think is also known as the Museum of Popular Art and Tradition. They also have some paintings in there, such as from Georges de la Tour, whom I really like. It's been undergoing renovations at times, so you should check current openings situation.

I'm not sure what you are referring to as the two major museums -- the Art Nouveau one, yes, but they have more than two major museums (I would consider the Lorrain one more major than the Beaux Art one, in terms of importance).

I did walk around the center a lot and to the Art Nouveau museum, which is a bit away. But I had a walking tour guide to look for some particular Art Nouveau buildings on the way. It was kind of rainy that day, so I took a taxi back from the museum to the train station when I left.

There is a good tourist office right on place Stanislas where you can get info and maps. They also have a tramway in Nancy, and one of those little tourist trains, info should be on their tourism website.

http://www.ot-nancy.fr

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. The more I read about this place, the more excited I am to see it (don't know how it escaped the radar screen of this AN fanatic all these years).

I was at Barnes and Nobles and went through almost every France travel book they had, but the books weren't very helpful at all-- most of them devoted only half a page to Nancy (except Michelin Green Guide, which had 3 or 4 pages). Will have to do my research online.

While flipping through those France travel guides, I also became interested in Strasbourg. With Nancy being more than half way to Strasbourg already, maybe I should do both on this trip? I can go from Paris to Strasbourg early Friday morning, spend about 10 hours sightseeing, then take a late evening train to Nancy, stay the night, and see Nancy on Saturday (the only day that Villa Majorelle is open to the public). The last train back to Paris leaves at 7:15pm. Does this sound like a reasonable plan, or do you think it's cramming too much into 2 days? (It will be the end of November-- short daylight hours).

I think some of my guidebooks have more than that on Nancy. Not tons, of course, as it isn't perceived as prime a tourist destination as Strasbourg, I don't think, but I have a Fodors or Frommers that has more than half a page, I think. There is so much online now, you don't really need much in a guidebook, though.

I did Nancy as a day trip while I was staying in Strasbourg for about four days. I wish I'd had a little more time, but I saw the main things I wanted in that day. Nancy is much closer to Strasbourg than to Paris.

I don't know, I think both of them in two days is a lot to see, but definitely possible. YOur plan sounds okay. The good thing about short trips like that is you can just toss a few things in an overnight bag or small tote.

MademoiselleFifi,

We visited Nancy last summer for one night. Coming on the train from Amsterdam across Belgium, we stopped over for one night to visit my elderly tante. Ira's suggestion of the Hotel de Guise was spot on, as it's walking distance to Place Stanislas. We arrived mid afternoon and freshened up at the hotel. Then headed out for the evening. Walking down hill from the hotel, turn left and you come upon Craffe Gate, part of the fortification of the old city. Very very cool to walk through. Then we headed to the Place Stanilas. Right as you enter the Place, before the proper entry, is a street with many cafes to choose from. After eating we strolled to the Place Stanislas which was amazingly lit up with lights and classical music in the background coming from a party. A bride and groom were having wedding pictures taken and I thought how wonderful that would be. It just a fun place to linger and admire. Then an easy walk back to the hotel. We loved our room in the old part of the hotel. That morning we were up to have breakfast and then called a taxi to take us to visit my tante. A taxi back to the train station to board the TGV and 2 hours later we were at the Gard du Nord.

Link to my pictures, sorry my camera fought the lights at Place Stanislas.

picasaweb.google.com/Kansan24/Nancy

Yes, you can do it. I did it as a day trip from Strasbourg this week. I had a breakfast at Excelsior. The Stanislas square was dazzling.

Thanks. I reserved one night at Hotel de Guise but still can't decide whether to spend both days in Nancy or the first day in Strasbourg.

Those of you who have been to Strasbourg: did you love it?

I was just in Strasbourg at the end of a long trip with family. I loved Strasbourg and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I've purposely pushed it aside on other trips to France and liked it so much this time I could live there I think! Nearby Colmar is great as is the entire Alsace region, especially if you're a wine enthusiast. I had an opportunity to go Nancy for a day with my brother and didn't because I was really tired and I regret it. It's an easy train ride from Strasbourg. My favorite souvinier (I can never remember how to spell that word!) from the trip is the box of bergamottes my brother got for me in Nancy. It comes in a red tin and is the candy box that Amelie finds the treasures in when she discovers them in her bathroom. Amelie is my favorite movie so having this tin with its vintage feel is a great treasure that wasn't very expensive.

I was in the Metz, Nancy and Starsbourg for 5 days late March-early April of this year.
I stayed in Metz and took two day trips to Nancy and one to Strasbourg.

Be aware that museums in Nancy open at around 10:00 and close at 18:00 or even 17:30, so I had to go twice in order to visit all 3 museums I had wanted to see plus roaming Place Stanislas and the rest of the town. I would say the glass collection at the Beaux Arts is exquisite and I will surely go back. I also wouldn't miss Claude Lauren's paintings at the same museum, I think they're wonderful and unique. The musée de l'école de Nancy was superb, even though I got to see only 2/3 of the collection due to the rest being closed in preparation for an approaching temporary exhibition. The garden is lovely. Musée Lorrain was also very interesting, expecially the Callot engravings, although parts of it were closed due to renovations.

I had a fine lunch at la Petite Venise, 35, rue des Maréchaux.

Strasbourg was a bit strange to me, it took time to get used to it and I did feel that I needed much more time to do it justice, to me it has a curious mixture of north and south. I loved Petite France, though, I was also lucky the weather was fabulous that day.
I'm sure I will go back for a longer stay in the future. I found the atmosphere to be quite relaxed.

I think either plan is fine, spending two days in Nancy or one day each Nancy and Strasbourg. And Hotel de Guise is in a great location, right in the centre of town.

Hi M,

You might find the Nancy part of my trip report helpful:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35014078

Two days in Nancy IME after day tripping there from Paris is a day too much IMO- Strasbourg is a fantastic city where you an extra day would be more in order IMO