What to see in Lorraine, a region of France characterized by a rich natural and cultural heritage, including ancient traditions, located in the wonderful scenery of the Vosges Mountains.
Tourist information
Lorraine was formerly a region of north-eastern France, formed from the four departments of Meurthe and Moselle, Meuse, Moselle and Vosges.
Lorraine is the only region in France that borders on three other foreign states, namely Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.
Likewise, it borders three former French regions, Alsace to the east, Champagne-Ardenne to the west and Franche-Comté to the south.
The main cities in the region are Metz, Nancy, Bar-le-Duc and Épinal.
From its particular geographical position derives the significant strategic advantage that places it in the center of the "blue banana", a connection that crosses Europe starting from Lancashire in England to reach Lombardy in Italy, passing through the Rhine corridor.
The name Lorena derives from Lotario I and its inhabitants are called Lorraine.
The territory of the region, largely rural, includes the Vosges mountain range and the forests of Haye and Verdun, as well as destinations renowned for nature excursions in summer and skiing in winter.
What see
In the capital Metz there are the Gothic cathedral of Saint-Étienne and the Centro Pompidou museum of contemporary art.
The Cathedral of St-Etienne, a masterpiece of Gothic art, was built between 1220 and 1522, from the union of two previous churches.
It is famous for its stained glass windows, built in various periods starting from the Middle Ages, to be noted in particular those created by Marc Chagall, with a predominance of the yellow color in those located in the northern transept, and the red and blue color in those located in the portico .
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Place de la Commédie, which opens onto one of the Moselle canals, is in neoclassical style, overlooked by the oldest French theater, still active today, dating back to 1752.
During the French Revolution, 63 people who were considered averse to the established order were beheaded in this square with the guillotine.
In the typical triangular-shaped Place Saint-Louis, houses built between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries look out, characterized by arcades with irregular arches, under which the bankers' shops were located.
The Imperial Quarter was built, in the period before the First World War, by the German government in dark sandstone, granite and basalt, in stark contrast to the buildings built under the French government, which were instead in yellow limestone from Taumont, nuanced.
In the architectural styles visible in this neighborhood you can see the influences of the Belle Epoque.
Some parts of the walls are still present, including the Porte des Allemands, a name deriving from a hospital built by nearby Germanic knights.
In Nancy, the ancient residence of the Duchy of Lorraine, there are notable examples of art nouveau buildings, as well as the magnificent Stanislas square, built in 1750 in classical French style at the behest of Stanislas, Duke of Lorraine with Polish origins, designed by Emmanuel Héré is in honor of King Louis XV, who was his son-in-law.
A wrought iron gate, finished in gold, surrounds the square, where the Rococo fountains of Anfitrione and Nettuno stand out.
In the middle of the square there is the Stanislas statue, replacing the bronze one depicting Louis XV, destroyed during the French revolution.
The buildings housing the Hotel de Ville, the Opera House and the Museum of Fine Arts overlook the square.
Place d’Alliance, also built on a project by architect Emmanuel Héré, is square in shape with a side that is ninety meters long.
Among the buildings that surround it, it is worth mentioning the Hotel d'Alsace, where Héré had fixed one of his residences.
In the center there is a fountain created by Clifflé, who used the Baroque fountain of the four rivers of Piazza Navona in Rome as a model, by Bernini.
The square is bordered by a double row of lime trees dating back to 1763.
Place de la Carrière was in the past the place where rides and tournaments took place.
The Arc de Triomphe, built in the eighteenth century near Place Stanislas in honor of Louis XV, faithfully reproduces that of Septimius Severus in Rome.
The Old Town is the part of Nancy that developed around the Ducal Palace, characterized by winding streets and buildings with beautiful portals.
In the sixteenth century, fortifications were added including ramparts.
In the Palazzo Ducale, which was the residence of the Dukes of Lorraine in the fifteenth century, the Lorrain Museum is housed today.
The architecture is a successful blend of Gothic and Italian Renaissance art, with a remarkable portal inspired by that of the Blois Castle.
Porte de la Craffe, erected in the 14th century, was used as a prison in later periods.
Its twin towers, thanks to the walls three meters thick, remained unscathed following the assaults carried out by Carlo the reckless.
To increase the city's defenses, the Porte de la Cittadelle was built in the 17th century by Duke Charles III, adding a moat to separate the two gates.
The Hotel des Loups is an eighteenth-century palace with a monumental portal surmounted by two stone wolf statues, a peculiarity derived from the fact that its owner was a king in charge of wolf hunting.
The New Town, built by Duke Charles III in 1588, has roads intersected with each other at right angles.
The Cathedral, built in the eighteenth century on a design by the architects Monsard and Boffrand, represents a perfect combination of neoclassical and baroque style.
With a Latin cross plan, it takes the Church of Sant'Andrea della Valle in Rome as a model.
The dome of the cathedral is frescoed with figures and motifs dedicated to glory in the kingdom of heaven.
The pillars are finished with Corinthian capitals, worth mentioning the valuable organ.
In the area north of the old town there are interesting buildings built in the art nouveau style.
