After eating breakfast we had a short walk to our first site to see, Place Stanislas. Place Stanislas is a pedestrian square which is surrounded by some amazing wrought iron decorations. The place Stanislas was such a treat to see. It really was stunning. The buildings there are grand, and the square itself is bustling with a variety of shops, restaurants and cafes. It seemed like it was a very social place to be. We strolled around the square for a bit, making sure to take in the both the Neptune fountain and the triumphal arch. Both were absolutely breathtaking. The square is also the site of the old town hall, which we took a stroll by as well.
After losing ourselves in the square we decided to head over to Musée de Beax Arts, which happens to be located in the Place Stanislas. It is one of the oldest museums in France. Here we got to see a variety of works representing every European school of art spanning a period of time from the 14th through 21st centuries. The painting collections included a series of works by Delecroix, Monet, and Picasso, just to name a few of the more recognizable artists for someone that doesn’t have a broad knowledge of art. My favorite collection to see was the Daum crystal collection. It was a collection of over 100 years of Nancy’s well known glasswork production, from the Art Nouveau period to the contemporary productions. Such a sight to see!
After leaving the museum we decided to stop for lunch in the square before heading over to our next destination. We chose a cozy little café called Jean l’amour. We sat out on the patio, sipped on aperitifs and people watched until our quiche Lorraine arrived. Our quiche Lorraine was delicious! We were so excited to be eating it in the very region that it originated.
One more place we had to visit while in Nancy was the Musée de l'Ecole de Nancy. The Musee de l’ecole de Nancy is a museum dedicated to the Art Nouveau movement. The museum is conveniently located at the end of an Art Nouveau walk starting from the center of town. We got the map for this from the tourist office. I am far from an Art Nouveau buff, or even an art buff, but I love furniture. And this was a great place to see some very interesting furniture. Wait, not just interesting; amazing and breathtaking! The Dawn and Dusk bed by Emile Galle, took my breath away. Actaully, all of Galle’s stuff was particularly moving to me. I was so glad I got to see it. We also got to see some beautiful glass, stained glass, and ceramic works by a variety of artists. My favorite was a Daum brothers Vase Chrysanthèmes Victor Lemoine. I wonder if even winning the lottery would afford me those two things from this museum….hmmm.
Before heading back to our hotel we stopped back by the Place Stanislas. We heard there was a magnificent light show there every night at 10:00 pm, and there certainly was! The square was amazing at night. It was basically a multi-media sound and light show. It was an utterly fantastic way to end our day in Nancy. After that we headed back to our quaint little bed and breakfast and settled in for another wonderful night sleep.
Sources:
