Nancy

Nicknamed the ''capitale de l'Est'' (the capital of the East), Nancy has been competing with the present capital city Paris starting with the 19th century when it grew to be an important center of art and architecture. Famous for being the birthplace of Art Nouveau, the city where the thorny thistle is seen as a symbol has its old center dating from the Middle Ages. Three of Nancy's squares have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Place Stanislas the newest of them has been inaugurated in 2005 by the French President Jacques Chirac, Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.

Flourishing Nanciacum of Lorraine

The North Eastern area where Nancy lies has attracted settlers interested in iron ore mining since 800 BC but a settlement was founded only in 1050 by Gerard, Duke of Lorraine. From a small fortified town called Nanciacum, change was brought to Nancy with the reign of Frederick the 2nd (13th century) who rebuilt the city in stone offering it the capital status. By 1871, Nancy was an safe place for the refugees coming from Prussia; soon after it flourished as an academic, artistic, or industrial center. The war did not spare the beautiful ''capital of the East'', after it had fallen under Nazi rule, Nancy was freed by USA in September 1944. Nowadays, Nancy located in the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle has a population of approximately 410, 509 inhabitants

L'école de l'Art Nouveau

An arty person would love a visit to Nancy because this French destination is known to be the birthplace of the Art Nouveau style. Founded by a group of artists led by Emile Galle functioning under the pseudonym '' Ecole de Nancy'', this modern expression of art has begun to be accepted by the masses at the end of 19th or the beginning of the 20th century. Exponents of the work of these incredibly creative and influential people as well as a better description of the new style they consecrated are found in the Musee de l'Ecole de Nancy or in the Musee des Beaux-Arts.

Triumphal and Charming

Nancy has three squares which have obtained the World Heritage Site distinction: Place Stanislas, Place de la Carriere, Place d'Alliance. Place Stanislas carrying the name of the former Polish-Lithuanian king Stanislaw Leszczynski is considered a link between the medieval Nancy and the new town built under Charles the 3rd. A European gathering spot filled of French romanticism, the 125 meters long, 106 meters wide square is surrounded by harmonious buildings and city symbols. The Arc de Triomphe, a reinterpretation of the Ancient Rome highlight together with the bronze statue of Stanislaw are eye catching monuments which grabbed everybody's attention during its grandiose inauguration.

Observe the beauty of the symbolic thorny thistle and the charm of Nancy, an old city accentuated by Art Nouveau details.