France – Lorraine (Metz, Nancy) September 12, 2019
Lorraine is a cultural and historical region in north-eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Lorraine’s name stems from the medieval kingdom of Lotharingia, which in turn was named for either Emperor Lothair I or King Lothair II. It later was ruled as the Duchy of Lorraine before the Kingdom of France annexed it in 1766.
It contains 2,337 communes. Metz is the regional prefecture. The largest metropolitan area of Lorraine is Nancy, which had developed for centuries as the seat of the duchy. Lorraine borders Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Its inhabitants are called “Lorrains” in French and number about 2,356,000.
As it was very close to the German border and didn’t look like much of a detour, I decided to see this fort from Karlsruhe. That was a mistake. Google Maps took me across the French border on narrow secondary roads for over 50kms through a multitude of tiny villages (many with 30 speed zones). The area was also forest and hilly making for lots of twists and turns.
Citadelle de Bitche, Bitche. Built on the hill Scholssberg, it has commanding views of all the valleys around. It was isolated as the only territory of the Duke of Lorraine in a German speaking area. A second castle was built here in the 13th century and was partially destroyed in the early 15th century during the Peasant’s War. In 1634, Richelieu sieged the castle for 10 days and French settle in the area, but the castle becomes a ruin. Vauban (Louis IV’s military architect) built a new castle and fort from 1683-97 costing 2.5 million pounds of gold, a huge sum. This was dismantled in 1698 and then rebuilt from 1741-65 using Vauban’s layout with barracks and new buildings. The Germans take it over in 1870-71 and modernized it from 1871-1900. It was damaged by American artillery in 1944-45. The museum exhibits tell the story of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71.
Now this is some fort. Occupying a huge long hill, the fort has a narrow moat and very high imposing walls. €8
The town of Bitche has a large French military base.
I then saw Saarbrucken, Germany before returning to France.
METZ
Tentative WHS: Metz Royale et Impériale, enjeux de pouvoir, confrontations stylistiques et identité urbaine (07/04/2014)
Metz has had an exceptional architectural and cultural history bounded by the islet of Cour d’Or on the north, the banks of the Moselle on the west, the station complex on the south and the rue des murs and Saint Louis on the east.
Architecture: Ensembles of Jacques-Francois Blondel, Place del la Comedie, Banks of the Moselle, Place Saint-Jacques, Streets of the Peace, the Palace and the Petit Paris, Governor’s Palace, Castle of the orte des Allemand, Centre Pompidou-Metz,
Saint Etienne Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Metz). This is a flamboyant Gothic Cathedral. The exterior all high gothic towers, flying buttresses and gargoyles. The North and East Portals are a majesty of statues with the Last Judgement in the north and Resurrection in the east. Inside it is all tan/grey stone with high Gothic ribbed vaults. With 6500m2 of stained glass windows (the most in the world and dating from the 13th century) are everywhere – the ones in the transept date from 1504 and 1522. From 1958-68, Marc Chagall made 16 windows with bouquets, flowers and birds. There are good signs giving Bible references. Free
Musée de la Cour d’Or. This has the archaeology of the area and a small fine art exhibit of mostly local artists. It is fascinating to watch the time lapse video of the reconstruction of the building. €6.50, 4.50 reduced
Centre Pompidou. This contemporary art museum is housed in a dramatic building of swooping roof lines supported by curved wood beams and trusses that are all exposed. The three exhibits were typical contemporary art, basically junk. €10
Metz Botanical Gardens. This 4.4-hectare botanical garden was originally known as Frescatelly Park, an estate of Philippe d’Aubertin of Bionville, whose summer pavilion (built 1719) is on the grounds. It was purchased by the city of Metz in 1866 and landscaped primarily in the English style. Its greenhouses were originally built on the city’s esplanade in 1861, during the World Fair, and moved to the Botanical Garden in 1880.
Today the garden contains a rose garden, fragrance garden, collection of grasses, flower beds, and a mature arboretum including a bald cypress, ginkgo, and a sequoia (140 years old), as well as a large stand of hardy bamboo. The garden contains three ponds, winding paths, a bronze statue of an eagle (1866) and a toy train railway that circles through the site.
Its 1,000 m2 (11,000 sq ft) greenhouses contain about 4,500 plants representing 80 botanical families, including orchids, cacti, and palms.
NANCY (pop 105,000, metropolitan area 435,000)
Nancy is the capital of the north-eastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, and formerly the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, and then the French province of the same name.
World Heritage Sites: Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d’Alliance in Nancy. Place Stanislas, a large square built between March 1752 and November 1755 by Stanislaus I of Poland to link the medieval old town of Nancy and the new town built under Charles III in the 17th century, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the first place in France and in the top four in the world.
Place Stanislas. The grand plaza of the trio, its highlight are the six wrought iron gates covered in gilt on the corners and center of the east and west side. Fountains close off the north corners. The light stands are also gilded metal with crowns. The monument in the centre is of Stanislas Lesqczynski, King of Poland and Duke of Lorraine and of Bar (1737-1766).
Sidewalk cafes surround the beige stone square. The mostly 3-story limestone buildings lining the square have statues and vases covering the roof lines and also have wrought iron and gilded balconies.
Place de la Carrière. Head down the street exiting the west side of Stanislas and pass under a large baroque arch to reach this long narrow graveled “square” lined by two rows of trees. It is basically a boulevard between two streets.
Place d’Alliance. A small graveled square surrounding a grand fountain with an octagonal base. The large trees surrounding the square are trimmed square. A hangout for young women.
Nancy Cathedral. Built between 1703-42 in neo-baroque style, it has 3 naves with very wide side aisles. The transverse ribs supporting the roof, side arches and chapels are wide and decorated with rosettes. Lunettes of angles top all the arches. The highlight is the huge mural in the dome of the crossing showing the Last Judgment. All the side chapels have black wrought iron grills. The lovely wood choir forms a semicircle around the chancel.
Musée de Beaux-Arts. On the west side of Stanislas Square, it has mostly religious art, Lorraine artists from the 14th to the 18th centuries and a contemporary art floor. I didn’t enjoy it much. €7, 4.50 reduced
Musée Lorrain. In the former palace of the dukes and adjoining chapel (Eglise des Cordeliz), this presents the history primarily of the Ducs de Lorraine. Note that it doesn’t open till 2pm.
Duchy of Lorraine. Lorraine’s predecessor, Lotharingia, was an independent Carolingian kingdom under the rule of King Lothair II (855–869). His realm comprised a larger territory stretching from the County of Burgundy in the south to the North Sea. In French, this area became known as Lorraine, while in German, it was eventually known as Lothringen. It was conquered by the German king Henry the Fowler in 925.
The Duchy of Lorraine was founded in 959 following the division of Lotharingia into two separate duchies: Upper and Lower Lorraine, the westernmost parts of the Holy Roman Empire. The Lower duchy was quickly dismantled, while Upper Lorraine came to be known as simply the Duchy of Lorraine. The Duchy of Lorraine was coveted and briefly occupied by the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France.
In 1737, the Duchy was given to Stanisław Leszczyński, the former king of Poland, who had lost his throne as a result of the War of the Polish Succession, with the understanding that it would fall to the French crown on his death. When Stanisław died on 23 February 1766, Lorraine was annexed by France and reorganized as a province.
Nancy Museum Aquarium. A natural history museum and mediocre aquarium. €8
Saint-Nicolas-de-Port Basilica, Saint-Nicolas-de-Port. It is a pilgrimage site, supposedly holding relics of Saint Nicholas brought from Italy. Nicolas became the patron saint of the Duchy of Lorraine. The current basilica was built on the 15th and 16th centuries and has fine Renaissance painted glass windows.
A flamboyant Gothic church built from 1481-1530, the dirty exterior belies the beauty inside. It is very large – 85m long, 25m wide and 21m to the top of the nave. The almost white limestone and high light-coloured windows give it a lot of light. At the crossing, the aisles are as tall as the central nave and the windows extend for the entire height. Murals decorate some of the columns and one chapel and stained glass windows back each chapel. I loved this church. At the back right is the Cross of Lorraine from the St Pierre tower (1725), an ancient wrought iron double cross with a flag on top and supported by a wood post.
It is about 20kms east of Nancy. 
Tunnel Maurice-Lemaire. In the NM “Roads, Road Bridges and Tunnels”, this new 6.9km tunnel cost €6.1. It is basically a straight drive with a small bend in the middle on the way to Strasbourg.
NOMAD MANIA France – Lorraine (Metz, Nancy)
World Heritage Sites
Fortifications of Vauban
Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d’Alliance in Nancy
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement
Tentative WHS
Metz Royale et Impériale, enjeux de pouvoir, confrontations stylistiques et identité urbaine (07/04/2014)
Sites funéraires et mémoriels de la Première Guerre mondiale (Front Ouest) (07/04/2014)
Borders
Belgium (Wallonia)-France
France-Germany
France-Luxembourg
Roads, Road Bridges and Tunnels: Tunnel Maurice-Lemaire
House Museums/Plantations
Domrémy-la-Pucelle: Maison natale de Jeanne d’Arc
Scy-Chazelles: Robert Schuman House
Castles, Palaces, Forts
Bitche: Citadelle de Bitche
Manderen: Malbrouck castle
Religious Temples
Avioth: Avioth Basilica
Saint-Nicolas-de-Port: Saint-Nicolas-de-Port Basilica
Zoos
Amnéville Zoo
Rhodes: Parc animalier de Sainte-Croix
Theme Parks: Jeanménil: Fraispertuis City
The Dark Side: Douaumont Ossuary
European Cities
METZ
Tentative WHS: Metz Royale et Impériale, enjeux de pouvoir, confrontations stylistiques et identité urbaine (07/04/2014)
Saint Etienne Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Metz).
Museums:
Musée de la Cour d’Or
Centre Pompidou
Botanical Gardens: Metz Botanical Gardens
NANCY
World Heritage Sites: Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d’Alliance in Nancy
Airports: Metz-Nancy (ETZ)
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars: Nancy Guided Light Transit
Museums
Musée de Beaux-Arts
Musée Lorraine
Religious Temples: Nancy Cathedral
Botanical Gardens: Villers-lès-Nancy: Jean-Marie Pelt Botanical Garden
Aquariums: Nancy Aquarium
Villages and Small Towns
Bar-le-Duc
Rodemack
