As the French say ‘Nous sommes le samedi, 9 mai.’ It’s a Saturday weekend in the lively, energetic city of Nancy. We have moved on to the Lorraine region of France, the home of Maria Antoinette’s ancestors through her father’s line.

Marie Antoinette’s Day and Stay

Her stop in Nancy in the Lorraine region was important to demonstrate though she was Austrian, her heritage extended to Lorraine in France.

She made a point of visiting the Église des Cordeliers (photo below), the fifteenth century Franciscan church of her ancestors, medieval Franciscan friars and the Dukes of Lorraine, to pray at the tombs within the church.

The Église des Cordeliers is located in the Old Town, now surrounded by shops and a myriad of restaurants and cafes.

On the day of my visit, folks were enjoying en plein air dining, spilling across the sidewalks.

Marie Antoinette’s lodging for the evening was in a building beside Stanislas Square where rooms were designed specifically for her needs the evening of her stay. It is currently the elegant Grand Hotel de la Reine. temporarily closed for renovations until October 2026.

Stanislas Square

This square is more ornate, more jaw-dropping, more baroque than any of the squares or city centers I have been through on this journey. It is UNESCO-listed and considered a masterpiece in urban design. The square is named for Stanislas I Leszczynski, the father of Marie Leszczynska who was Queen of France as the wife of King Louis XV.

On the Saturday of my visit, this square with its many golden gates was full of people enjoying their day.

Opéra National de Nancy Lorraine was open for a children’s program so I was able to peak inside and see the lovely boxes and well-worn polished wood floors. Rebuilt after a fire around the turn of the twentieth century, it incorporates the Art Nouveau design that is also seen in other buildings around Nancy.

My Lodging and Day in Nancy

During my journey, with few exceptions, I have stayed at small independent inns near the railway stations. In only a few stays did I choose a chain hotel and then they were each European chains. No Holiday Inns for me this trip, I’m keeping it local.

My stay in Nancy was at the Hotel Stanley by Happy Culture. It provided many happy surprises, including a reception that was open all day, a coffee machine in the lobby also available all day, and breakfast in the hotel basement resembling a wine cellar, a hotel after my heart.

I forgot my converter plug in Saverne (one of two items lost or left behind during these 19 days). An information office off the town square provided directions to a huge electronics store which gave me an opportunity to see a bit of the city that was not drenched in history. There as well, Nancy appears to be thriving with people in droves milling about in Fnac, with floors and floors of anything electronic you might need, and shoppers standing in long lines to buy.

Back to my hotel, I took a final walk down to the end of my street. A busy road behind me limited getting a better photo of France’s motto printed at the top of a building.

As I lined up my phone to photo the sign which read “Liberté Egalité Fraternité”, a gentleman walking past called to me in an energized voice: “Oui, madame, Liberté Égalité Fraternité” and continued on his way.

Afterthought:

As I write this post, I’m listening to the PBS broadcast of the Vienna Philharmonic performed in front of Shoenbrunn Palace, the home Marie Antoinette left on the first day of this journey in 1770, never to return.