Leisure

• Culture and sports, Nancy’s cultural life

The former city of the Dukes of Lorraine, Nancy is located at the crossroads of Europe. For centuries it was a center for artists and architects. Their unique contributions give the city a distinctive flair.

• The famous squares and monuments of Nancy

The city is particularly famous for its squares and historic monuments:
- La Place Stanislas (this internationally renowned square was built by Stanislas Leszczynski, one of the Dukes of Lorraine. It is famous for its beautiful gilded ironwork)
- La Place Carrière (it stretches from the Heré Gate to the Government Palace)
- L’Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) on Stanislas Square
- Le Palais du Gouvernement (an exquisite building which dominates one end of Carrière Square)
- Le Palais Ducal (the palace is located within the confines of the medieval city or old town)
- La Porte de la Craffe (at one end of the Grande
- Rue in the old town, this imposing fortress once protected the city)
- Religious monuments : Nancy has 6 famous churches : Basilique Saint-Epvre, Eglise des Cordeliers, Cathédrale, Eglise Notre Dame de Bonsecours, Eglise Saint Pierre, and Eglise Saint-Sébastien.

• Museums

For those who appreciate art and art history, Nancy has 3 museums, each dedicated to a different aspect of the city’s cultural heritage. Located in different parts of the city, the museums have distinctive architectural styles :
- The Museum of Lorraine is located within the Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine in the medieval city. Visitors can retrace the history of the region from prehistoric to modern times.
- The Fine Arts Museum is housed in one of the splendid 18th century pavilions surrounding Stanislas Square. It contains a magni!cent collection of paintings, sculptures and artwork as well as an exceptional collection of crystal by Daum.
- The Museum of the School of Nancy can be found in a late 19th century Chateau. It is dedicated to “Art Nouveau”, the decorative style of art, which #ourished in Nancy at the turn of the 20th century.

For those of you who love nature or for those who are interested in the mining and steel industries (which were the traditional industries of Nancy), the following museums will certainly interest you :
- The tropical aquarium of Nancy has more than 10,000 specimens, some of which represent endangered species. In addition to tropical fish and marine animals, the aquarium contains a natural history museum.
- Iron museum has exhibits on the history of iron and ironwork as well as techniques for making iron.

• Theaters, Concerts and Cinemas 

Compose your own programs as there is a vast range to choose from: an opera, a national theater company, a ballet, a symphony orchestra, and jazz and rock concerts. Nancy also has many theatres, concert halls (most famous of which is the Zenith Hall), convention centers and cinemas.

Throughout the year, cultural events are organized by the city or by private associations related to the arts: Passion Theater, The Festival of Saint-Nicolas, Nancy Jazz Pulsations, The International Choral Singing Festival, The Music of Lorraine, Springtime and Poetry, Heritage Festivals...

• Parks and Gardens 

Nancy has many parks and public gardens. The most famous of these is “La Pépinière”. This 23 hectare park contains both a rose and an English garden as well as a zoo. It is located in the city center, not far from Place Stanislas.

For further information, contact the Tourism Office.

• Sports

The Service Inter Universitaire des Activités Physiques et Sportives (SIUAP) is the sports service for all students in Nancy. You can practice any of 55 different sports. Among them are: aikido, badminton, basketball, body-building, climbing, dancing, fencing, gol!ng, kayaking, skiing, sky-diving, swimming, tennis, table tennis…

ICN’s Sport Association (BDS-Bureau des Sports) will assist you with all administrative steps and will also help you join any of the school’s sporting teams if you wish.