Property Lorraine - Buy, Rent & Stay in Lorraine, France

Lorraine

Lorraine, in the far north-east of France, is one of the 26 regions of France. Its two main cities are Metz (administrative capital) and Nancy (historical capital). Often referred to as the Pays de Trois Frontiers (the land of three frontiers) as it shares borders with Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. It also borders the French regions of Franche-Comté, Alsace, and Champagne-Ardenne.

Of strategic importance as the crossroads of four nations, it has a very important role in European affairs and Lorraine has long been a pawn in France’s perennial conflict with Germany. The cities of Metz, Nancy, Verdun, Thionville, and Toul are fortress cities defending the gaps in the ridges of western Lorraine’s rolling hills of clay. Between 1871 and 1918, the department of Moselle in the east was annexed, along with Alsace, by Germany following France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. It was again controlled by Germany from 1940 to 1945.

The four departments of Lorraine are:

Meurthe-et-Moselle (54),

Home of historical capital of Lorraine, Nancy.

An attractive and sophisticated city located on the Rhine-Marne canal that goes from Paris to Strasbourg. A city of two ages, the first, during the 18th century when much of its classical beauty came from King Stanislas Leczinski of Poland. Deposed by the Russians in 1736, Stanislas was Louis XV’s father-in-law and given the Duchy of Lorraine as compensation. Out of gratitude he devoted the remainder of his life embellishing the town that had been devastated by the Thirty Years’ War of the 17 th century. The squares Stanislas and Carrières are 18th century masterpieces of this era. Secondly at the turn of the 20th century it became an important centre for Art Nouveau and, for a brief while, looked set to seriously rival Paris as a centre for Art Nouveau under the skilled glassmaker Emile Gallé. There are a number of buildings around the city with decorative features in this style.

Meuse (55)

Based at the mouth of the river Meuse lies the garrison town of Verdun. World War I and badly damaged by bombing in 1944. The bloodiest battle of World War I - the Battle for Verdun - took place here and it was also badly damaged by bombing in 1944. Hundreds of thousands of French men were brutally killed during the “Great War” and today most of the visitors to Verdun are pilgrims to see where their forefathers lost their lives.

Outside of the town, the massive Ossuaire de Douaumont containing bone fragments of more than 100,000 soldiers and the adjacent cemetery with 15,000 crosses are very moving.

Moselle (57)

Metz, the administrative capital of Lorraine, sits on the east bank of the river Moselle and more than 20 bridges span the river. A dignified city with stately public squares and lovely riverside parks with ponds, fountains, ducks and swans. It has a historic commercial centre and is home to a large university. The Théâtre (1738-53) is France's oldest theatre building that's still in use.

Some 20 kilometres south-west of Metz is the Lorraine Regional Park.

Vosges (88)

The southernmost of Lorraine's four départements and to Domrémy-la-Pucelle celebrated as the birthplace of Joan of Arc, wooded Vosges is a rambler's and rock-climber's paradise

Lakeside Gérardmer is the main Vosges resort - popular for skiing in winter and pony trekking in summer

Due to the natural pools and lakes in the département, thermal spa towns are abundant. Vittel (as in the water) is the largest while Plombières and Bains-les-Bain among a handful of others. Vittel is supposed to be good for treating liver and kidney disorders, gout, migraine, allergies and arthritis.

Lorraine Regional Cuisine:

Quiche Lorraine - a pie that is made primarily of eggs and cream in a pastry crust with the addition of bacon. Cheese (usually Swiss) is not an ingredient of the original Lorraine recipe. The addition of onion to Quiche Lorraine makes Quiche Alsacienne.

Pâté Lorraine - chopped pork and veal flavoured with white wine and baked in puff pastry.

Potée Lorraine - a stew of smoked meats and sausages, with cabbage and root vegetables

Andouille - tripe sausage.

Beverages of Lorraine:

Wine - The most well-known wine of the region is the pinot noir of Toul. There are vineyards in the valley of the Moselle, the valley of Seille, the valley of Metz, and the valley of Sierck.

Beer - Historically, Lorraine was the location of many breweries, including the Champigneulles, Vézelise, Tantonville, Ligny-In-Barrois, and Metz. Today, these breweries have closed down, but there are still breweries operating in the region, including Les Brasseurs de Lorraine in Pont-à-Mousson.

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