Visiting Nancy in France? Art nouveau tips

Latest update: 30 July 2024

Art lover or not: you will be impressed by Nancy. You’ll find Art Nouveau everywhere in this city. From museums to beautiful facades, you really can’t miss it. So put Nancy on your places-I-want-to-go list, and I will give you a little preview of all the Art Nouveau you can enjoy.

Revival of Art Nouveau

Are you familiar with art movements? Me? Not so much, but I do enjoy learning more about them. Nancy is known for art nouveau. Around 1900, Nancy’s art nouveau was highly regarded worldwide. The Nancy School was even created, where artists and craftsmen and women united to further strengthen the movement. The movement was actually only popular for a short time: between 1890 and 1914. But the artists were quite productive, and so you can still find traces of art nouveau everywhere in Nancy.

What is Art Nouveau?

But what exactly is art nouveau? Well, forget right angles! Art Nouveau is graceful art inspired by plants and wavy lines. You see it everywhere, from elegant lamps to buildings with winding details. Artists wanted to move away from mass production and explore craftsmanship and uniqueness. The German name is Jugendstil, if that rings a bell.

Art Nouveau in Nancy

You don’t necessarily have to visit a museum to see Art Nouveau, as it is everywhere in Nancy. It can be seen in elegant fencing, a beautiful balcony, a special facade, or a beautiful brasserie such as L’Excelsior. You almost have to go out of your way to avoid Art Nouveau in Nancy. But of course, it is fun to look it up. You can do this, for example, at Musée de l’Ecole de Nancy, Villa Majorelle and the DAUM store.

An Art Nouveau-themed tour is also an option. You can check out this tour.

Musée de l’Ecole de Nancy

The Nancy School Museum is an excellent first stop on your self-guided Art Nouveau discovery tour. It is a museum with several rooms displaying Art Nouveau furniture. It’s all very graceful, with many flowing lines inspired by nature.

The museum shows work by the big names of that time: Emile Gallé, Louis Majorelle, Eugene Vallin. The Nancy School was developed between 1889 and 1909 and then disappeared again. Some artists managed to successfully focus on the next movement: Art Deco.

The building itself is also beautiful, and the lush garden contains small outdoor exhibitions. This is called Parc Corbin, named after Eugène Corbin, a former resident of the museum building who purchased the furniture and works of art in the museum.

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Tip! There is more to explore. I have listed the best things to do in Nancy AND Nancy’s best foodie tips, too.

Villa Majorelle

Once you have visited the museum, go to the Villa Majorelle. You’re close now anyway, right? Villa Majorelle is a large villa in Art Nouveau style. It was designed by the then-inexperienced Henri Sauvage for the artist Louis Majorelle – one of the big names of that time. So the Majorelle family actually lived here. The house was later restored to that state, as the villa was bombed and also served as office space for a while. Since 1996, it has been a historical monument.

You walk through the house with Art Nouveau objects and lavish decoration everywhere. From the dining room to the bedroom: every detail has been thought of. There is also stained glass, and the wooden stairs, in particular, are exceptional because of their graceful shapes. It is essential to make a reservation, because Villa Majorelle works with time slots. By the way, they are cautious about keeping the villa as beautiful as possible. For example, you must put blue plastic covers over your shoes upon entering.

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Rue Félix Faure

In the area of Villa Majorelle and the Musée de l’Ecole de Nancy you could also walk to Rue Félix Faure. There are many houses on this street with beautiful Art Nouveau facades.

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Tip! Have you become enthusiastic about the Art Nouveau style? The Nancy tourism office has listed all the places where you can see it here. Pretty handy.

Daum in the store or museum

The brothers Auguste Daum and Antonin Daum focused on glassware during the heyday of Art Nouveau. A good move, because the Daum glass factory blossomed into one of the largest glass factories in France. Daum still makes glassware, no longer in the Art Nouveau style, because the company has also kept up with the times. It is terribly unaffordable for ordinary people. But of course, it’s fun to check it out.

There is a Daum store on Place Stanislas in the center of Nancy (here). A miniature glass horse costs €250. A larger statue can easily cost €6,000 to €10,000, so don’t mess around in the store!

Another option is to go to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nancy (here). The basement is full of Daum crystal, it has at least 900 pieces.

Art nouveau brasserie L’Excelsior

Would you like lunch or dinner in a beautiful, authentic brasserie? Then you MUST go to Brasserie L’Excelsior. This brasserie is completely in the Art Nouveau style. I would love to stroll around the dining room and admire the decor, but that feels a little weird. So, I admire all the beauty from my table. The chandeliers were designed by Majorelle and Daum, and the furniture is also by Majorelle.

Not unimportant: the food is delicious. L’Excelsior is known for seafood and fish. So give it a try!

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I was invited to Nancy by Destination Nancy. They have given me complete editorial freedom.