Reims or Nancy

I was looking for some place to break up the drive from Fountainebleau to Strasbourg. Going to spend 3 days there then 5 days in Colmar. So you would suggest not going to Reims?

I have never been to Reims so I can't compare. We spent 7-10 days in Nancy. We thoroughly enjoyed it. If you like art nouveau you will find more to do in this miniature Paris than the prior poster indicated. We are low key people and tend to do a lot of walking and enjoy art, architecture and people. My daughter was there for one year teaching in the French school system after college.

Reims because of WWI destruction is a mecca of French Art Deco. There are maps of self guided tours available from the Tourist office. Of particular beauty is the Carnegie Library.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_Art_d%C3%A9co_%C3%A0_Reims

Nancy is a center for Art Nouveau not Art Deco

I stayed in both cities last year. I preferred Nancy for aesthetic reasons by a considerable margin, but I do think Reims is worthwhile, especially if you have an interest in the champagne houses. I'd suggest consultung a guide book to see which city seems to have more sights you'll want to visit, beyond just the wandering-around you enjoy. For the latter, I definitely found Nancy more interesting. The tourist office had a small brochure showing locations of key art nouveau buildings, and I found other interesting architecture (including some art deco) as I was seeking the mapped spots. The Museum of the School of Nancy is a treasure-trove of decorative art from the art nouveau period.

Thanks to apadc for posting. I was planning on stopping in Reims for the Surrender Museum, among other things, and possibly as a base for Verdun.

I've been on the fence about Nancy - sounds like it's worth at least a day.

Indeed, if you love Art Nouveau, Nancy is a gorgeous place, although the main sites are out of the center. However, the center plaza of Nancy (Place Stanislas) itself is absolutely gorgeous, and not really like anything else in France that I can think of, with its use of space and the architecture of the place and surrounding streets.

The cathedral in Reims was, of course, bombed in WWI, not WWII, and its reconstruction was financed by Americans led in particular by John J Rockefeller . . . The Chagall windows in the Cathedral are gorgeous, and of course there's the history of the crowning of the French kings there - and of course the cameo by Joan of Arc.

https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/bombing-cathedral-reims

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/joan-of-arc-the-woman-who-shaped-a-nation-8207852.html

Also in Reims is the wonderful Surrender (Reddition) museum, where the Nazis signed their surrender on May 7, 1945 in the HQ of the Allied expeditionary forces, in the Map Room. It's not a huge museum but so atmospheric and really interesting.

http://musees-reims.fr/reims-museums/

And a visit to a Champagne house is one of the classic French experiences. Fascinating for the science and agronomy, but also of course for the fines bulles - the bubbles! Best researched and reserved ahead so you don't miss if you want to go to a specific house (there are some places that allow walk-ins, but many request reservations, and might be closed on a certain day -- so best to check ahead!).

Both places have wonderful things to offer.

I made a point of returning to the cathedral before I left Reims because the glass was so lovely. It was the overall architecture of the city that I considered mediocre by French standards.

Thank you for all the information.

Acraven -- agreed, Reims itself is not a beautiful city, at all.

For me Reims. Here's why:

Nancy is more modern than I'm interested in. Place Stanislaus was constructed almost 1800 and I prefer much older. I personally prefer medieval to modern era (modern era being post 1500). Cities that were rebuilt in the current style after 1500 aren't the ones I like to visit.

Reims has a major cathedral plus another Basilica, a large (mostly pedestrian) cafe area, Roman ruins and champagne houses.

I cannot fathom why anyone would tell you to skip Reims! The light show at the cathedral alone is worth the visit! Be advised, the show starts when it is completely dark, which in the summer is not until nearly 11 pm! But it is absolutely jaw-dropping and not to be missed! The town is also quite enjoyable, and of course, the champagne tours can't be beat. We did Mumm's, Tattinger (better than Mumm's), and went to Epernay for my personal favorite, the private Dom Perignon tour at Moet & Chandon. (No lie, we consumed a full two bottles of Dom during the tasting portion.) I have not been to Nancy so cannot advise on which is better, but I truly enjoyed the two nights spent in Reims and we do plan to return on a future trip.

In Reims, the windows that were destroyed in the war have been replaced by windows created by Marc Chagall. Incredible colors, a must see in Reims.
We also enjoyed seeing the Surrender Museum.
Nancy has the beautiful Stanlislaus Square, art nouveau, and WWII history where American Third Army infantry troops liberated the cityfrom the Germans.