Why not Nancy?

John , just read your post . I am not able to answer your query , but I am intrigued by your question. I am quite curious as to what your focus of interest in that area is . Perhaps the Battle of the Bulge ? Sorry not to be of any help , but very interested , Thanks .

I've never been there but flicking through some images, makes me think it would be well worth a visit. Perhaps even this autumn... The thing is that there are lots of interesting places all over Europe that are not on the tourist trail and so long as you are prepared to do your own research, you can have a great time. My son, who has Aspergers, is big into travel, it's his thing. And like most people with this condition, he does things his own way rather than following the crowd - his planning tools are Google Earth, Street View and Wikipedia rather than guide books. I've been on some fantastic trips with him over the years, the only difficulty been trying to explain to others where we've been! Nobody has ever heard of most of the places....

Hi, If you have that rental car, I heartily suggest seeing Lorraine...Metz, esp the outskirts those villages west of the city, Thionville (Diedenhofen), Nancy (where I haven't been yet), and Verdun. Much easier to access those villages with a car.

Sounds good, but I'd tweak with one change. Whereas Nancy has the beautiful grill work, I'd spend more time in its traditional rival, Metz, a city that goes back to the Celts and was then a major Roman city. The TGV goes to Metz too. Your loop sounds good. Lots of white wine.
PS your best guide books to this area are the green Michelin books, which you can get in English on Amazon.

Thanks everyone. I'll definitely follow those leads. As far as focus goes, I would say that it is eclectic. I want to get as close to the French culture, in its varied expressions and history, as I can in a short time. This will be our family's first trip to France, and I am aiming for a good overview in slightly less traveled places.

Here's a vote for visiting Nancy. We really enjoyed that beautiful city, which exhibits its role as a center of the early 20th century Art Nouveau movement. In addition to the wonderful collection in the Musee de l'École de Nancy, there are many buildings in that style, some open to the public. You can get a brochure at the TI office, which lays out some walking tours. Eat at Brasserie Excelsior, where you can enjoy a nice meal in one of the Art Nouveau settings. The old town has many medieval and Renaissance buildings, as well. The quite good Musee Historique Lorrain covers pre-history to modern times.

I can't speak to a driving itinerary, as I've only taken trains in that area. But Nancy is a gem, and I actually preferred it to Strasbourg or Colmar. If you have any interest in Art Nouveau or in fancy glassware, Nancy is a must. In Strasbourg, the undisputed highlight for me was the Museum of Alsatian Life. I have no particular need to go back to Strasbourg - except to spend more time at that museum.

Reims was okay. Bigger plus if you are into champagne. We had a fun day there as a day trip from Paris (love those high speed trains), but it sounds like Nancy is the prettier girl.

I agree. Nancy is a lovely city. I consider it a miniature Paris. It also acts as a great base for visiting Verdun, driving over the 'mountains' to the vineyards, etc. Besides my travel mates, I only saw one other American the entire week I was there. It was great.

Yes, Nancy is lovely, you should go! The square is nothing short of magnificent, and the whole center is like walking around an open-air French architecture museum. If you're interested in Art Nouveau, make the trip out from the center to visit the museum and follow the TI's architecture walking tour. There's nothing else quite like it. Go, go, go!

Another vote for Nancy. We went there on a whim, and found it affordable, beautiful, and fun. Very underrated city. You can visit Joan of Arc's birthplace in a 45 minute drive from the city as well.