Races in Nancy

Considered the densest city in its region, you’ll need several full running outings to discover every last corner of Nancy. Between its medieval old town and its many more recent neighborhoods, this urban area ranks 4th among French cities with the most monuments 😲. Yep, it has more than 260 of them, all different from one another—so if you want to visit everything, fair warning: it’s going to be a workout!

If you’re into exceptional monuments, you have to stop by the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Annunciation, before visiting the Basilica of Saint-Epvre (promise, we didn’t misspell it) in old Nancy. The Church of the Cordeliers, built following the victory of the Duke of Lorraine over the Duke of Burgundy, is located right next to the Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, another must-see monument in the city. If your second passion after running is art, you’ll be delighted to visit the Museum of Fine Arts and the Villa Majorelle. A few strides away, you’ll find the majestic, the magnificent, the iconic Place Stanislas and its career, listed by UNESCO among the most beautiful squares in the world (yep!). After all that, you absolutely have to see the splendid Arc Héré, located right next to City Hall. And you know what? You can visit them all during a nice off-the-beaten-path urban trail, since all these monuments are grouped in the same place.

Speaking of running, you’re probably wondering what the best spots in the city are to train. We’ve gathered them especially for you! Nancy has very large parks suited for jogging, like Parc Sainte-Marie or Parc de la Pépinière, right in the city center, just a few minutes from Porte de la Craffe. If you’re afraid of crowds on sunny days, then go run along the Meurthe, the river that crosses the city from north to south. After all that, if you’re looking to get out of the city because you’ve already visited everything, go get some fresh air by the Bellefontaine or Croquottes ponds (we love that name 😍) and take a little dip to cool off. For a long run in the woods, you can opt for the Haye forest (nothing to do with The Hague 🇳🇱). Ideally located, Nancy lies halfway between the Lorraine Regional Natural Park and the Northern Vosges Regional Natural Park; if with all that you still can’t find what you’re looking for, there’s nothing more we can do 🤷‍♀️.

Next trail, next trail, okay, but what races are organized in Nancy? On the race calendar (not the ones you’ll do at the Central Market), we recommend the Saint Nicholas 10K (a traditional Lorraine celebration), the Grand Nancy Half Marathon, and if you’re aiming even higher (after all, always higher, always farther, always stronger !), go for the Ultra Trail Tour Nancy. If you work as a team, the Nancy Ekiden is what you need! Yep, you see, you’re spoiled: on top of discovering the city down to its smallest corners, you’ll get plenty of miles in your legs! 

Still not tired? Alright, we’ll add a few festivities to the program then. As you know, Nancy is a very welcoming city, and is particularly known for the Nancyphonies, the Illuminations of Place Stanislas, or the Nancy Fair. Otherwise, if you’d like to show off your Catherine Sauvage talents, take part in the International Choral Singing Festival. 

But wait—festivities means a meal, right? Ahhh, you’re in the right region for gastronomy. We hope you’re more into sweet than savory, because pastries reign here. On the cake side, we’ll let you savor the Saint-Epvre cake, the Liverdun madeleines, or a good rum Ali Baba 😋. On the sweets side, bergamot, the Duchesses of Lorraine, and the Chardon Lorrain are very popular. Are you “Nareux” because there’s none of that left at the bakery? Here, the debate isn’t between pain au chocolat and chocolatine—you’ll have to ask for an “escargot” to get a raisin roll. Wait, if someone offers you a cornet, it won’t be ice cream, but a bag—don’t get fooled! 😅

So, ready to come? No? Yes? Well, you can also discover Metz a few kilometers away; it’s worth a look as well!