Meurthe-Et-Moselle: Nature, Culture and Culinary Delights

Nature, Hills and Trails

The Colline de Sion reaches 545 metres in height and stretches in a semicircle for almost five kilometres. Its southern section is home to calcareous grassland with protected animals and plants. On the hilltop, the Cité des Paysages offers a permanent landscape trail and regular biodiversity exhibitions. The programme also includes workshops, exhibitions, night walks and nature outings.

The Parc naturel régional de Lorraine extends beyond Meurthe-Et-Moselle. The wider park area has more than 500 kilometres of marked trails, including family routes with an average duration of around three hours. The departmental Balades 54 app provides circular routes for walking, cycling and horse riding, as well as GPS tracks to download. This makes it possible to take different ways of getting around into account when planning, without treating all the options as a single route.

A distinctive blend of nature and culture awaits on the Sentier des Roises in Lucey: the trail connects the heritage of the area’s former hemp cultivation with opportunities to observe amphibians and a vineyard path. The Route Touristique des Côtes de Toul, by contrast, runs along a north-south axis around Toul and is about 30 kilometres long. The two routes explore different themes, from landscapes and historic agriculture to winegrowing.

At Lac de Pierre-Percée, the first thing you’ll notice is its shape: the artificial reservoir covers 304 hectares and its outline resembles a maple leaf. Hiking and ziplining are among the activities available there. Another option for cyclists is the Boucle de la Moselle. It runs mostly along greenways and shared minor roads, has only minor elevation changes and is suitable for cyclists of all ability levels.

UNESCO Sites, Museums and Activities

In Nancy, Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d’Alliance together form a UNESCO World Heritage ensemble. The three squares provide a distinctive cultural highlight within the département. Nancy’s culinary specialties also include bergamot candies, macarons and quiche Lorraine.

For contemporary glass art, another themed trail leads to Vannes-le-Châtel: Cerfav offers exhibitions, demonstrations and hands-on activities. The Musée des Émaux et Faïences de Longwy displays more than 200 Longwy enamel works as well as historic faience services. If you’re looking for other types of leisure activities, Fort Escape in Blénod-les-Toul offers underground mazes, an escape-game area, laser tag and paintball.

These attractions have clearly different focuses: Nancy is known for its UNESCO ensemble and culinary specialties, while Longwy’s collections showcase enamel art and historic faience. Cerfav and Fort Escape complement the cultural destinations with demonstrations and hands-on activities, or active leisure experiences.

Wine and Regional Cuisine

The AOC Côtes de Toul comprises 16 wineries and around 120 hectares. About two-thirds of production is certified organic, and annual output is around 4,000 hectolitres. Gris de Toul is made from Gamay and Pinot Noir. Locally, it is served with dishes including quiche Lorraine, pâté Lorraine, terrines and charcuterie.

You can also discover the mirabelle through a range of activities: the Maison de la Mirabelle offers tastings, cocktail workshops and walks through orchards. An educational visitor area also explores the history and production of mirabelles, as well as orchard management. This means that, alongside wine and food, cultivation and processing are also among the topics to explore.

Planning Your Trip

When deciding what to include, it’s easy to compare the different highlights: the trails around Sion and in Lucey combine nature with wildlife observation and landscape themes; the Boucle de la Moselle is aimed at cyclists and has only minor elevation changes. Nancy and Longwy offer different experiences, with the UNESCO ensemble and their collections, respectively. Daily train services connect Meurthe-Et-Moselle with major cities in France and abroad. Check the current timetable before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Méréville, Nancy, Pont-À-Mousson, Saint-Maurice-Aux-Forges, Blâmont, Igney, Pulney, Joppécourt, Badonviller, Vandoeuvre-Lès-Nancy, Toul, Saint-Pierremont, Moncel-Lès-Lunéville, Maxéville, Lunéville, Ludres, Longwy, Laxou, Houdémont, Essey-Lès-Nancy, Briey, Allain, Franconville, Fey-En-Haye, Giriviller, Rehainviller, Longuyon, Baccarat, Heillecourt, Mexy, Flirey, Favières, Dommartemont, Pierrepont, Domèvre-En-Haye, Dieulouard, Thiaucourt-Regniéville, Choloy-Ménillot, Saint-Baussant, Val-Et-Châtillon, Villers-Lès-Nancy, Richardménil, Saint-Nicolas-De-Port, Puxe, Pompey, Homécourt, Pierre-Percée, Tellancourt, Crézilles, Bernécourt, Doncourt-Lès-Conflans, Bruley, Lucey, Ancy-Sur-Moselle, Mont-Le-Vignoble, Jaulny, Rouves, Belleau, Mars-La-Tour, Blainville-Sur-L'eau, Goviller, Bréhain-La-Ville, Liverdun, Saxon-Sion, Dommartin-sous-Amance, Cirey-sur-Vezouze, Essey-et-Maizerais, Conflans-en-Jarnisy, Bainville-aux-Miroirs, Neuves-Maisons, Froville, Cerville, Bouxières-aux-Dames, Jarny, Maizières, Crévéchamps, Saint-Clément, Bulligny, Gondreville.

To the main travel overview: Lorraine.