Lorraine is a region in the north east of France. It is the only French region to have a border with three other countries, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. It also borders the French regions of Alsace, Franche Comte and Champagne-Ardenne. Because of its location Lorraine has been seen as a crossroad between four nations and for that reason has become important to European and international politics. The majority of the region forms the Paris bassin.

The borders of Lorraine have shifted a lot over its history. It has changed hands many times, joining and leaving the Holy Roman Empire more than once. The modern day region of Lorraine is much bigger than what was the historical Duchy of Lorraine. The vast majority of Lorraine is very much French in culture. Otto von Bismark annexed only about a third of the region following the Franco-Prussian War, and that area is not easily identifiable as French or Germanic.

A two-day break
The region has two main centres : Nancy and Metz. From the Kyriad Hotel Nancy Sud it is less than 15 minutes by road to the town’s centre and the Musee de l’Ecole de Nancy, a wonderful art nouveau museum. Nearby is the Musee des Beaux-Arts: a chance to soak up still more art for a range of periods for a very reasonable entrance price. Fill the rest of your time in Nancy with a walk-through Pepiniere Park.

A seven-day break
The huge Cathedral St Etienne is only a 10-minute walk from the Kyriad Hotel Metz Centre. The 12th century building is one of the tallest in France and is renowned for its use of stained glass. Less than 15 minutes from the Kyriad Hotel Metz Centre is the Cour d’Or, an impressive museum displaying archaeological finds, antiques and historical artefacts.

Family Holiday
A half-hour drive from the Kyriad Hotel Metz Centre will take you to the Parc Zoologique d'Amneville. This is a great family day out with a wide variety of animals, facilities and attractions that cater for children and adults alike. From the Kyriad Hotel Epinal Centre it is a half-hour drive to Fraispertuis City, another theme park. This park caters more for children than adults but is a great day out.

Transport
The easiest way to get to the Lorraine region from other parts of Europe is by the train, with both TER regional lines and the High Speed TGV East Europe Line servicing the area. Once you are there, however, if you are looking to move around the region much you might want to rent a car to enjoy the scenery.

Food
Many traditional Lorraine dishes feature potatoes and the use of the vegetable in the area can be traced back to the 1600s. Smoked bacon is also a traditional ingredient in the region and is found in many typical Lorraine dishes. Specialties include Quiche Lorraine and Potee Lorraine, a stew of meat and root vegetables.

Events
On 6 December every year the area celebrates Saint Nicholas Day. This has been happening since the middle ages, and thousands of people throng the streets in honour of the area’s patron saint, the protector of children. In October Nancy host the Nancy Jazz Pulsations music festival, one of the most recognised jazz festivals in Europe.

Did You Know?
The Cross of Lorraine, and ancient heraldic symbol featuring a vertical bar crossed by two horizontal bars, was adopted by the Free French Forces. Vice-admiral Emile Muselier, then only in charge of the navy and air forces for two days, created the bow flag. The flag was the French colours with a red Cross of Lorraine on top of it.

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