Colors of Nancy - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Nancy is a major cultural center where many holidays and festivals dedicated to various spheres of culture take place every year. In summer, the city holds the International Choir Singing Festival in which performers from various countries take part. Many concerts within the framework of the event are held in the open air so Nancy's main square turns into a big concert venue. The musical festival is accompanied by beautiful processions passing through the main streets. The Choir Singing Festival is a great opportunity to get acquainted with folklore traditions of many countries and cities of the world. Its guests will have a chance to visit colorful fairs and meet the performers, as well as take some vocal lessons from famous teachers.

Those who prefer more modern holidays and music will likely be happy to visit Nancy in October. One of the largest jazz festivals in France, Nancy Jazz Pulsations, is held here in the midst of autumn. It attracts no less participants and spectators from abroad. The festival program is not limited to music concerts only. Every day, they arrange meet-and-greets with popular musicians, among which there are world-famous performers. It is important to note that this festival is always open for beginner performers - new young talents take part in it every year.

In early autumn, the city hosts the Festival of Light appreciated by all fans of art and unusual entertainment. Place Stanislas serves as the main venue for the colorful event. The square is surrounded by beautiful historic buildings, which become part of light shows. When darkness falls, colorful images are projected onto their facades. A new theme is chosen for the festival every year. First organized less than ten years ago, it is one of the youngest festivals in the cultural calendar of Nancy. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The central focus of the festival is the art of a certain historical period. Works of world-famous artists are projected onto the historic facades to the delight of the audience. Such bright shows are accompanied by a spectacular music program, which makes the event even more exciting. Unique historic architecture has been preserved all around the square. The buildings stand so close to each other that they form a huge "screen" covering the area of about 220 square meters. In the daytime, they hold street performances and fairs for festival guests. They'll have the opportunity to buy interesting traditional souvenirs and try the best regional food. After dark, thousands of people gather in the main city square to watch enchanting light and music shows.

The townspeople are proud of their culture, which finds manifestations in virtually all spheres of their lives. Interesting stories are associated with each place in the city. One of the symbolic places for Nancy is Place de la Carrière. Now it looks more like a small garden square, the entrance to which is decorated with exquisite gates. In the medieval period, knightly tournaments were regularly held in this square to amuse representatives of the local nobility. Now local residents claim that they still manage to find teeth that were knocked out in this place hundreds of years ago.

Guests of the city who expect to devote much of their time to sightseeing are recommended to hire one of the local guides. In this case, walks around the city will be supplemented by fascinating stories. Here, beautiful legends may be associated even with seemingly inconspicuous historical monuments and sites.

Nancy is also popular among adherents of gastronomic tourism, as the region has really special culinary traditions. They produce a lot of unique varieties of cheese, which are now appreciated by gourmets from around the world. When visiting restaurants in Nancy, you will notice that the menu in most of them starts with a cheese page. Visitors can order wonderful cheese platters. Local cheese is the most popular appetizer for wine tastings. Another interesting gastronomic symbol of the region is Mirabelle plum, which is used to prepare sweet pastries and other interesting desserts. These plums are so beloved by locals that even gastronomic holidays dedicated to them are organized in various cities of the region. Nancy will captivate guests with its unique culture. It'd be interesting to visit this city at any time of the year.