I’ve made my travel arrangements for my summer job in France. Before I start my job at an international summer program in Paris, I’m going to spend a few days in Nancy. This mid-sized city in north-eastern France is famous as a hub for art nouveau architecture. Since I’m a big fan, I’ve wanted to check it out for quite some time. So, now it’s time to plan my itinerary. I’ll be taking the TGV, or high-speed train, from the airport to downtown. It’ll take about an hour.

First, there’s the matter of a hotel. I like to stay downtown, within walking distance of everything, in a safe neighborhood. In a perfect world, the hotel will also be charming. I think I may have found all of that in the Maison d’Hôte de Myon, an 18^th century ecclesiastical residence nestled behind the cathedral in the center of town that was completely renovated in 2006. There are a handful of rooms and suites and the price is attractive. Here’s a video. If it looks as good as this in real life, I’ll be in clover.

The Myon is right next to the prime square in town, Place Stanislas, a mid-18^th century square that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The square is named after King Stanislas Leszczynski, the deposed Polish king who gave the city its gorgeously frilly architectural centrepiece in the 18th century. It was inaugurated in 1755, and boasts creamy stone classical facades, fountains and fanciful wrought-iron railings, and a statue of Stanislas, “le bienfaisant” (be-n-fez-ahn), which means “the charitable,” in the centre. This statue replaced the original one of King Louis XV that was melted down after the Revolution.

Now that I’ve got my eye on the hotel I want, I need to plan what to see and where to eat.

Fodor’s France 2014