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Lorraine Self catering holiday homes in France

Search the Rent in France holiday directory for self catering holiday rental house, gites and villas in Lorraine, France. Lorraine is one of the 26 regions of France. It is the only administrative region with two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. It comprises the departments of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle and Vosges. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated. The region's name is derived from the medieval Lotharingia. Lorraine is the only French region to have borders with three other countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. It also borders the French regions of Franche-Comte, Alsace, and Champagne-Ardenne. The location of Lorraine led to it being seen as a strategic asset and as the crossroads of four nations, it had a very important role in European affairs. Many rivers run through Lorraine, including the Rhine, Moselle, Meurthe, and Meuse.

Lorraine is a little-known but growing touristic region in France. It is most notable for its architectural beauty and fantastic scenery with some of its towns providing you with the most breathtaking views over the countryside. Lorraine is the birth place of heavy industry, mining and steel works. It is a prominent industrial and agricultural area located where green fields abound with the blue backdrop of theVosges mountains. The streams and rivers of the Vosges mountains provide the minerals and salts that give the springs of Lorraine their famous healing powers. The cold, crystal clear lakes make Lorraine a superb location for fishing and camping holidays! Sailing and other watersports are also hugely popular in the region.

 

Popular tourist attractions in the Lorraine region:

Domremy-la-Pucelle – the birthplace of Joan of Arc.

Fleury-Devant-Douaumont – a town completely destroyed in the Battle of Verdun in 1916. The land was made uninhabitable to such an extent that a decision was made not to rebuild it. Today it is maintained as a testimony to the war.

Metz – the capital of the Lorraine region which is famous for its yellow limestone architecture.  

Bar Le-Duc – a city situated in Meuse, south-east of Reims.

Vosges – one of the original departments of France, named after the local mountain range.

St Etienne Cathedral – a Roman Catholic cathedral in the town of Saint-Etienne, constructed between 1912 and 1923.

Place Saint Louis – a gathering place in Aigues Mortes which is great to stop and have lunch.

Place Stanislas - a large pedestrianized square in Nancy, most famous for its gold-plated iron gates made by Jean Lamour.