Introduction

Barely 30 km southeast of Nancy, Lunéville (pop. 20,000) was the preferred residence of the Dukes of Lorraine in the 17th and 18th centuries. Lunéville was to Nancy and the Dukes of Lorraine what Versailles was to Paris and the French monarchy.

Stanislas Leszczynski, King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Duke of Lorraine, spent 30 years of his life at Lunéville Castle, the town's main attraction.

In 1801, the Treaty of Lunéville was signed between the French Republic and Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, ending the Franco-Austrian war that followed the French Revolution. The emperor agreed to relinquish the Low Countries (modern Benelux) and the west bank of the German Rhineland to France. This marks a turning point in the history of the Low Countries, which are no longer part of the Holy Roman Empire after belonging to it for 1,000 years.

On the night of 2 to 3 January 2003, a fire broke out that ravaged the château destroyed the roof over much of the structure despite the efforts of some 400 firefighters who tried to quell the fire all night. A complete restoration project was immediately launched and should be completed by 2016, at an estimated cost of 100 million euro. The castle remains open to visitors during the restorations.

Opening Hours & Admission

The château is open daily (except Tuesdays) all year round from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, and from 2:00 to 6:00 pm. The park is open everyday from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm (to 10:00 pm between May and September). Admission is 4 €.

Access Map

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