The Pépinière Park

Just a stone’s throw from Place Stanislas, Pépinière Park stretches over 21 hectares of lush greenery. Every day, walkers, students, and joggers gather here, often unaware of the park’s fascinating history. Like many of Nancy’s landmarks, Pépinière Park owes its existence to Stanislas Leszczynski. In 1765, he began transforming the site of the city’s old bastions into a royal plant nursery. Though the terrain was uneven, 16 cultivation squares were created, where elms, lime trees, chestnut trees, and walnut trees were planted. This new arboretum, home to more than 80,000 trees, was primarily meant to supply the Duchy of Lorraine with trees for its roads. In 1838, after the city purchased the plant nursery, it was converted into a public park. The walls that once enclosed it were replaced by gates, and new openings were created to improve access. Some trees and dense groves were also removed to open up the view along the pathways. But despite these changes, the park’s original layout with its intersecting paths remains intact. Today, the park has plenty of surprises in store. As you wander along its paths, you can admire the statue of the Gaul, a symbol of courage and resistance, as well as the monument dedicated to the Lorraine painter Claude Gellée, known as Le Lorrain, master of classical landscapes. A little further on, a graceful bandstand nicknamed “Mozart” recalls the atmosphere of open-air concerts of the past. To round off the walk, an animal enclosure is home to fallow deer, goats, peacocks, and other residents that never fail to delight families. And let’s not forget the reflecting pool, a tranquil basin where the park’s trees are mirrored in the water, inviting you to pause and take in the view. A place where history, art, nature, and conviviality meet in perfect harmony. Feel free to stroll around the park at your own pace to discover all its facets.