Majorelle: The Lorraine France Touring Game Created by Ruth Paget

Majorelle: The Lorraine France Touring Game Created by Ruth Paget

I named this touring game after one of France’s major decorative arts craftsman Auguste Majorelle (1825 – 1879), a native of Lunéville, France. 

Lorraine is a rewarding region to visit for travelers interested in history, art, fine dining, and sips of mirabelle, yellow plum liqueur. The main cities are Metz, Nancy, and Lunéville. The medieval monastery at Gorze is the home of Gregorian chants and sister monasteries in Germany. Verdun is the site of one of the most important battles of World War I. 

A two-week tour of the region would provide ample time to visit these places and indulge in some gala meals and shopping. (I have linked my blogs about these places into an itinerary. Click on the links to see the blogs.) 

*Metz is a 3,000 year old city. Each district has a different history. The city is set up well for walking tours and has many cafés where you can take a break with a beverage. 

Walking Tours: 

Day 1: Exploring Franco-German Metz 

Franco-German Metz

Day 2: Cathedral District and Downtown 

Downtown Metz

Day 3: May Day Metz 

May Day Metz

Day 4: Urban Ecology

Urban Ecology

 *Metz Meals: 

Day 5: Gala Pork Dinner: 

Gala Pork Dinner

Day 6: Gala Seafood Dinner 

Gala Seafood Dinner

*Nancy is a city of majestic public art and decorative arts. 

Day 7: Rococo Public Art 

Rococo Art in Nancy

Day 8: Art Nouveau Museum

Art Nouveau in Nancy

 *Lunéville is home to a château inspired by Versailles and a current concert venue 

Day 9: Lunéville Château Visit

Luneville Chateau

*Gorze Monastery still uses ancient Roman sewers. You can spot a few Roman aqueducts on the way there. This is the site where Gregorian chants were invented. 

Day 10: Gorze Monastery Visit 

Gorze Monastery

*Verdun is a major World War I battlefield site with a museum 

Day 11: Verdun Museum Visit 

I hope this Lorraine touring game will encourage you to think about traveling to Lorraine, France to experience its art and culture, indulge in some delicious food, and learn some history about France’s relations with Germany and Poland. 

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By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Visiting the Medieval Monastery of Gorze in Lorraine (Eastern France) by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Visiting the Medieval Monastery of Gorze in Lorraine (Eastern France) by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

One of the most interesting places my husband Laurent and I visited outside Metz (France) was the Gorze Monastery.  On the way there, we passed ruins of a Roman aqueduct at Ars sur Moselle.

At the entry to Gorze, we passed another aqueduct that ran partly underground.  Roman ruins made me think of how much history there is in France – from a Westerner’s point of view anyways.  China and India are both older civilizations than ancient Egypt.

We began our visit by climbing a small hill leading to the monastery chapel.  The tympanum, the half circle arch over the main entryway to the church, was what I called a Romanesque Last Judgment in haiku form.

All Last Judgment elements were there – the devil, monsters, angels with trumpets, a baleful Christ, and the select few.

We next visited an information-packed museum.  We watched an interesting slideshow abut the ancient Roman water system in the Metz (France) region.

According to our tour guide, Gorze is better known among Germans than the French, because the Abbey had many established several orders in Germany.  The Abbey no longer exists in France, but the orders in Germany do.

According to the guide, Gorze’s claim to fame is that the 8^th century bishop Chrodegung founded a school of “chants romain-messin” that later spread across Europe as Gregorian chants.

We ended our visit with a stop at the Graoully Restaurant and Bar.  We drank Kronenburg beers while the children played. 

I thought the trip to Metz was a great weekend outing from Paris, and it was still not over.

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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