Château de Lunéville, Lunéville, France

The Château de Lunéville, which had belonged to the Dukes of Lorraine since the thirteenth century, was rebuilt as “the Versailles of Lorraine” by Duke Léopold from 1703 to 1723, from designs of Pierre Bourdict and Nicolas Dorbay and then of the architect Germain Boffrand, whose masterwork it became. It became the home of King Stanisław Leszczyński, last duke of Lorraine and Bar.

Lunéville was listed as a Monument historique in 1901 and by successive ordinances; its princely apartments are looked after by the Ministry of Defence while the structure is the responsibility of the Conseil départemental de Meurthe-et-Moselle.

On the night of 2 to 3 January 2003, a fire broke out that ravaged the château to the extent that the plaster vault of the chapelle royale collapsed. Passing through the attics, the fire destroyed the roof over much of the structure. The restoration of the building and its decors is under way.

References:

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User Reviews

Lindy Victorin Marić (11 months ago)
Visited before the fire and loved it, so wanted to see how they it had been restored. Was a bit disappointed because only half of it was open to public. But it's really nice though. Good outing with the family

Cadenza Pianoforte (12 months ago)
It is an important place to visit in relation to the history of France but there are not so many things to see inside and we were quite disappointed. We found the entrance fee expensive compared to what they have, but then hope that our fees can contribute to the restauration of the palace.

Tricia Davies (13 months ago)
Very disappointing as nothing had English translation. The film could have had subtitles, I'm sure you get a lot of visitors that don't speak French. The lady at the entrance spoke very good English but she didn't mention there was no English translation anywhere. Also downstairs where the toilets were was extremely smelly. The museum would have been interesting if we could have understood anything and really hated being followed into every room by a woman who watched our every move like we were about to steal something!! Not the nicest of experiences on our holiday.

Tom Watts (13 months ago)
Free entry due to the time we went. Vast and beautifully tended gardens, lots to see and well preserved. Lunch break stroll?

Nethmini Kolambage (2 years ago)
Great place to visit. Had a guide explain all about the history and it's significance. Has a place nearby that is good for a picnic as well

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