Activities

Activities

Nancy is a hotspot for bars and nightlife, mostly due to the incredible number of students who reside in this city. During my time here there were a couple of bars that became my regular watering holes, mostly due to their cheap drinks and amazing atmospheres.

My number one bar was the Irish bar, Pub MacCarthy. During the Six Nations rugby tournament, this pub would play all the games on their huge projector screen, and so became the perfect place for a weekend of drinking. Their house lager was the cheapest pint I could find in Nancy, made even better when you purchase a student card from the university centre and get 1 euro off the standard price.

Bonus Tip

Purchase a student discount card from the University Centre on Place Carnot and get €1 off drinks in Pub MacCarthy.

Other pubs that I liked were: Les Artistes, a ski-chalet themed pub offering happy hour cocktails and a warm atmosphere. There is also Le Phenix, a traditional French pub found on the high street.

Between flat parties and weekends spent day-drinking, I only ventured to a nightclub on a couple of occasions. The first two I went to were both situated in Place Stanislas, Nancy’s main square. Les Caves is a classic underground club, playing the usual dance/chart music and packed with people. L’Arq is an upstairs club playing a similar type of music but with a much more open atmosphere. Another club we went to was the Electric Sheep, playing a very good selection of pop-rock and early 2000’s music.

There are a number of sights to see around the town that are open all year long. The aquarium on the south side of Parc de Pepiniere is free on the first Sunday of the month, and although it is quite small, it still offers a decent day out. The shopping centre in the centre of Nancy offers loads of designer shopping options for a rainy day, as does the main high street.

Parc de Pepiniere has a resident zoo in its centre that comes to life as the spring and summer months approach. The park then comes to life with cafes and restaurants, making it a perfect day out in the sun.

Throughout April the square of Place Carnot comes to life with a travelling fairground. This fair has got to be one of the largest I have ever seen, only second to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, London. The buzzing atmosphere and incredibly cheap food made this fair a definite highlight of my time in Nancy.

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