Vandoeuvre is the second largest town in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department. It ballooned rapidly during the 1960s to meet soaring demand for housing, creating a very successful intercultural melting pot. Together with the 150-stall market, the André Malraux Cultural Centre with its national-level theatre and the ‘Musique Action’ festival make for a lively cultural scene.
In the old village, very pretty wine-makers’ houses (16th to 18th centuries) cling to the slopes around Saint-Melaine’s church (15th and 16th century).
Climb higher up for amazing views stretching to the Grand Couronné in the north-east, and the surroundings of Saint-Nicolas de Port and the Middle Vosges in the south.
Stunningly set in the grounds of Brabois Château, Nancy Brabois Race Course has one of the best tracks in Eastern France (trotting, flat racing and hurdles) and hosts 14 meetings each year.
The Charmois estate consists of a three-hectare wooded park which is open to the public, and a château built in the 18th century by Joseph Gilles (known as Le Provençal) and altered in the 19th century, which hosts seminars, exhibitions and functions.
