Place Stanislas and La place forte de Neuf-Brisach

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Place Stanislas

   Place Stanislas in Nancy is the work of a king without a kingdom. Stanislas Leszczyński, twice king of Poland and father-in-law of Louis XV, was given the Duchy of Lorraine in 1737 as a consolation prize, and he spent the rest of his life rebuilding its capital. The great square that bears his name, laid out in the 1750s by the architect Emmanuel Héré, links the old medieval town with the newer quarter, and it is one of the most harmonious public spaces in Europe. Pale stone buildings with curved corners stand around a wide cobbled space, and a statue of the duke stands in the middle.

   Read the complete Place Stanislas write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Place Stanislas is where the day begins. Next is La Manufacture à Saint- Dié.

2. 2. La Manufacture à Saint- Dié

   Le Corbusier designed only one factory in his long career, and it stands in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, a town in the Meurthe valley on the western side of the Vosges mountains. The Manufacture Claude et Duval, a hosiery factory built between 1946 and 1951, is a concrete block raised on pilotis, with a roof terrace and brightly coloured interiors, and it embodies many of the architect's principles. It was part of his plans for the reconstruction of Saint-Dié after the town was largely destroyed by the retreating German army in November 1944, though most of his grand urban plan was never built. In 2016, the factory was included in the UNESCO listing of the architectural work of Le Corbusier, alongside buildings in seven countries.

   Read the complete La Manufacture à Saint- Dié write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   La Manufacture à Saint- Dié comes up about 85 km into the recorded legs. Next is La place forte de Neuf-Brisach.

3. 3. La place forte de Neuf-Brisach

   After the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697, France had to give the fortress of Breisach, on the right bank of the Rhine, back to the Habsburgs, and Louis XIV needed a new stronghold to guard the river. His engineer Vauban designed it from scratch on an empty plain on the left bank: Neuf-Brisach, a perfect octagon of walls, bastions and moats, with a grid of streets inside and a large central square with a church and a parade ground. Built between 1698 and the early eighteenth century, it was Vauban's last great work and is often considered his masterpiece. It is one of the twelve groups of Fortifications of Vauban, listed by UNESCO in 2008.

   Read the complete La place forte de Neuf-Brisach write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 166 km into the recorded legs you reach La place forte de Neuf-Brisach. Next is back through La Manufacture à Saint- Dié.

4. 4. back through La Manufacture à Saint- Dié

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete La Manufacture à Saint- Dié write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through La Manufacture à Saint- Dié, late in the day. Next is Place Stanislas.

5. 5. Place Stanislas

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Place Stanislas write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Place Stanislas. That is the ride.