Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [88]
WHERE TO STAY IN VAUCOULEURS
Hostellerie de l’Isle en Bray.
$$ | Romantic and secluded, a night in the fine Renaissance-style Château de Montbras is ideal for indulging in Joan-of-Arc related medieval musings. With a history extending back five centuries, the château has an array of historical goodies—four grand stone bastion towers, an elegant wing graced with sculpted goddesses and ornament à la Androuet du Cerceau, and some rare Baroque paintings of Indian tribes of the Americas. Upstairs, guest rooms are spacious and tastefully appointed with authentic period furniture elegantly offset against bright fabrics or airy, soaring ceilings. The ambitious restaurant has stylish menus running about 35 euros. Pros: timeless charm and luxury; marvelous museum atmosphere; gentle prices. Cons: car indispensable. | 3 rue des Erables, 10 km (6 mi) south of Vaucouleurs on the D964 | 55140 | 03–29–90–86–36 | www.chateau-montbras.com | 5 rooms, 2 suites | In-room: no a/c, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, bar, tennis court, parking (free) | DC, MC, V | Closed Nov.–Mar.
DOMRÉMY-LA-PUCELLE
19 km (12 mi) south of Vaucouleurs on D964.
Joan of Arc was born in Domrémy-la-Pucelle in a stone hut in either 1411 or 1412. You can see it as well as the church where she was baptized, the actual statue of St. Marguerite before which she prayed, and the hillside where she tended sheep and first heard voices telling her to take up arms and save France from the English.
Getting Here and Around
From Nancy, 15 trains connect with Toul (€6.10); change for Neufchâteau, 39 km (24 mi) southwest of Nancy, for the twice-daily bus connection to Domrémy-la-Pucelle (€2.50), 10 km (6 mi) to the north of Neufchâteau, on the Vaucouleurs line.
EXPLORING DOMRÉMY-LA-PUCELLE
Fodor’s Choice | The humble stone-and-stucco Maison Natale Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc’s Birthplace)—an irregular, slope-roof, two-story cottage—has been preserved with style and reverence. The modern museum alongside, the Centre Johannique, shows a film (French only), while mannequins in period costume present Joan of Arc’s amazing story. After she heard mystical voices, Joan walked 19 km (12 mi) to Vaucouleurs. Dressed and mounted like a man, she led her forces to lift the siege of Orléans, defeated the English, and escorted the unseated Charles VII to Reims, to be crowned king of France. Military missions after Orléans failed—including an attempt to retake Paris—and she was captured at Compiègne. The English turned her over to the Church, which sent her to be tried by the Inquisition for witchcraft and heresy. She was convicted and burned at the stake in Rouen. One of the latest theories is that Jeanne d’Arc was no mere peasant but was distantly connected to France’s royal family—a controversial proposal that many historians now discount. | 2 rue de la Basilique | 88630 | 03–29–06–95–86 | €3 | Closed Jan., Nov.–Mar., Wed.–Mon. 10–noon and 2–5; Apr.–Sept., daily 10–6.
The ornate late-19th-century Basilique du Bois-Chenu (Bois Chenu Basilica), high up the hillside above Domrémy, boasts enormous painted and mosaic panels expounding on Joan’s legend in glowing Pre-Raphaelite tones. Outside lurk serene panoramic views over the emerald, gently rolling Meuse Valley.
In the nearby forest of Bois-Chenu, perhaps an ancient sacred wood, Jeanne d’Arc gathered flowers. Near the village of Coussy, she danced with other children at country fairs attended by Pierre de Bourlémont, the local seigneur, and his wife Beatrice—the Château of Bourlémont may still be seen. Associated with Coussey and Brixey are Saints Mihiel and Catherine, who, with the Archangel Saint-Michael, appeared before Joan. In the Chapel of Notre-Dame at Bermont, where Joan vowed to save France, are the statues that existed in her time.
ÉPINAL
74 km (44 mi) southeast of Domrémy-la-Pucelle 72 km (45 mi) south of Nancy.
On the Moselle River at the feet of the Vosges, Épinal, a printing center since 1735, is famous throughout France for boldly colored prints, popular illustrations, and hand-color stencils.
The Cité