The Lunéville castle museum is located in Lunéville, in Meurthe-et-Moselle.
Occasional residence of the Dukes of Lorraine from the 13th century, the castle became their official residence in the 18th century after Léopold Iᵉʳ had the current building built between 1703 and 1720 and when Nancy had joined the kingdom of France.
Severely damaged by a fire in 2003, the site is the subject of a restoration project carried out according to the rules of the art which should be completed in 2030.
Nicknamed the "Château des Lumières", the castle reflects the "Grand Siècle Lorrain", that is to say that it is not a copy of Versailles, then a reference for Europe, but presents an architecture and interior decorations highlighting the Lorraine artists and their influences. The museum proposes to discover the most notable aspects in terms of architecture, painting, sculpture and furniture by visiting the parts of the castle that have been renovated. The collections (works of art and furniture) are made up of original pieces kept in Lorraine or acquired over the years after they were dispersed.
Among the stages of the tour are the guard room (which also serves as a reception and information point), the Livery room (antechamber which served as an "airlock" before entering the apartments of the dukes and whose dimensions also allowed the organization of balls and banquets), the Grand salon and the chapel (which now also hosts concerts or conferences).
In addition to this museum, the castle houses the Lunéville Embroidery Conservatory where a very varied collection of embroidered pieces is presented, both in "Point de Lunéville" and in "beaded embroidery" and the CRI des Lumières, "Crossroads of the look and the image", a photographic space dedicated to the contemporary image whose exhibitions are notably devoted to artists in residence.
Finally, the castle museum presents temporary exhibitions which evoke, for example, the evolution of the castle and its interiors over the centuries.
Self-guided or guided tours.
Closed from mid-January to mid-March. Open every day except Tuesday from April to October. Open every day except Monday and Tuesday in March, November and December. Price: from 5 and 9 euros.
Note that the exteriors (park of the groves and courtyard of the castle) are freely accessible all year round.
Information on +33 3 83 76 04 75.
