Meurthe-et-Moselle is a department in the region of Lorraine that borders Luxembourg and Belgium.
The capital of the area is the historic town of Nancy, while the region is dominated by its rivers and parks, as well as number of picturesque villages.
Nancy At the centre of Nancy is the impressive Place Stanislas, which is home to pavement cafés and street performers in the summer months, but it is still worth visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site in autumn and winter.
The city is known for its strong art nouveau connection, and the Ecole de Nancy or Nancy School which was started by 1901 by artists like Emile Galle and Louis Majorelle.
This artistic school influences many of the buildings that can still be seen in Nancy today and there are many of the original artefacts created by the artists at the Musee de l'Ecole de Nancy.
If you want to escape the city streets, there is also a botanical garden in the town, an aquarium and a museum dedicated to the history and culture of Lorraine.
Baccarat Crystal The historic town of Baccarat is famous all over the world for the crystal that has been produced there over the centuries and that is still being produced today.
Unfortunately, visitors are not allowed to take tours of the working "crystallerie", but there is a museum on site showing the industry's history and a gift shop if you have enough money to take away a souvenir.
In the historic part of town, there is also the Glass Museum, which has examples of the work that has been created in Baccarat, The stained glass windows in the modern church are impressive too, having been designed and made by local craftsmen in the 1950s.
On the water There is a network of canals in the north-east of France that offer an unusual way to tour the countryside.
The town of Toul, which is also famous for its Gothic abbey, is located on one of these canals and from here you can access other towns in the region and into Germany.
If you don't fancy a trip on the water, there are often cycle paths alongside these canals and it can also be interesting for children to see how the locks work.
If you're in the area around Toul there are also anumber of vineyards in this region which produce red, white and rose wines.