The Craffe Gate

The Porte de la Craffe, medieval vestige of Nancy

The Nancy audio-guided tour has you discover the Porte de la Craffe, one of the best-known monuments of the city. The only vestige of the old medieval fortifications that surrounded Nancy, it has always marked the entrance to the Old Town.

The gate of honour of the dukes

This opulent building long served as the main gate of the fortified city. The dukes of Lorraine used it as a gate of honour until 1610, passing through it on great occasions. Over the centuries, the gate also knew other uses, notably as a prison. With its massive round towers, it remains the most visible witness of medieval Nancy, well before the splendours of Stanislas.

What there is to see

The Porte de la Craffe impresses with its two large round towers topped with pointed roofs and its defensive silhouette. It marks the northern entrance of the Grande Rue and the Old Town, inviting you to plunge into medieval and ducal Nancy. It is a major landmark of the history of the city, to be contemplated before exploring the old alleys.

Practical information

The Porte de la Craffe stands at the northern entrance of the Old Town of Nancy, on the Grande Rue. The monument can be contemplated freely from the public space, at all hours and on the level, along the walk in the old district.

What is the Porte de la Craffe?

The only vestige of the old medieval fortifications of Nancy, which served as a gate of honour for the dukes of Lorraine until 1610.

Where is the Porte de la Craffe?

At the northern entrance of the Old Town of Nancy, on the Grande Rue, which it marks with its two round towers.