Bar-le-Duc

Bar-le-Duc, capital of Meuse département, Grand Est région, northeastern France. It extends out along the narrow valley of the Ornain River, west of Nancy. To the northeast is the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, on the southwest the Canal des Usines. The Ornain River valley is enclosed by wooded and vine-clad hills.

From the 10th century Bar was the seat of a countship and later a duchy. The remains of the château of the counts and dukes of Bar are in the upper town, along with the 15th–16th-century church of Saint-Étienne and medieval houses. The church of Notre-Dame (15th century) and the buildings housing municipal offices are in the lower town. Bar-le-Duc is above all an administrative and service centre, and its historic buildings give the town a tourist function as well. Industries include textile and machinery manufacture. Since the 14th century Bar-le-Duc has produced renowned currant jam made by laboriously removing the seeds by hand from each berry. Pop. (1999) 16,944; (2014 est.) 15,668.