Metz

A golden-stone city on the Moselle, where Saint-Étienne Cathedral, the “Lantern of God”, faces off with the Centre Pompidou-Metz, and the Imperial Quarter and the Porte des Allemands bear witness to the Franco-German tug-of-war.

Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department in the Grand Est region of northeastern France, where the Moselle and Seille rivers meet; it is about 1 hr 25 min from Paris by TGV and about 60 km from Luxembourg. With more than 3,000 years of history, it was already an important city in Roman times, and from 1871 to 1918 it belonged to the German Empire, so it combines a French old town of golden Jaumont stone with a German “Imperial Quarter”. The main sights are all within walking distance: at the heart of the old town is Saint-Étienne Cathedral, nicknamed the “Lantern of God”, with stained glass by Chagall, surrounded by the Covered Market, the Musée de La Cour d'Or and Place Saint-Louis; on an island in the river are the Temple Neuf, the opera house and Saint-Vincent Basilica; to the south are the Imperial Quarter around the train station and the Centre Pompidou-Metz; and to the west the Esplanade gardens and the Plan d'Eau are good for a stroll. Nearby, you can drive to Amnéville Zoo, Fort Hackenberg on the Maginot Line and the Château de Malbrouck near the tri-border area. The best time to visit is May–September, with riverside light shows in summer and the Mirabelle Festival (late August); the Christmas markets are lively from late November to the end of December. Winters are cold, grey and wet. Allow 1–2 days—one for the city and one for the surroundings—or visit as a day stop between Nancy and Luxembourg. Many museums are closed on Tuesdays, and most shops are closed on Sundays.

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