Metz

Understand

thumb|Portal of the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Metz Due to its German heritage and military tradition, Metz has yet to earn much respect in the eyes of the French. Most of the criticism about Metz is clichéd and unwarranted; in fact, Strasbourg has stronger German heritage yet has been overwhelmingly embraced by the French and visitors alike.

Do

thumb | 300px | Metz Theatre In December, Christmas markets can be found in many places. They are the best places to drink hot mulled wine (vin chaud). Drive down Foch street and check out the apartment and homes built by the former wealthier inhabits of the city. Attend a performance of the Metz Philharmonic Orchastrata\ra. Visit the Metz TI center Take "The Little White Train" city tour (Starts in front of the TI Center) Football: FC Metz were relegated in 2026 and now play soccer in Ligue 2, the second tier. Their Stade Saint-Symphorien (capacity 25,600) is 2 km southwest of city centre. Other professional sports teams include H2ML (women's handball), SMEC (men's handball and table tennis), RC Metz (rugby). If you want to see ice hockey games, you can drive to Amneville which is home of the "Amneville Galaxians".

Buy

A book at the TI Center for the kids that illustrates the story of the St. Clement and the dragon.

Stay safe

Metz is quite a safe town. Even so, it might be a good idea to avoid suburbs like Borny or St Eloy, and the old town's small alleys by night.

In the centre, some people are likely to ask you to give them some money or a cigarette. Feel free to say no.

Don't walk from Lafayette to Resam (Résidence Arts & Métiers de Metz-Technopôle) late at night.

Connect

As of June 2022, Metz has 5G from all French carriers.

Go next

Amnéville, small town 10 km north of Metz, that features an indoor skiing hall, a casino, two thermal centres, a zoo, a large swimming pool, an ice-rink and the largest arena in eastern France, all in the same area. World War II Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial: Take Highway N-3 about 45 kilometers (28 miles) east to Saint-Avold then go north on Highway N-33 for 1.2 km (3/4 mile). Open daily except for December 25 and January 1; 09:00-17:00. The cemetery is the second largest American cemetery in Europe and is the final resting place for 10,489 American military dead lost during the drive to push the Germans from France. A monument is inscribed with the names of 444 Americans whose remains were never found or identified. The memorial contains mosaic maps of World War II campaigns. Free. The largest American Cemetery and Memorial is in Meuse-Argonne France, which covers , rest the largest number of American military dead in Europe, a total of 14,246. Most of those buried here lost their lives during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of World War I. It is one hour and 15 minutes away from Metz. Thionville, 30 km north of Metz, is Moselle's second largest town.