Cathédrale St-Étienne

As delicate as Chantilly lace, the golden spires of this Gothic cathedral crown Metz’ skyline. Exquisitely lit by kaleidoscopic curtains of 13th- to 20th-century stained glass, the cathedral is nicknamed ‘God’s lantern’. The Gothic windows, on the north transept arm, contrast with the Renaissance windows on the south transept arm.

Notice the flamboyant Chagall windows in reds, yellows and blues in the ambulatory, which also harbours the treasury (adult/child €2/1; 10am-12.30pm & 2-5pm). The sculpture of the Graoully (‘ grau -lee’), a dragon said to have terrified pre-Christian Metz, lurks in the 15th-century crypt (adult/child €2/1; 10am-12.30pm & 2-5pm). The cathedral looks its most radiant on a bright day and when floodlit in the evening.