The formal flowerbeds of the Esplanade – and its statue of a gallant-looking Marshall Ney – are flanked by imposing buildings, including the Arsenal cultural centre and the sober, neoclassical Palais de Justice.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.37 MILES
The lacy golden spires of this Gothic cathedral crown Metz’ skyline. Exquisitely lit by kaleidoscopic curtains of 13th- to 20th-century stained glass, the…
29.21 MILES
Lodged in a regal 18th-century edifice, Nancy's standout gallery occupies art lovers for hours. A wrought-iron staircase curls gracefully up to the 2nd…
29.2 MILES
Nancy’s crowning glory is this grand neoclassical square and Unesco World Heritage Site. Designed by Emmanuel Héré in the 1750s, it was named after the…
0.69 MILES
Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, with a curved roof resembling a space-age Chinese hat, the architecturally innovative Centre Pompidou-Metz is…
28.94 MILES
Once home to the dukes of Lorraine, the regal Renaissance Palais Ducal now shelters the Musée Lorrain. The rich fine arts and history collection…
24.78 MILES
Verdun had a significant military presence from the end of WWII until Charles de Gaulle pulled France out of NATO’s integrated military command in 1966…
29.09 MILES
A saunter through the charming old town takes in the silver-turreted, 14th-century Porte de la Craffe, Nancy’s oldest city gate, and place St-Epvre,…
27.2 MILES
World-renowned Remich-born architect François Valentiny built this extraordinary Arctic-white building with lattice-like cut-out windows in 2016 as an…
Nearby Metz attractions
1. Église St-Pierre-aux-Nonnains
0.08 MILES
Originally built around AD380 as part of a Gallo-Roman spa complex, Église St-Pierre-aux-Nonnains is a fine example of a pre-medieval basilica, tracing…
0.11 MILES
Nearly always closed (enquire at the tourist office about guided tours that visit here), this octagonal, 13th-century chapel is the only one of its kind…
0.14 MILES
In summer, pedal boats and rowboats can be rented on quai des Régates. The promenade leads through a leafy riverside park, with statues, ponds, swans and…
0.37 MILES
The lacy golden spires of this Gothic cathedral crown Metz’ skyline. Exquisitely lit by kaleidoscopic curtains of 13th- to 20th-century stained glass, the…
0.39 MILES
Bounded by one of the channels of the Moselle, this neoclassical square is home to the city’s 18th-century Théâtre, France’s oldest theatre still in use…
0.39 MILES
On the eastern edge of the city centre, triangular place St-Louis is surrounded by medieval arcades and merchants’ houses dating from the 14th to 16th…
0.39 MILES
The stately boulevards and bourgeois villas of the German Imperial Quarter, including rue Gambetta and av Foch, are the brainchild of Kaiser Wilhelm II…
0.5 MILES
Delve into the past at this trove of Gallo-Roman antiquities, hiding remnants of the city’s Roman baths and a statue of the Egyptian goddess Isis…