Metz: A Mélange of Medieval Charm and Modern Greenery

At a Glance

• Duration: A six-night stay.
• Home Base: Metz, France, specifically at the Crowne Plaza near the Place de la République Square.
• Top Day Trip: Luxembourg.
• Memorable Moment: Discovering the hidden gem of a restaurant, Nomade, and its personable owner. The walking paths around the river and lake were also a favorite highlight.
• Overall Vibe: Visually interesting with beautiful old architecture, a great vibe during lunch and happy hour, and a pleasant city size that makes it easy to explore on foot.

This Town is Special Because...

Our decision to visit Metz was a spontaneous one, and it turned out to be a fantastic choice. The city seamlessly blends over 3,000 years of history with a modern, green sensibility. From its Celtic origins and time as a major Roman city to its role as a Merovingian capital, Metz has a rich and complex past. Its position near the German border has meant it has changed hands many times, and you can see this influence in its architecture and culture. Today, Metz is known as"The Green City" for its extensive gardens and parks, and it has become a hub for culture and the arts. It's a city that feels both deeply historic and refreshingly contemporary. The size of the town made it easy to navigate, but with many opportunities to discover something new.

Our Home Base: Metz

We stayed at the Crowne Plaza near the Place de la République Square. The train from Paris's Gare de l'Est to Metz was a direct, hour-and-a-half ride. The station itself is a beautiful building and worth walking through if you come by another method. Our hotel was literally across the street, so extremely convenient.

Our Metz Experience: The Day-to-Day

Navigating the City

Our days took on a familiar rhythm. We would start with a long walk, either having a light lunch or a snack during happy hour, and then a larger dinner. We loved exploring the different sections of Metz, including the historical center with the cathedral and museum, as well as the beautiful greenways around the lake and rivers. The winding streets meant we often wandered in circles but always found new things to see.

Culinary & Drink Highlights

We noticed a surprising lack of flies and birds while dining alfresco (something we always had to contend with in North Carolina), which made for a very pleasant experience. It was hard to determine what restaurant to go to as there were so many choices. I would recommend making reservations at any that you want to try, but we never had a big issue finding a table.

• Nomade: We stumbled upon this Indian restaurant and it was a true hidden gem. The food was made with raw spices that they harvest and sell, and they source their coffee, beers, and wine locally. The bao buns were so good that we went back a second time to have them again. We had a great conversation with the owner, who was very passionate about the local area and shared his favorite restaurants and wineries in both Metz and Colmar.
• Other Restaurants we visited include:
  
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• Wine Bars: We spent a lot of time exploring the wine scene in Metz. The Bottle Bar was a highlight, with wines priced from €7 to €15 a glass that were served at the perfect temperature. The other wine bars we visited were; C'Divin wine bar, Vinodurum and La Quille, where we had a nice charcuterie plate as well. We also bought a bottle from bottle shop to try the local wines from AOC Mosel, since we were not able to do any wine tours along the wine route outside of Metz.

Sightseeing andAttractions

• Metz Cathedral: The Cathedral of Saint-Étienne was a highlight. Its construction began in 1220 and took over 300 years to complete. The cathedral is known for its incredible height and its massive stained-glass windows, which cover an astonishing 6,500 square meters—the largest expanse of stained glass in any single religious building in the world. The windows span centuries of artistic styles, which made it very interesting to walk around and determine which styles we like best.
• The Museum: We visited the museum on a rainy day. While it wasn't a primary stop on our itinerary, it turned out to be interesting. The museum, now known as the Musées  de la Cour d'Or. We learned that the museum was built directly over the site of the ancient city's public baths. During construction in the 1930s, the remains of the Roman baths were discovered, revealing a massive complex at what was once the absolute center of the Roman town. Instead of building over them, the museum was designed to incorporate these ruins, allowing you to walk directly through the original foundations and explore this key piece of Metz’s history. It also has a nice collection of Gallo-Roman and medieval artifacts, showcasing Metz's long history.
• The Gates and Towers: The city's history as a fortified town is visible everywhere. The Porte des Allemands ("German Gate") is a striking medieval structure with two imposing towers. Built between the 13th and 15th centuries, it's the last remaining part of the city's medieval fortifications and we had fun taking photos and imagining life as it was back then.
• Walking Paths: The walking paths around the lake and river are spectacular, and will be one of the things I will always recall when I think about Metz. They are a mix of paved trails and more rustic paths that make you feel like you are in the woods. This was my favorite part of the day.

Modern Metz: Festivals and Culture

Metz is not just about its past; it's a vibrant modern city. It has a busy calendar of events and festivals that celebrate its culture. The Mirabelle Plum Festival was just finishing up on our day of arrival. It is a major event, celebrating the iconic local fruit with parades, markets, and concerts. During the summer, the city also hosts Constellations de Metz, an international festival that features impressive light shows and digital art installations that illuminate the city’s architectural heritage at night.

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Day Trip to Luxembourg

We took a bus from Metz to Luxembourg. Although the bus dropped us off outside the city center, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that all public transportation in Luxembourg is free. We took another bus into the city center and explored on foot. A key highlight was the Casemates, which is a must-do when visiting Luxembourg. We enjoyed walking the upper and lower cities and we found a great polish restaurant for lunch. We went on a Sunday, which was nice for the fewer crowds and good picture taking opportunities. However, we were not able to see the changing of the guard or enter the cathedral due to it being Sunday, which is something to keep in mind.

What We Loved (and Didn’t)

What we loved most about Metz was the perfect balance between its charming old architecture and its beautiful green spaces. The city's size was a huge plus—it felt incredibly easy to explore, yet there was always something new to discover. After spending some time in Colmar, we really came to appreciate how much we enjoyed being in a city that wasn't just for tourism. In Metz, we felt like we were able to be a part of everyday life. We were also thrilled with the quality of the restaurants and left with a long list of places we wished we had time to visit, which only made us want to return. The main downside was our hotel room. Although conveniently located, we learned that for us, a very small room for so many nights is something we'll need to avoid in the future.

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