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Metz packs a surprising amount into a walkable centre: a Gothic cathedral with some of the largest expanses of stained glass in Europe, a Pompidou outpost of modern art, Gallo-Roman ruins, and a well-preserved German imperial quarter built after 1871. Most sights sit within a 20-minute walk of the cathedral, and several are free. Here are the concrete things to do, with hours and prices, as part of our Metz city guide.
Things to Do in Metz: Landmarks and Monuments
Metz Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Étienne)
Known as the Lanterne du Bon Dieu, the cathedral has the third-tallest Gothic nave in France at 41.4 metres and around 6,500 square metres of stained glass, one of the largest expanses in Europe. The oldest windows date from the 13th century, while the vivid modern panels by Marc Chagall, Jacques Villon and Roger Bissière were added between 1958 and 1968. Entry is free and the building opens daily from about 8:00 to 18:00. Visit on a sunny morning when light floods the Chagall windows; the treasury charges a small fee of a few euros. Address: Place d’Armes, 57000 Metz. Check the Metz weather by month page to time a sunny morning.
Porte des Allemands
This fortified bridge and gate from the 13th and 15th centuries once guarded the eastern crossing of the Seille river. Two round towers flank a bridge over the water, and the site is open to walk around 24/7 for free. It is the most photographed landmark in Metz after the cathedral and an easy 10-minute walk from the centre along the river. Climb the stairs for a view over the towers and the Seille, then continue into the Outre-Seille quarter.
Quartier Impérial (German Imperial Quarter)
After Germany annexed Lorraine in 1871, Metz was rebuilt as a showpiece imperial city, and the Quartier Impérial is the result. Walk avenue Foch and the streets around it to see grand Wilhelmine villas, the neo-Romanesque Temple Neuf on the island, and the Gare de Metz-Ville railway station of 1908 with its 300-metre facade. The area is free to explore on foot. The tourist office runs a guided walk in summer for a few euros if you want the architecture explained, and the Metz neighborhoods guide covers the district in depth.
Things to Do in Metz: Museums and Culture
Centre Pompidou-Metz
Opened in 2010 as the first decentralized branch of the Paris Centre Pompidou, the building by Shigeru Ban and Jean de Gastines is reason enough to visit: a hexagonal timber-lattice roof spanning 8,000 square metres over three gallery tubes. Inside, temporary exhibitions rotate from the Pompidou’s 120,000-work collection. Tickets cost 7 to 14 EUR depending on how many galleries are open, and entry is free for under-26s. Opening hours are 10:00 to 18:00, staying open to 19:00 on Fridays to Sundays in summer, and it closes on Tuesdays, not Mondays, so check the best time to visit Metz guide to plan around the closure day. Address: 1 Parvis des Droits de l’Homme, 57020 Metz.
Musée de la Cour d’Or
This municipal museum holds the city’s archaeology and fine-arts collections inside a former abbey on rue des Trinitaires. Highlights are the Gallo-Roman baths, a reconstructed Merovingian cemetery, and medieval sculpture from the cathedral. Admission is free and it opens daily except Tuesdays, roughly 10:00 to 17:00 with a longer summer schedule. Budget 90 minutes to two hours.
Temple Neuf and Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains
The Temple Neuf, a neo-Romanesque Protestant church on the small island of the Saulcy, dates from 1904 and charges about 3 EUR to enter. Just behind it, Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains is the oldest church in France, a 4th-century Roman basilica converted from a gymnasium, and its interior opens free on weekend afternoons from 14:00 to 18:00. Both are a short walk from the cathedral and pair well with a riverside stroll.
Things to Do in Metz: Squares, Markets and Green Spaces
Place Saint-Louis
This medieval square, lined with arcaded Renaissance houses, is the historic heart of the city and the centre of the Christmas market each December, listed in the Metz events calendar. In warm months its cafés and restaurant terraces fill from late morning. It is free to wander at any hour, and the surrounding streets hold independent shops, bookshops and bakeries. Come on a market day for the best atmosphere.
Marché Couvert (Covered Market)
The covered market, built in 1831 beside the cathedral, sells Lorraine produce: mirabelle plums, madeleines, quiche lorraine, local cheeses and Moselle wines. Stalls open Tuesday to Saturday from early morning to early afternoon, with a few opening Sunday morning. It is the best place to assemble a picnic or buy edible souvenirs, and prices are lower than the tourist restaurants on Place Saint-Louis.
Jardin de l’Esplanade and ÃŽle du Saulcy
The Esplanade garden west of the centre offers lawns, flower beds and views over the Moselle toward the Temple Neuf, and it is free all year. Cross to the ÃŽle du Saulcy for riverside paths and the university campus. In summer the city adds a temporary urban beach, Metz Plage, on the riverbank with sand and deckchairs. Both spots are ideal for an evening walk after the museums close.
Sort accommodation via where to stay in Metz and logistics through the Metz travel tips page.
