Metz

Metz
Prefecture and commune
Clockwise from top: overview of city center (with Cathedral of Saint Stephen), Imperial Quarter, Temple Neuf, Germans' Gate, Opéra-Théâtre (place de la Comédie)
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Metz
Metz Show map of France Metz Show map of Grand Est
Coordinates: 49°07′13″N 6°10′40″E / 49.12028°N 6.17778°E / 49.12028; 6.17778
Country	France
Region	Grand Est
Department	Moselle
Arrondissement	Metz
Canton	3 cantons
Intercommunality	Metz Métropole
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	François Grosdidier
Area 1	41.94 km2 (16.19 sq mi)
Population  (Jan. 2019)	118,489
• Density	2,800/km2 (7,300/sq mi)
• Metro  (2016)	391,187
Demonym	Messin(e)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	57463 /57000
Elevation	162–256 m (531–840 ft)
Website	Metz Ville
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Metz is a city in France, the prefecture of the Grand Est region and the Moselle department.

History

There was once a city in Roman times, called Divodurum. It was the capital of a Celtic tribe called Mediomatrici. They were called the "Mettis" for short, which is where the name "Metz" comes from. The Romans controlled this city for a long time as an important center in Gallia, but it was captured by Attila the Hun in 451. It was shortly after taken over by the Franks.

Metz remained a very important city, and as the borders changed over the years, it became the capital of Austrasia (from 561 to 751) and of Lotharingia (from 843 to 925), before becoming part of the Holy Roman Empire (from 925). The city was handed to King Henry II of France in 1552. In 1633, it became the capital of a French province called the "Three Bishoprics". The Prussians captured the town and French Emperor Napoléon III in 1870 as part of the Franco-Prussian War and Metz once again became part of Germany, until 1918 when it was won back by France. The Germans captured it once more in1940 but France regained it in 1944.

Monuments

In this city, there are many monuments like :

• The Opéra-théâtre, XVIII°s, the oldest theatre of France, it is on an island.

• The Place Saint-Louis, XIV°s, it is triangular, with arcaded houses typical of the architecture of Metz.

• The Cathédrale Saint-Etienne (St. Stephen's Cathedral), X°s, gothic style, with 6000m² of stained glass.

• The Jardin botanique de Metz (Botanical garden of Metz), 1866, there are 490.000 flowers every years and there is a greenhouse.

Climate

Metz has an oceanic climate (Cfb in the Koeppen climate classification).

Education

• CentraleSupélec
• Supélec

Twin towns – sister cities

Metz is twinned with:

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Metz.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide about: Metz