Longitude : 06°08 East  Latitude : 49°05 North Altitude : 189.75 m

Number of inhabitants : Metz : 127 498 Metz and urban area : 322 526 Capital of the Lorraine region, Prefecture of the Moselle department Distance between Metz and : Paris : 333 km Luxembourg : 60 km Germany : 60 km Belgium : 80 km

METZ in Europe

Metz is one of the greatest musical centres in Europe. The "Orchestre National de Lorraine" is based here and performs in that exceptional venue, the concert hall Arsenal, which welcomes prestigious guest performers .

From Medieval Metz to Metz the French city Afterwards, between the 12th and 14th centuries, Metz, a free city in the Germanic empire, forged a reputation for itself as an unavoidable crossing and trading point. Still, it was not until the 17th century that Metz, which had become French in the meantime, discovered classical art and built the edifices which, in the centre of their majestic squares, confer on it both balance and brilliance : the Place dArmes, the Theatre, the Palais de Justice.

The Opera-Theatre, which has retained a ballet and a chorus, is not to be outdone, it has also initiated a lyrical and choreographic season specially intended for children.This musical vitality also finds expression in numerous choirs and bands, not forgetting the long tradition of the Gregorian chant, born in Metz in the time of Charlemagne.:

Pedestrian street, "rue Serpenoise". The administrative capital of Lorraine, the seat of the regional institutions, and a traditional centre for exchanges conducive to trade, Metz with the 200,000 people who live in the city and its suburbs is today seeing a logical development in the service area.

European by nature, Metz, which was the birthplace of Robert SCHUMAN, one of the Founding Fathers of Europe, has worked with its partners to set up various new modes of co-operation in the economic, academic and cultural fields. Involved in cross-border co-operation on a daily basis for professional reasons over 50,000 people in Lorraine, most of them in Moselle, travel to work in Luxembourg and Germany every day the people of Metz are taking an active part in the construction of the "Euro-Region".

1. Travel in Mai 2003 with photos of the Loire Castles : Click here

2. Travel in February 2004 with photos of ski in the french alps : Click here

3. The town of Metz Click here

4. The Night walk in winter 2003 : Click here