Metz

Metz is a city in the northeast of France and the capital of Lorraine. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place of the European Greater Region.

A Celtic oppidum, an important Gallo-Roman city, the Merovingian capital of the Austrasia kingdom, the birthplace of the Carolingian dynasty, a cradle of the Gregorian chant, and one of the oldest republics of the common era in Europe, Metz has a rich 3,000-year-history. The city has been steeped in Romance culture, but has been strongly influenced by Germanic culture due to its location and history.

The city features noteworthy buildings such as the Gothic Saint-Stephen Cathedral, the Roman Basilica of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains, its Imperial Station Palace, or its Opera House, the oldest one working in France. Also, Metz is home to some world-class venues including the Arsenal Concert Hall and the Centre Pompidou-Metz museum.

A basin of urban ecology, Metz gained its nickname of the Green City as it has extensive open grounds and public gardens. Metz is home to the University of Lorraine and a centre for applied research and development in the materials sector, notably in metallurgy and metallography, the heritage of the Lorraine region's past in the iron and steel industry.