Venue

Metz
Prefecture and commune
Clockwise from top: overview of city centre (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)
• Urban	308.8 km2 (119.2 sq mi)
• Metro	1,877.2 km2 (724.8 sq mi)
Population  (2022)	121,695
• Density	2,902/km2 (7,515/sq mi)
• Urban  (2018)	285,930
• Urban density	925.9/km2 (2,398/sq mi)
• Metro  (2018)	367,851
• Metro density	195.96/km2 (507.53/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Messin (masculine) Messine (feminine)
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

Metz (/ˈmɛts/ METS, French: [mɛs] ^ⓘ, Latin: Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then Mettis) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand Est region. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany and Luxembourg, the city forms a central part of the European Greater Region and the SaarLorLux euroregion.

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

Because of its historical, cultural and architectural background, Metz has been submitted on France's UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. The city features noteworthy buildings such as the Gothic Saint-Stephen Cathedral with its largest expanse of stained-glass windows in the world, the Basilica of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains being the oldest church in France, its Imperial Station Palace displaying the apartment of the German Kaiser, or its Opera House, the oldest one working in France. 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 (French: La Ville Verte), as it has extensive open grounds and public gardens. The historic city centre is one of the largest commercial pedestrian areas in France.

A historic garrison town, Metz is the economic heart of the Lorraine region, specialising in information technology and automotive industries. Metz is home to the University of Lorraine, Georgia Tech Europe, 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.

Metz has a recorded history dating back over 2,000 years. Before the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, it was the oppidum of the Celtic Mediomatrici tribe. Integrated into the Roman Empire, Metz became quickly one of the principal towns of Gaul with a population of 40,000, until the barbarian depredations and its transfer to the Franks about the end of the 5th century. Between the 6th and 8th centuries, the city was the residence of the Merovingian kings of Austrasia. After the Treaty of Verdun in 843, Metz became the capital of the Kingdom of Lotharingia and was ultimately integrated into the Holy Roman Empire, being granted semi-independent status. During the 12th century, Metz became a republic and the Republic of Metz stood until the 15th century.

With the signature of the Treaty of Chambord in 1552, Metz passed into the hands of the Kings of France. As the German Protestant Princes who traded Metz (alongside Toul and Verdun) for the promise of French military assistance, had no authority to cede territory of the Holy Roman Empire, the change of jurisdiction was not recognised by the Holy Roman Empire until the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. Under French rule, Metz was selected as capital of the Three Bishoprics and became a strategic fortified town. With creation of the departments by the Estates-General of 1789, Metz was chosen as capital of the Department of Moselle.

Although largely French-speaking, after the Franco-Prussian War and under the Treaty of Frankfurt of 1871 the city became part of the German Empire, being part of the Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine and serving as capital of the Bezirk Lothringen.

Metz remained German until the end of the First World War, when it reverted to France. However, after the Battle of France during the Second World War, the city was annexed by Nazi Germany. In 1944, the attack on the city by the U.S. Third Army removed the city from German rule and Metz reverted one more time to France after World War II.

During the 1950s, Metz was chosen to be the capital of the newly created Lorraine region. With the creation of the European Community and the later European Union, the city has become central to the Greater Region and the SaarLorLux Euroregion.

Metz is located on the banks of the Moselle and the Seille rivers, 43 km (27 mi) from the Schengen tripoint where the borders of France, Germany and Luxembourg meet. The city was built in a place where many branches of the Moselle river create several islands, which are encompassed within the urban planning.

The terrain of Metz forms part of the Paris Basin and presents a plateau relief cut by river valleys presenting cuestas in the north–south direction. Metz and its surrounding countryside are included in the forest and crop Lorraine Regional Natural Park, covering a total area of 205,000 ha (506,566 acres).

Lorraine has an oceanic climate. tending to continental humid. The summers are warm and humid, sometimes stormy, and the warmest month of the year is July, when daytime temperatures average approximately 25 °C (77.0 °F). The winters are cold but not often snowy with temperature dropping to an average low of −0.5 °C (31.1 °F) in January. Lows can be much colder through the night and early morning and rare snow can fall during a period extending from November to February.

The length of the day varies significantly over the course of the year. The shortest day is 21 December with 7:30 hours of sunlight; the longest day is 20 June with 16:30 hours of sunlight. The median cloud cover is 93% and does not vary substantially over the course of the year.

• The Centre Pompidou-Metz is a museum of modern and contemporary arts, the largest temporary exhibition area in France outside Paris. The museum features exhibitions from the extensive collection of the Centre Pompidou, Europe's largest collection of 20th-century art.
• Saint Stephen's Cathedral is the Gothic cathedral of the city built during the 13th century. The cathedral exhibits the collection of the Bishopric of Metz, including paraments and items used in the service of the Eucharist. Metz Cathedral is sometimes nicknamed the Good Lord's Lantern (French: la Lanterne du Bon Dieu), as it has the largest expanse of stained glass windows in the world: 6,500 m² (70,000 sq ft). These include works by Gothic and Renaissance master glass makers Hermann von Münster, Théobald of Lixheim and Valentin Bousch, romantic Charles-Laurent Maréchal, tachist Roger Bissière, cubist Jacques Villon and modernist Marc Chagall.
• Another of the city's churches displays a complete set of stained glass windows by French modernist Jean Cocteau.

In addition, Metz features other museums and exhibition venues, such as:

• The FRAC Lorraine, a public collection of contemporary art of the Lorraine region. It is located in the 12th-century Saint-Liver Hôtel and organizes exhibitions of local and international contemporary artists.
• The Golden Courtyard (French: la Cour d'Or), a museum dedicated to the history of Metz, divided into four sections (e.g. archeology, medieval, architecture and fine arts). The Golden Courtyard displays a rich collection of Gallo-Roman and medieval finds and the remains of the Gallo-Roman baths of Divodurum Mediomatricum, revealed by the extension works to the museums in the 1930s.
• The Museum of the 1870 War and of the Annexion in Gravelotte, a village located within the Metz-Metropole conurbation and the site of the Battle of Gravelotte, the only museum in Europe dedicated to the Franco-Prussian War. The museum exhibits military and everyday items from the period as well as artworks related to the 1870 war. A mausoleum erected in 1904 honoring the soldiers who died during the battle, the Memorial Hall (French: La Halle du Souvenir), has been included in the museum.
• The House for Europe, located on the estate of Robert Schuman in Scy-Chazelles in the Metz-Metropole conurbation, transformed into a museum and convention centre. Across the street is the fortified 12th Century church where Robert Schuman now rests. The Robert Schuman House for Europe organises cultural and educational events that introduce the visitor to Schuman's life and works and to the way Europe has been constructed and continues to develop today.
• Verlaine's House (French: la Maison de Verlaine) is a museum located in the house where the poet Paul Verlaine was born, dedicated to his work, featuring permanent and temporary exhibitions. The Solange Bertrand foundation, located in the artist's former house, conserves and displays her artworks. The municipal archives preserve and exhibit Metz's historical municipal records dating from medieval times to the present.

• the Gothic Saint Stephen's cathedral built during the 13th century. The cathedral is nicknamed the Good Lord's Lantern (French: la Lanterne du Bon Dieu), as it has the largest expanse of stained glass windows in the world and the tenth-highest nave in the world.
• the Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains basilica, one of the oldest churches in the world and cradle of the Gregorian Chant.
• Saint Maximin's church featuring stained glass windows by French artist Jean Cocteau, and the Sainte-Thérèse-de-l'Enfant-Jésus church built by French architect Roger-Henri Expert.
• the 13th-century Romanesque Knights Templar's chapel, once part of the Templar commandery of Metz, the oldest Templar institution in the Holy Roman Empire.

• The opera house of Metz Metropole built during the 18th century in Tuscany-influenced neo-Classical style. It is the oldest working opera house in France and one of the oldest in Europe.
• The birthplaces of Paul Verlaine, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, André Schwarz-Bart, Gustave Kahn, Gabriel Pierné, the sculptor Charles Pêtre, and Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle.
• The house of François Rabelais, when he came to Metz—then a free imperial city and a republic—to escape condemnation for heresy by the University of Paris.
• Numerous medieval edifices, including two granaries and several Hôtels.

• the town square and its surrounding Neoclassical buildings, built by French architect Jacques-François Blondel.
• the Neoclassical courthouse (former Governor's Palace), built by French artist Charles-Louis Clérisseau, location in 1775 of the Diner of Metz when Lafayette met Marquis of Ruffec and Duke of Gloucester and decided to support the American Revolutionary War.
• the Romanesque Revival Station-Palace and Central Post Office, built by German architect Jürgen Kröger.
• the Northeast France defence headquarters (former Kaiser headquarters), built by German architects Schönhals and Stolterfoth in a neo-Flemish style.

• the German's Gate from the 13th century, the last medieval bridge castle in France. The fortification played a crucial defensive role during the siege of Metz in 1552–53 by Emperor Charles V.
• the ruins of the city's defensive walls dating from ancient history to the 18th century, and the extensive 19th- and 20th-century fortifications of Metz.
• the Fort of Queuleu, also called the Hell of Queuleu (French: l'Enfer de Queuleu), used by the Germans as a detention and interrogation centre for members of the French Resistance during the Second World War.
• the war memorial, an art deco sculpture by French sculptor Paul Niclausse representing a mother cradling the dead body of her son.

Parts of this text and pictures were copied from

Conference Venue

The conference will take place in the ENSAM and ENIM buildings, which are located on the same campus, opposite each other. As a large city in France, Metz has a very developed transport system. The transport destinations you may need to use in order to reach the conference site, depending on your point of arrival and/or lodgings, are highlighted in BOLD below.

Getting to Metz and ENIM and ENSAM

By Plane	Metz lies some 75 kms from The Luxembourg International Airport, some 16.5 km (10.3 mi) from The Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport located in Goin, southeast of Metz and 320 kms from France international Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Click on the picture for a larger vue of the Luxembourg International Airport On arrival at The Luxembourg International Airport, take bus line 29 to Luxembourg train station and a regional train (TER) to Metz city train station. From Lorraine Airport, the tour operator Coutarel offers connections between Metz (Pôle multimodal rue aux Arènes) train stations to and from the airport by minibus or coach, depending on demand (15€). This service serves all commercial flights from the airport. Considering the short train journey between Paris and the Metz Lorraine TGV railway station (82 minutes), the France international Charles de Gaulle Airport may also be a good alternative.
By Train	Trains coming from French and European main cities arrive either at Metz station or Lorraine Station. High-speed trains may arrive at either (*). Metz Railway Station is connected to the French high speed train (TGV) network, which provides a direct rail service to Paris and Luxembourg. The time from Paris (Gare de l'Est) to Metz is 82 minutes. Additionally, Metz is served by the Lorraine TGV railway station, located at Louvigny, 25 km (16 mi) to the south of Metz, for high speed trains going to Nantes, Rennes, Lille and Bordeaux (without stopping in Paris). Also, Metz is one of the main stations of the regional express trains system, Métrolor. Click on the picture for a larger vue of the TGV network (*) From the Lorraine TGV railway station, there is direct shuttle from station to station for TGV connections. Information on these can be found at the SNCF stations and ticket offices and online at oui.sncf . Shuttle timetables are available here. Booking is required at least 24 hours in advance for passengers with reduced mobility and groups by calling the following number:  Tel: +33.03 87 75 87 55.
By Bus and Mettis	Public transport in Metz includes a bus rapid transit system, called Mettis. Mettis vehicles are high-capacity hybrid bi-articulated buses and stop at designated elevated tubes, complete with disability access. Mettis has its own planned and integrated transportation system, which includes two dedicated lines that spread out into the Metz conurbation. Mettis lanes A and B serve the city's major facilities (e.g., city centre, university campus and hospitals), and a transport hub is located next to the railway station. There are 2 direct bus lanes from main train station or city center to ENIM/ENSAM (the 2 building are close from each other). By standard bus, lane L4direction “Grange Aux Bois”, “Grandes Écoles” stop. From city center, or Train station, it’s a 30’ journey, with a frequency of one bus every 20 minutes. By Mettis lane B a high service rate bus (with dedicated road and traffic priority). Mettis is the name given to the two bus rapid transit (BRT) lines in the Metz area. It uses a dedicated road and has priority at traffic lights. The conference venue is located on the B line, direction “Hopital Mercy”, “Grandes Écoles” or “Ensam” stops.From city center, or Train station, it’s a 20’ journey, with a frequency of one bus every 10 minutes.
By Taxi	Several taxi companies are available in Metz. Taxis Metz · Taxi stand, 2 Rue Lafayette  Tel: +33 3 87 56 91 92 Taxi Metz · Taxi service  Tel: +33 6 33 46 77 40 TOPGUIR · Taxi service  Tel: +33 9 70 70 09 19
By Car	By car, Metz is accessible via two motorways: The A31 (North-south axis from Luxembourg to Bourgogne and further south to the Mediterranean ) The A4 (West-east axis from Paris to Strasbourg and further on to Prague)
On Foot	Most hotels are within walking and bus transport distance of the conference site.

Location Map ENSAM and ENIM

Metz Maps - TO BE ADDED

Useful Links

• Metz Weather
• Metz Tourism
• Metz City Transport Information
• Metz Traffic Information
• Museum of War and Annexation