Metz is built partly on islands and partly on the shore of the Moselle River, which gets its name shortened to Mosel further downstream when it crosses the border into Germany. There it flows through the city of Trier and eventually unites with the Rhine at Koblenz.

My first two photos show the Protestant church called Temple Neuf, which was built on one of the islands between 1901 and 1904, during the time when Metz and the surrounding regions were occupied by the German Empire.

Temple Neuf at night

The German annexation of this part of France was a result of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, and the annexation lasted until the end of the First World War in 1918. During the Second World War the Germans again occupied this area for four years, from 1940 to 1944.

Ship on the Moselle River

This is a cruise ship on the Moselle, as seen from the Théâtre du Saulcy on the campus of Paul Verlaine University. This is slightly downstream from the center of Metz. Ships cannot go through the city center because the bridges are too low, and the river soon ceases to be navigable in any case.

Rue Taison in Metz

Rue Taison has buildings from the Gothic and Renaissance periods and from the reigns of Louis XV (who was king for fifty-nine years, from 1715 to 1774) and Louis XVI (who was king from 1774 until French Revolution broke out in 1791).

Metz has a large medieval Old Town with stone buildings and narrow streets that are easy to get lost in. One night coming home from the opera I thought I knew exactly where I was going, but got turned around and came out at a different end entirely.

My photos in this post are from 2006. I revised the text in 2023.

See more posts on the city of Metz, in the Grand Est region of France.