Grand Est

Metz was a large Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul ("De Bello Gallico"). After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz (aka "Saint Arnoul"), advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for the Gorze Reform, a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Today the metropolitan area of Metz has a population of nearly 400.000 and in summertime it can get really hot here.

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m².

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m². The vaulting of the nave is about 41m. high. In France only the Gothic cathedrals of Amiens and Beauvais have higher vaultings.

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m². The vaulting of the nave is about 41m. high. In France only the Gothic cathedrals of Amiens and Beauvais have higher vaultings.

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m².

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m². A fire severely damaged the cathedral in 1877. The western portal, seen here, was created in Neo-Gothic style after the blaze.

Metz was a Celtic settlement before Caesar´s conquest of Gaul. After the Romans had left and after the Huns lead by Attila had burnt it down in 451, the Merovingian kings made Metz to the capital of Austrasia. Bishop Arnulf of Metz, advisor to the Merovingian court, was a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty. Bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Charles Martel´s chancellor, founded the important Gorze Abbey, known for a monastic reform movement, similar to that one of Cluny. Between 823 and - 855 Drogo of Metz, an illegitimate son of Charlemagne and strong supporter of his half brother Louis the Pious and Louis´ son Charles the Bald, was Bishop here. Saint-Étienne de Metz, built over a shrine of Protomartyr Saint Stephen is the seat of the Bishop of Metz. The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1220 within the foundations of the Romanesque basilica. The cathedral was completed three centuries later and got consecrated in 1552. The cathedral is nicknamed "La lanterne du Bon Dieu" ("Good Lord's Lantern") displaying the largest expanse of stained glass in the world with about 6500 m². This elephant is a detail from the southwestern "Portal of the Virgin". It may well be, that the carving was created during the restoration period end of the 19th century.

The branch of the BNP Paribas ("La banque d'un monde qui change") has a really nice façade, that may not have changed very much since the building got erected.

The leading cheese-shop in Metz since three generations is meanwhile on Facebook: www.facebook.com/fromagerie.conrad www.republicain-lorrain.fr/moselle/2011/08/13/le-fromage-...

...welcomed by an old weathered prilgim in Gorze. During the 10th century here was famous Gorze abbey, the center of a monastic reform movement, when Cluny was still a small, unimportant abbey in Burgundy. The monastery was founded in 749 by Bishop Chrodegang from Metz, an important friend of Pepin the Short, father of Charlemagne.

..the Romans had build an aquaeduct, about 2000 years ago..

..a barge in the channel next to the Moselle...

.....after more than 35kms I discovered that there was no place to stay in the whole town of Liverdun. So I had to walk on. And later had to build my "emergency tent" on the empty local camping ground next to the river Moselle. It looked quite idyllic in the late afternoon sun, but during the following night it became horribly cold - and I felt as if I was in my coffin already...

...a rest and stayed for two days to recover...

......from Toul to Vaucouleurs, where I had booked a room....

...found the grave of french impressionist painter Auguste Renoir...

It got very slippery again after the rain. Aproaching Clairvaux. Once a very important Cistercian monastery, founded by famous Bernard of Claivaux and 12 monks in 1115. The buildings are used as a prison since 1818. Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, better known as "Carlos the Jackal", is imprisoned here since a couple of years.

About an hour after I had left Les Ricyes I passed an old chapel in the forest. Of course it was not allowed to enter the ruin. Of course... Somebody had told me about a chapel dedicated to Saint-Jacques, but I could not find any information..