I had never heard of this city in France until a month before I visited

And here's why you should follow those whims!

The covered market in the shadow of the Metz Cathedral

Metz, France— sound familiar? Probably not! It’s a city that is not on many folks radar and certainly wasn’t on mine until earlier this year.

I truly found this city by accident. I was looking at cities in between Munich and Paris and as I was perusing Airbnb’s in that region, one listing popped up that a) had an insanely affordable price ($110 for 3 nights!) and 2) looked to be in a quiet and beautiful city that I had never heard of before. I let my intuition lead and booked the place without a second thought!

One thing I love about France (and many other European countries) is that there are sweet small cities like this everywhere just quietly being magical without the noise and fuss of the big, well known cities.

Some of my favorite trips were spent in cities I had never heard of until that year. Smaller places where you can understand the energy just by walking around for 30 minutes. Metz was just like that. I knew I would like it, but I didn’t realize how much I would like it.

I spent my 3 days there not doing much. I walked a lot, went to the market, ate a sandwich by the river in the sunshine, watched the sunset from the river, cooked a few meals, ate another sandwich by the cathedral in the sunshine.. and just sort of let my whims guide me.

Bonus is that the owner of the Airbnb I stayed at was the most welcoming and friendly man ever. We chatted over wine and snacks in his kitchen about politics, the differences of what it’s like to live in France and the U.S., and places we had traveled to recently. It was a special stop on the trip for a lot of reasons, but getting to know the people that live in a place I am visiting is one of my favorite parts about traveling.

If you ever think about visiting Metz (and you should!) here is where I would send you:

• Marché Couvert (the covered market): Great for fresh produce, meat and fish, pasta, or made to order baguette sandwiches

• Place Jeanne d'Arc: A quiet corner of the city with a beautiful fountain and a cool bar

• Porte des Allemands: The German Gate — marks one end of the city and is just a cool spot to walk around

• Metz Cathedral: Massive cathedral in the middle of the city. Has the most stained glass of any church in France! And some of the stained glass was done by famous artist, Marc Chagall.

• Bistrot de La Cathédrale: Located in the square right in the shadow of the cathedral. Anywhere in this row of cafes is perfect for an afternoon aperol.

• Temple Neuf: A newer church perched in the middle of the river on an island. Particularly beautiful at sunset and makes a great picnic spot.

• The banks of the Seille: Great walking paths along the river here and good spot for a picnic or just a quiet sit by the river.

Porte des Allemands, Metz Cathedral stained glass, Temple Neuf

Other than that, Metz is a city best explored by just wandering. Stop into shops here and there, get a croissant if you feel like it, grab an aperol in the sunshine next to a hidden yet world famous cathedral.

It is my goal to explore every inch of this country and this little city made me fall even more in love with France and all it’s nooks and crannies.

Next up, is the icon of icons—Paris :)