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(S/E) To add to the charm of this walk, start from the (free) car park at the municipal ice rink on the banks of the Moselle, located on Boulevard Saint-Symphorien (opposite the stadium).
(1) Take the tarmac path that runs between the ice rink and the backwater of the Moselle to reach the Promenade Hildegarde. Pass under the bridge of the Metz-Centre motorway slip road and continue to the bridge, which you’ll cross to the right, then turn left onto the Quai des Régates (this is the main route). From the bridge, you’ll have a lovely view of the lake, the marina and Metz in the background.
Continue along the path beside the canalised Moselle until you reach the second bridge, located after the Temple Neuf, which will be on your left. After passing under the bridge, take the small alley opposite, then turn left 50 metres further on to take the wooden footbridge which leads to Place de la Comédie. Turn right and you’ll find, opposite, the Hôtel du Département and its garden, where the Lantern Trail is being held for the third year running; it opens its doors at 5.00 pm.
(2). After visiting the Lantern Trail, we’ll meet up on Rue du Pont Moreau, which you’ll need to take to the left.
Cross the bridge near the Temple Neuf and continue straight on to Place de Chambre where, from 5 pm on weekdays and 11 am at weekends from Friday onwards, the Christmas gourmet market will delight your taste buds.
Walk around the covered market (which is open all year round and offers delicious food and drink...) and pass to the right of the magnificent 13th-century Saint-Etienne Cathedral, which boasts the largest glass surface area with its 6,500m² of glazing. The Ferris wheel is set up on the Place d’Armes right next to it.
(3) Continue on, leaving the Place d’Armes and Metz Town Hall on your left, and immediately after the square, turn right onto Rue Faber, heading towards Place Saint-Jacques.
(4) Place Saint-Jacques features a large Christmas marquee, a few chalets and fairground rides.
Cross the square lengthways and turn right into Rue de Ladoucette, then immediately left into Rue de la Tête d'Or. At the corner of these two streets is one of the entrances to the Saint-Jacques shopping centre, where a Christmas village has been set up.
(5) At the end of Rue de la Tête d’Or lies the heart of the Christmas market: Place Saint-Louis.
Let’s now head towards the Metz-Ville railway station site, where a giant nativity scene, a large Christmas tree and a few more chalets have been set up.
To get there, cross Place Saint-Louis lengthways and, facing you, turn left onto Rue Royale, then slightly to the right onto Rue de la Fontaine, and at the end, turn left onto Rue du Neufbourg. Cross Avenue Foch and continue straight on to the station, where the giant nativity scene is set up on Place Charles de Gaulle. In front of you, you can also admire the distinctive architecture of Metz station. Behind you stands the post office building and many other imposing structures, dating from the period when Alsace and Moselle were under German rule (1970 to 1918).
Now, head towards Place de la République whilst continuing to explore the city a little further by walking parallel to the station along Rue Lafayette until you reach the bridge passing under the railway tracks. At this point, turn right onto Rue du Sablon, then further on, left onto Rue Antoine and right onto Avenue Robert Schuman.
Cross Avenue Joffre with great care, with the Porte Serpenoise in front of you, then turn left and cross the small park on the right. Head up Avenue Ney to the right until you reach Place de la République.
(6) On Place de la République there is another Christmas market site with its chalets and carousel.
Return to Avenue Ney and cut across the upper part of the Esplanade de Metz to climb the steps opposite and follow the small footpath that passes in front of the oldest building in Lorraine: the Convent of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains
(7) This convent dates back to the 4th century and was built by the Gallo-Romans of Metz.
We have just one more right/left turn to make before we find ourselves facing the lake where we started. Cross the Quai des Régates, head down into the park to cross the bridge again and turn left towards the car (S/E).
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