Things to see and do Lorraine

Creating a gallery in a village of 500 souls away from the main lanes falls short of the challenge, yet Bare Braguier has been holding this space dedicated to Art since 2010. There is always an ongoing exhibition. Artists in residence come to prepare their next show, others deposit their works to find a buyer. The maîtresse has also put in place several regular appointments, including children's educational workshops and Tuesdays of knowledge, meetings around a glass and a theme for knowledge exchange. Dates and program to be accessed on the gallery website.

Due to its proximity to the forest area of Phalsbourg-Lutzelbourg, the region is full of hiking and hiking… Everyone will find his account! The Botanique botanical trail, for example, reveals the different natural curiosities of the forest of the Vosges in the North, the Washing washing of the Oak Wood or the circular map of the Plane are all paths to borrow. But most of all, caves, remains, curiosities, deciduous and other plants dotted discovery trips.

In the south-east of Bouzonville, the Église-les-Hargarten church and thirteen old tombstones have been carefully restored. The oldest of them, engraved with a fleur de lys, dates back to 1747. Inside a fresco reproduces "The Creation of the World".

5 km northwest of the village was built, in the early 1930s, Bataville, a working class city adjacent to the Bata factory, for shoe production. In 1940, more than 811 residents occupied the 276 dwellings. 7 buildings accommodate single people. All homes are made of red bricks made on site, cubic or rectangular with flat roofs. The city is geometric with its perpendicular streets and industrial buildings erected with standardized modules. Everything is done to ensure that employees find what they need on site and do not have to leave Bataville. The inhabitants of the City have a grocery store, a hairdresser, a post office, a laundry, an apprenticeship centre and of course, a shoe store.... There is also a cinema, a swimming pool, a stadium, an aerodrome, a school, a college, a church...

The plant closed in 2002. The following year, the workers' city of Bataville was bought by a real estate company. Most of the units have been renovated, others are under renovation. Currently the site has 129 housing units spread over the communes of Moussey and Réchicourt-le-Château deployed in a pleasant setting. The visit of this very typical district does not lack interest or charm.

Apart from the city, the Burghof, a former farm built at the beginning of the th century by a rich industrial, was transformed into a European convention centre. Since 2014 he has belonged to the City of Forbach. Throughout the year, this medieval and modern building offers numerous receptions and lounges. Concert in platt, meetings between winemakers, conferences of personalities… In addition, many couples choose this beautiful decor to organise their wedding in order to take advantage of a sublime view of the park.

Here, the art of cutting Bohemian crystal has been perpetuated from father to son for three generations. The visit to the workshops gives a good overview of the meticulous techniques for blowing the material out of the mouth and shaping truly brilliant and precious objects. The hand-cutting on crystal is the subject of a breathtaking demonstration! To finish the visit, the boutique displays all the know-how of the house by exposing its finely crafted luxury objects, with a thousand sparkles, the most delicate. With of course, a wide choice of gifts for the road: vases, cups, decanters, chandeliers, ashtrays, glass sets... Serving the craft industry for centuries, the Wurm house is classified as a Living Heritage site. You will be captivated...

Volkrange Castle was built between 1242 and 1248. This former manor house has a quality architecture, which bears witness to the regional historic heritage. Surrounded by a moat (restored in 2012), this castle is flanked by two towers and set in a park of nearly 30 hectares open to the public: Walking along its paths and its small flower alleys is ideal to take the air and take the mirettes. During the visit of the castle, certified historic monument, you can admire the colombier at turning mast, the ceiling to the French and the chimney of the th century. Furthermore, the th century master house, its outbuildings and its stables, transformed by the hotel complex, offer an adequate welcome to visitors. Finally, this castle is not just a building to visit as a bearer of the history of the village, but also the place of various workshops and activities during the summer season: stone size, stained glass, hr tour… A programme is also planned at the European Heritage Days. Find out more about the site for more information.

Everything, everything, all you know about the sheep… The Epastoral invites you to share his passion of the sheep and to live, at the rhythm of the seasons, the great and fabulous adventure of sheep and wool, of mowing to finished products. In the programme: Simple visits (45 minutes), half a day or a day of animation for children, a course of felt and vegetable dye. Benefits and entertainment on request. Please contact them in the evening.

The work of this new church in the southern district of Metz began in 1938. The project was entrusted to the architect Roger-Henri Expert, but the mission was completed only in 1954 after the Second World War.

Its 70 m mast (which some compare with two hands praying praying or a pilgrim's stick planted at the crossroads of human roads) was built in 1963. The building is distinguished by its reinforced concrete frame, which evokes the architectural innovations in Royan or Le Havre. Since 1998, it has been protected under the titles of Historical Monuments. A board, place in the bottom, under the organ, to better appreciate the purity of the lines and the slenderness of volumes. No transept or bas, but a single rectangular nave in pure basilicale tradition. The aisles and a wide ambulatory serve the chapels. One of them is dedicated to the worship of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. At Christmas, don't miss to admire the giant tree tree (offered by the house Nicolas) and the modern crèche to the characters designed manually. The monumental glass (close to 1 060 m ²!) is the work of master Lorrain Nicolas Untersteller, who is responsible for the technique of stained glass windows (glass slabs supported by armed cement). Red and blue dominate the whole. However, the Council of Manufacture (the owner of the church) is constantly coping with the wear of time, which bursts and cracks this powerful vessel of reinforced concrete, a touching fragility.

Most of the works from the Maginot line, very frequent in the corner, allow for immersions in purely military rooms and large underground galleries. Here, it is mainly a question of highlighting the daily and routine life of a hundred military personnel. On two floors, this large range shelter from the Maginot line presents parts and objects in a very beautiful condition. They can also be seen in rooms, kitchen, an electric plant, ventilation elements and armoured bells. Moreover, the visit provides a video projection on the history of this line of defence of the Second World War in a small museum space.

For many of us, the Maginot line is only a collection of underground structures. However, within an interval of about forty kilometres, the Maginot line was a floodplain. The Museum of the Alba Country and the Maginot Aquatic Line reveals this other story. Located at the confluence of the Alba and Saar, Sarralbe was part of a defensive flood system. You will discover the history of this unique system, the techniques used and the various battles that have taken place in this area. An exciting story awaits you!

Unique in Lorraine, located only ten kilometres from the Luxembourg border, the Hettange-Grande geological nature reserve is one of the eleven French geological reserves recognised under the RNF (Réserves Naturelles de France). Covering an area of 6 hectares, it was created in 1985 by decree of the Ministry of the Environment. The history of the site is unique, since it is an old quarry exploited from Roman times to the 1960s. Today, a marked path punctuated by about fifteen panels is laid out inside the site itself, explaining the various problems of the site, questions about fauna and flora, ranging from geology to botany. Passionate about geology, the place is a good educational tool. You get the fresh air!

Want to know more? Go to the Hettangian's house, located near the site, to collect the right information. Detailed scientific explanations on the reserve and its ecological heritage, as well as a small museum to discover.

Raised at an altitude of 322 m, the castle's promontory offers a breathtaking view of the Zorn valley. This former castle takes its name from Lutzel Burg, meaning "small castle", since it extends over almost 90 hectares of land! Originally, the village of Lutzelbourg belonged to the abbey of Marmoutier. The latter, to establish its power and hegemony, had a fortress built in the year 930. In the 12th century, the castle fell into the hands of Peter of Falkenstein, who later became Count of Lutzelbourg. In particular, he undertook the construction of the fortified town used to defend the southern side of the estate. After the death of Peter of Lutzelbourg (1133), several lords ruled the castle. Today, the remains of the castle are based in particular on the square tower of Fénétrange, the pentagonal tower with 3 levels, and the Koeberlé villa. The ruins of the castle were declared national property during the French Revolution. In 1900, the new owner carried out a restoration campaign and built a neo-Romanesque style house for his personal use. Since 1978, the castle has belonged to the commune and is the pride of the village!

Built in 1684 at the expense of the inhabitants, Sainte-Catherine Church is located at the foot of the citadel in the heart of the city. Today, it attracts visitors, through its picturesque red sandstone bell tower.

The interior is rich in history. In the th century, the church has three altars: the principal dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the right to Saint Dominique and left, to saint Antoine de Padua. Rebuilt in 1802, it is distinguished by the absence of pillars in its nave. Side furniture, do not miss the two wrought iron towers of the th century, which belonged to the ancient abbey of Sturzelbronn. In 1784, there was a monument to the glory of the Earl of Bombelles, former governor of Bitche square. Today, you can still see his bust (represented by profile) in the left wall of the nave. As for St. Theresa's altar, he is in painted oak (gold and white) and dates back to the th century. Restored in 1982, he represents Christ, the Virgin Mary and the Sacré-Coeur. The church also houses a set of three statues representing Calvary. The organs (some of which were restored in 1990) are decorated with gilt and woodwork. The two musicians are worth a glimpse. Finally, the stained glass windows were dated the middle of the twentieth century and signed by the hand of the master verrier Archepel.

Ideally located opposite the St. Croix Abbey, this presbytery was built during the 1870 s. The building, by its surprising dimensions, is almost reminiscent of a particular hotel! With a classical style order, the facade includes rows of high windows. There are two floors, one of them included in a large triangular pediment surmounted by occuli (round windows). This imposing building, in large areas, was occupied by several Church men. In the past, there was a total: a priest, three vicars, not to mention a beautiful flat apartment, exclusively reserved for the bishop! As a result, the Presbytère presbytery was long nicknamed «the little Vatican»! Today, you can reach it through a wooden entrance portal, adorned with a beautiful framing of carved stones. At its summit, a statue of the Virgin is distinguished in a niche, protective of the place.

The territory of the thionvillois country has a lot of books from the famous Maginot line and each has its own particularities. With regard to the Michelsberg book, we speak of a kind of large underground village located thirty meters deep. Considered a heroic building for its defense in 1940, it consists of five combat blocks and was occupied by more than 500 military personnel. Guided tours by a dedicated association will teach you much more about this very well maintained. The visit lasts about 2 hours, consider taking warm clothes because the interior temperature is 13 ° C even in the summer season.

The tourist office of Thionville is located on the market square. It offers in addition to the usual services of guidance, advice and other precious aids, unusual guided tours, nature, for fun, cycling… The tourist office also offers discovery formulas, packages… Visits are possible all year round by appointment for groups and on schedule for individuals. For more information, do not hesitate to contact them, so they can concocve a memorable guided tour!

Created in 2014 by several local artists, the Têt' de l'Art gallery welcomes artists from all walks of life. Between photography, painting, sculpture and other disciplines, everyone can enter a universe and let their interpretations speak for themselves. Emotions to share in the face of raw arts, unique techniques, delivered works... The gallery is proud to present its sponsor, Juan Ramirez, godchild of Salvador Dali, and Dauphine de Valence. Some Sundays, the gallery comes alive differently by offering Jam sessions, musicians and singers are invited to take a seat to create music together and vibrate in unison. The exhibition then takes on a new dimension.... The Têt' de l'Art gallery definitely doesn't have a pig's character!

An impressive building that rightly advocates in its role: This is the monumentality of the Enlightenment. Metz's massive and powerful Justice Palace ensures its hegemony around the Esplanade. Built in 1776 by architect Charles Louis Clérisseau, the palace is built according to three bodies of buildings, placed in U around a large inner courtyard. Classic style ensures a fine balance of proportions. Note an "antiicing" influence, with the use of carved low reliefs.

Fans of fossils or old stones, passionate about geology and archeology, this small local museum of faulquinic heritage will surprise you! Created at the initiative of Jean-Louis Philippe, archeologist and heart geologist, this museum includes the fruit of its various research. It covers various periods of Prehistory in Gallo-Roman times, with the age of the carboniferous, the upper muschelkalk and sinemurian. You will also discover the coal mine with archive images, history and anecdotes. In total, there are no less than 1 000 coins! An unusual visit to reveal great riches.

At the top of the hill St. Croix, in the heart of the old Metz, St. Ségolène Church is not lacking in charm and style. It's a good dream to dream and stroll in this old neighborhood with music…

It must be said that between the Trinitarian and the Conservatory of Region, the little church is well surrounded! The building also enjoys a unique history and a rich past. Originally built in the first century (as shown by its crypt under the choir), the church is rebuilt in the xiiith century in the purest Gothic style. The same goes for his flamboyant portico, added to the fifteenth century. Inside, don't miss a tour in our Lady's chapel, which houses the oldest windows in Metz! It can be seen: a head, ornaments sculpted in the glass and a scene of Crucifixion. The whole is dated in the xiith century. Finally, the Germans continue the work with the two twin-Gothic towers, visible in front of the façade.