Today Zuky and I arrived in Metz without high expectations – and after just a few steps I realized something special awaited us. As we wandered through the old town, we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by monuments and façades that literally took my breath away. I had planned to leave again tomorrow morning, but now I’m not sure if I shouldn’t stay longer in Metz.

The narrow streets have a unique charm. At times I almost felt as if d’Artagnan would burst out of a window and rush through the alleys with his musketeer friends. Zuky trotted curiously beside me, sniffing at every corner and looking up at me now and then as if to say: “There’s really so much to discover here.”

I was particularly impressed by the Saint-Étienne Cathedral. Even from the outside it is immense, and although I couldn’t enter with Zuky, I stood for a long time gazing up at the Gothic towers. On the banks of the Moselle we found a quiet spot where we paused to watch the houses reflect in the water.

A completely different but equally fascinating contrast is the Centre Pompidou-Metz. This modern building set against a historical backdrop shows that the city doesn’t just live in the past but looks confidently to the present.

So many impressions at once made it nearly impossible to take photos or videos – I simply wanted to experience everything with my own eyes. Metz is a city you don’t just see, you truly feel.

Rainer Schmitz