Metz station

No, you’re not in front of a cathedral or an old castle, this is actually Metz train station! Monumental and impressive, there’s no shortage of adjectives to describe it. Voted France’s most beautiful train station for several years in a row, its extravagance is credited to the German Emperor Wilhelm II. Indeed, after the annexation of Metz to the German Empire, this station was built; its position at the French border gave it obvious strategic importance. In order to clearly differentiate it from other French buildings in the city typically featuring the yellow color of Jeaumont stones,, they chose materials never used before , such as black basalt, sandstone, and glazed green tiles! Unheard of in Metz! If itseems huge today, just imagine how oversiezed it must have seemed when it was built in 1905!! Unique in France, itis 300 meters long and has a clock tower that rises 40 meters high. The reason why it is so big is because its primary purpose was to facilitate the mobility of troops in case of war against France. And we’re talking about moving around over25,000 soldiers with horses and cannons!!! Mind you, it could have been just big and functional, but no, it’s also grandiose and delicately sculpted. Check out the portal of the departure hall, it looks like a transept of a Romanesque church. Indeed, it uses all the architectural codes of that style. And look at the sides! You’ll see the allegories of Alsace and Lorraine reminding us of their recent union with the German Empire. By the way, take a closer look at the coat of arms of Lorraine on the gable. A bit like a regretted and altered tattoo, you can see a few feathers of the imperial eagle that were erased when the city went back to the French side in 1918. And while we’re on the details, look at the hidden portrait on the facade! It’s Jürgen Kröger, the architect! But well, you guessed it, all of this is intentional! Metz train station carries strong ideological symbolism. It dominates the entrance to the new German district and represents the union of the two imperial powers: political and religious. Even if you don’t have a train to catch, come in and admire the interior of the departure hall. We’re still in a religious atmosphere with beautiful stained glass windows and sculpted columns. Wilhelm II even had a small palace built on one of the platforms, like a VIP lounge to wait comfortably! You can only discover the place on a private tour, but honestly, it’s beautiful, especially with the immense stained glass window of Charlemagne on his throne. If you can’t visit the emperor’s little palace, you can still see its exterior, it’s the part on the right angle of the station. On the portal you can see, the allegories of War and Peace framing the coat of arms of Metz, and on the other side of the facade, there are many details of battles showing the victories of the Germans against the Huns and against the Romans, as well as at the very top, a frieze representing the heads of the 10 Teutonic knights. Not to mention the presence of the Graoully, a dragon, ready to pounce on you, but we’ll come back to that.