Cathédrale St-Étienne

The lacy golden spires of this Gothic cathedral crown Metz’ skyline. Exquisitely lit by kaleidoscopic curtains of 13th- to 20th-century stained glass, the cathedral is nicknamed ‘God’s lantern’ and its sense of height is spiritually uplifting. Notice the flamboyant Chagall windows in startling jewel-coloured shades of ruby, gold, sapphire, topaz and amethyst in the ambulatory, which also harbours the treasury . A sculpture of the Graoully (‘grau-lee’), a dragon said to have terrified pre-Christian Metz, lurks in the 15th-century crypt . The Gothic windows , on the north transept arm, contrast strikingly with the Renaissance windows on the south transept arm. The cathedral looks its most radiant on a bright day and when floodlit in the evening.