Metz sur Moselle: Ancienne Citadelle Lorraine

The name Mettis is first used in the 5th century AD evolving eventually into Metz (in French pronounced as English mess). Metz is the craddle of the Carolingian dynasty. Arnulf, bishop of Metz from 614 to 629, is considered to be the 1st ancestor of the Carolingians and thus forefather of the greatest monarch Europe has produced: Charlemagne. As barbaric warlords gained power on the ruins of the Roman empire, bishops, who in the beginning almost always hailed from Roman provincial aristocracy, became indispensable consultants to their new Merovingian masters, and as tutors to their dauphins ascended up the ranks to eventually overtake the throne. Metz was one of the backdrops where such dramatic history took place. Today the capital of the French département Moselle is a stunning city in the din of city rush hour with charming restaurants, cozy cafés, diverse shopping venues all surrounding its mighty cathedral Saint-Étienne, truly one of France's most magnificent temples.