Saint Etienne : Design, History, Music and Football !

You circulate by tramway in the streets of St Etienne and it is a real pleasure. Whereas all the big cities are rediscovering the advantages of the tramway, Saint Etienne is proud that it has been faithful to it. It is more than 100 years old!

But it is by foot that you will wander in the old town and in the Saint Jacques district. The town is listed "Ville d'Art et d'Histoire" for its heritage of buildings from 19th and 20th centuries. Along the streets you will be able to admire the buildings of the former trimming and ribbons manufacturers which remind us that the town was a textile and industrial pole.

It is in the «Musée d'Art et d'Industrie» that in fact you will be able to admire the wonderful collection of ribbons and trimmings as well as a collection of arms dating from Middle-Ages, the Renaissance and up to the 20th century which rubs shoulders with the first public collection of cycles, motorcycles and bicycles. It cannot be forgotten that the town was the cradle of Manufrance, the famous munitions and cycles manufacturer of Saint-Etienne, formerly installed on the Fauriel site and in the Parc Giron which has now been transformed.

Town of mines and miners, Saint Etienne takes the visitor on a discovery of a 350 meters gallery, accessible by a hoisting cage, rebuilt on the "Puits de Mine Courio" site.

The third essential museum of the town is one of the largest and most prestigious contemporary art museum in Europe in direct link with Saint Etienne's manifest vocation for design!

Over 4 000m2 of exhibition, it houses major works of artists such as Picasso, Dubuffet, Soulages, Andy Warhol. The Museum restaurant has given carte blanche to one of the great talents of St. Etienne gastronomy, Stéphane Laurier, also installed down town in his restaurant "Nouvelle". He reminds us that the town has always known how to reveal cookery talent from within its walls. Who doesn't remember Pierre Gagnaire!

In the chapter of talent, Jules Massenet, immense musician, born in Saint Etienne in 1842 and to whom we owe 25 operas, 4 oratorios, 280 melodies and orchestral music for piano, is celebrated every two years during a biennial devoted to him, from November 10th to 26th . I.e. right now.

To close this brief panorama of a town rich in history and future prospects, we must not forget of course, the Geoffroy Guichard stadium where the famous "greens" of Saint Etienne play. The football season of league 1 is at its height just now, you could even slip a match into the week-end. Why not?...