Former railway water tower, a Neo-Romanesque tower in Metz
Near Metz station, this free-standing tower in the Rhenish Neo-Romanesque style is a former water tower, from the same period as the station, completed around 1908. Holding 300 m³, it supplied the steam locomotives.
A landmark of the Imperial Quarter
Together with the Sainte-Thérèse church and the Porte Serpenoise, it marks out the heart of the Imperial Quarter. The station and water tower complex, by architect Jürgen Kröger, stands on 3,034 reinforced concrete piles.
Water, tolls and showers: a tower with three uses
This building did not serve the locomotives alone. Standing 38.85 metres tall according to INA, the tower stored water for steam engines, but it also housed the octroi office, which collected the tax levied on goods entering the city. Railway workers could use its baths and showers to wash after their shift. The Metz tourist office recalls these roles in its booklets on the station. It becomes clear that this structure, which might be mistaken for a purely ornamental tower, was fully part of the daily life of the railway and of the city.
Foundations shared with the station
Built apart, at the left-hand end of the station as you face it, the tower echoes the Rhenish neo-Romanesque language of its neighbour. The kinship continues underground. The figure of 3,034 piles applies to the station and water tower together: the sources consulted do not give the tower's own share. These reinforced concrete piles, made using the Hennebique process, reach down ten to seventeen metres. A technique that was then recent thus lies beneath architecture of medieval appearance, a contrast that sums up this great project of the German period.
A short stop from the station forecourt
Now disused, the water tower cannot be visited: it is viewed from public space. The best starting point is Place du Général-de-Gaulle. Facing the station, first spot the clock tower, then look towards the left-hand end of the building, where the isolated outline of the water tower answers it. Walking along the station on that side, towards Avenue de l'Amphithéâtre, brings you closer. This stop fits easily into an arrival by train or the time before a departure, and it nicely rounds off a look at the station's façades.
Practical information
Address: End of Metz-Ville station, Avenue de l'Amphithéâtre side, 57000 Metz
Frequently asked questions
Where is it?
Close to Metz-Ville station.
Can you go inside the former water tower?
No, the former water tower is not open to visitors: it is disused. You can see its tall, isolated neo-Romanesque outline from public space beside Metz-Ville station, but there is no access to the interior.
Where should you stay if you want to be near the station?
Choose the Imperial Quarter to stay near the station, or Outre-Seille for a compromise between charm and price. Staylaro's guide « Se loger à Metz » compares these areas and lets you search for accommodation.
How do you find it when you get off the train?
Leave the station onto Place du Général-de-Gaulle, then follow the building on the Avenue de l'Amphithéâtre side: the tower stands at its far end. Its height makes it easy to spot from afar, with no ticket or booking needed.
