Mont-Saint-Germain Archaeological Site

Châtel-Saint-Germain, France

Located 7 km west of Metz, the archeological site of the village of Châtel-Saint-Germain, a 313-meter promontory, dominates the Montvaux valley. Hissé on a limestone spur, it alone brings together a wide variety of vestiges of many different eras.

The site consists of three parts. The first part houses the remnants of an area of Gaul from 2nd century.

The Merovingian necropolis is the second wave of occupation. The originality of this incredible cemetery of nearly 374 graves is its very unusual location, juched 300 meters high! The various search campaigns attest to the richness of funeral furniture (sarcophagi, stone coffers).

In the twelfth century, the Benedictine of the Abbey Saint Vincent of Metz. The monastic life of the monastic life is reflected in the annex buildings (artisanal facilities, bread oven). Only the tower tower of the Priory Church (with its only window) still exists today. From the top of its 9 m, its Romanesque style gives the place a great medieval charm.

While the historic attraction of the site is undeniable, the beauty of its natural surroundings (between slopes, wood and clearing) also contributes to its tourist success.

Access: parking (first to left after the village church), start of the trail on the right on the route 30 m higher. Take 25 min of climb enough! Think of having good hiking

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Details

Founded: 7th century AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in France
Historical period: Frankish kingdoms (France)

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Laurent Person (19 months ago)
Very beautiful archaeological site with route and explanations on panels. A little complicated to get there without a map or GPS, but once past the grove, you find yourself in the middle of the ruins where the history of France still oozes… (Too bad the orientation table was vandalized)
Matthieu Lentwojt (2 years ago)
Nice for a short family outing! Hiking trails all around for those who like. Be careful in winter because hunters go there on certain days. To watch on the internet.
Dominik Bacquez (2 years ago)
A very special place. Almost mystical when I visited in the late evening. Even the small forest through which you get to the ruins exudes a calm that you would not expect in such a pure place. Although there are open graves and stone coffins around the monastery ruins, this place has something very peaceful and nothing creepy about it, especially at night, as you would expect from the pictures. Fortunately very clean, free of graffiti. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. No matter what time of day or night.
Christelle (2 years ago)
Nice walk to do with several signposts on site to recall the history of the place. Everything is accessible by road by parking nearby but you can also follow the hiking path through the forest a little lower down which is not so difficult, to be avoided in rainy weather on the other hand. Nice view once you get to the top!
Jé Kk (2 years ago)
Magnificent historical and archaeological remains, very easy to access, parking nearby. Breathtaking views, rejuvenating and magical place
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