First pick
Bois de Mercy
Wood or forest
239 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
5.5 km south-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Philippe Gisselbrecht/ Ville de Metz · CC BY-SA 4.08%woodland
Outdoors in Metz · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Metz has more footpaths per km² than 9 in 10 French towns
Footpaths add up to 286 km across Metz (6.8 km per km²). No protected area reaches Metz; the nearest, Pelouses du pays Messin (Natura 2000), is 4.5 km from the town center. Metz has 24 km of waymarked hiking routes. France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
0%
of the commune’s land
Nearest: Pelouses du pays Messin, 4.5 km
Woodland
8%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
286 km
6.8 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
24 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
30
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Bois de Mercy
Throughout this page, the Moselle median and the France median are the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade), each figure its own median.
What kind of place
What kind of outdoors place is Metz?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and less good.
A place of footpaths6.8 km per km² of mapped footpath, against 1.7 km per km² for the median compared town.Protected land nearbyPelouses du pays Messin (Natura 2000) is 4.5 km from the town center.
What sets Metz apart: its footpaths, then protected land close by.
Against French towns
How Metz compares with French towns
Each figure against the 3,798 compared French towns (communes with an overall grade): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Described, not graded.
Protected areas0%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
22out of 100
Woodland8%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
34out of 100
Footpaths6.8 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
96out of 100
Hiking routes0.6 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
66out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Metz has the 12th most footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (92,188 to 163,684 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Paris 12e (16.7 km per km²) to Nîmes (1.3 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris 12e Paris | 16.7 | 30% | 0% | 153 km |
| 2 | Créteil Val-de-Marne | 13.8 | 2% | 0% | 161 km |
| 3 | Paris 16e Paris | 11.9 | 25% | 0% | 147 km |
| 4 | Grenoble Isère | 11.6 | 4.6% | 0% | 204 km |
| 5 | Paris 14e Paris | 10.6 | 0.4% | 0% | 151 km |
| 6 | Nanterre Hauts-de-Seine | 9.2 | 0.9% | 0% | 141 km |
| 7 | Caen Calvados | 8.1 | 2.4% | 0% | 14 km |
| 8 | Tours Indre-et-Loire | 7.8 | 6.3% | 4.7% | 184 km |
| 9 | Villeurbanne Rhône | 7.4 | 2.8% | 0.3% | 253 km |
| 10 | Saint-Denis Seine-Saint-Denis | 7 | 2.4% | 1.8% | 142 km |
| 11 | Nancy Meurthe-et-Moselle | 6.9 | 2.7% | 0% | 366 km |
| 12 | Metz Moselle | 6.8 | 8% | 0% | 329 km |
| 13 | Angers Maine-et-Loire | 6.3 | 5.6% | 17% | 118 km |
| 14 | Orléans Loiret | 6.3 | 5.4% | 4.3% | 206 km |
| 15 | Boulogne-Billancourt Hauts-de-Seine | 6 | 2% | 0% | 147 km |
| 16 | Dijon Côte-d'Or | 6 | 6.5% | 0% | 402 km |
| 17 | Brest Finistère | 5.9 | 6.7% | 0% | On it |
| 18 | Lyon 3e Rhône | 5.9 | 0.5% | 0% | 251 km |
| 19 | Mulhouse Haut-Rhin | 5.7 | 4.3% | 0% | 441 km |
| 20 | Le Mans Sarthe | 5.5 | 6.6% | 0% | 135 km |
| 21 | Paris 11e Paris | 5.4 | 0% | 0% | 150 km |
| 22 | Besançon Doubs | 5.3 | 37% | 0.6% | 402 km |
| 23 | Montreuil Seine-Saint-Denis | 5.2 | 1.8% | 4.7% | 153 km |
| 24 | Rouen Seine-Maritime | 5.1 | 6.2% | 0% | 53 km |
| 25 | Paris 17e Paris | 5.1 | 0.2% | 0% | 145 km |
| 26 | Roubaix Nord | 5 | 0.8% | 0% | 61 km |
| 27 | Annecy Haute-Savoie | 4.6 | 29% | 0.2% | 260 km |
| 28 | Vitry-sur-Seine Val-de-Marne | 4.5 | 1.7% | 0% | 157 km |
| 29 | Tourcoing Nord | 3.9 | 1.1% | 0% | 57 km |
| 30 | Marseille 13e Bouches-du-Rhône | 3.8 | 3.3% | 32% | 5.5 km |
| 31 | Amiens Somme | 3.8 | 3% | 0.7% | 55 km |
| 32 | Asnières-sur-Seine Hauts-de-Seine | 3.7 | 0% | 0% | 141 km |
| 33 | Clermont-Ferrand Puy-de-Dôme | 3.7 | 4.6% | 0.7% | 258 km |
| 34 | Avignon Vaucluse | 3.3 | 2.9% | 27% | 54 km |
| 35 | Limoges Haute-Vienne | 3.3 | 15% | 0% | 163 km |
| 36 | Argenteuil Val-d'Oise | 3.2 | 5.5% | 0% | 136 km |
| 37 | Perpignan Pyrénées-Orientales | 2.2 | 0.2% | 0.3% | 12 km |
| 38 | Aix-en-Provence Bouches-du-Rhône | 2.1 | 18% | 9.1% | 21 km |
| 39 | Saint-Denis Réunion | 1.6 | 62% | 73% | On it |
| 40 | Saint-Paul Réunion | 1.4 | 20% | 64% | On it |
| 41 | Nîmes Gard | 1.3 | 29% | 4.6% | 37 km |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park or wood. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is the commune’s boundary.
Green: parks, gardens and woods mapped on OpenStreetMap, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · INPN / PatriNat · IGN
Places to walk
Parks and woods to walk in, in and around Metz
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Bois de Mercy leads, at 239 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Les Jardins Jean-Marie Pelt
Park or garden
17 ha9 km of path
2 hto walk all 9 km of path
0.6 km south-westfrom the center
Promenade de la SeillePasserelle du Graoully
Directionsto a point inside
Parc du Pas du Loup
Park or garden
18 ha2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
2.4 km southfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parc du Vallon
Park or garden
12 ha2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
2.7 km south-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de Gloucester
Park or garden
9 ha2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
2.7 km eastfrom the center
Chemin des Foulonniers
Directionsto a point inside
Base de loisir de l'Esplanade
Park or garden · 20 m outside the commune
7.1 ha2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
1.9 km westfrom the center
Promenade Hildegarde
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de la Roseraie
Park or garden
7.4 ha2.4 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.4 km of path
4.2 km south-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Le Grand Patural
Park or garden · 20 m outside the commune
5.7 ha2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
2.9 km westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks, gardens and woods
Bois de MercyWood or forest · 239 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsLes Jardins Jean-Marie PeltPark or garden · 17 ha · 9 km of path
DirectionsParc du Pas du LoupPark or garden · 18 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsParc du VallonPark or garden · 12 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsParc de GloucesterPark or garden · 9 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsBase de loisir de l'EsplanadePark or garden · 7.1 ha · 2.7 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc de la RoseraiePark or garden · 7.4 ha · 2.4 km of path
DirectionsLe Grand PaturalPark or garden · 5.7 ha · 2.7 km of path · just outside
DirectionsJardin BotaniquePark or garden · 4.1 ha · 3.3 km of path · just outside
DirectionsBois de la MacabéeWood or forest · 22 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsBois la DameWood or forest · 30 ha
DirectionsParc de la CheneauPark or garden · 5.7 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsL'EsplanadePark or garden · 3.3 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsParc de la CavaleriePark or garden · 3.4 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsParc du SansonnetPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsLe Grand DomainePark or garden · 3 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsParc du Lac aux CygnesPark or garden · 2.6 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsSquare du LuxembourgPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsPlaine de la VacquinièrePark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc Marie et MathiasPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.8 km of path · just outside
DirectionsJardin du Grand-PâturalPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc Marthe CohnPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsParc du château de CourcellesPark or garden · 2 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside
DirectionsSquare GrandmaisonPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsParc Sainte-ChrétiennePark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsSquare Joséphine GuyPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsSquare du Chanoine MartinPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsSquare TschudyPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsBois CarréWood or forest · 7.3 ha · just outside
DirectionsJardin Jean-Baptiste KeunePark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
Pelouses du pays Messin is the nearest protected area, 4.5 km away
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Natura 2000 site
Pelouses du pays Messin
4.5 km from the town center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area0%
Designations overlap (a regional park can hold a Natura 2000 site), so the rows don’t add up; the first counts each piece of land once.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
Footpaths and woods in Metz
Paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and waymarked hiking routes, mapped on OpenStreetMap inside the commune; woods are mapped forest and woodland, private woods included.
Footpaths
286 km
6.8 km per km²
Hiking routes
24 km
waymarked: 0.6 km per km²
Woodland
8%
about 3.3 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
MetzMoselle medianFrance median
Footpaths6.8
Hiking routes0.6
048 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
MetzMoselle medianFrance median
Woodland8%
0%50%100%
That is more than in 96% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland less than in 66% of compared French towns. Hiking routes often follow paths and lanes already counted, so the two lengths overlap: don’t add them. Every home in Metz is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
12 named hiking routes within 2 km
GR (long-distance)Other named walk
GR 5G14 km
GR 513 km
GR 50113 km
Tour entre Côtes de Moselle et Côtes de Meuse8.7 km
Circuit des sentiers de Queuleu4.4 km
Circuit du Tour du Mont St Quentin4.3 km
Circuit des Remparts3.9 km
Circuit de Plappeville3.7 km
Nancy - Metz3.7 km
Circuit Robert Schuman2 km
Circuit des Remparts (court)0.7 km
Circuit de la Carrière des Moines0.4 km
3 GR routes pass within 2 km of Metz: GR 5G, GR 5 and GR 501.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Metz: April to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Metz-Frescaty, 6.6 km away, and the daylight at the town’s latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.6 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.3 | 16.2 | 15.8 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.0 | 8.2 |
| High (°C) | 5 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 15 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 62 | 56 | 51 | 45 | 57 | 56 | 60 | 59 | 62 | 65 | 65 | 77 |
April is the driest month (45 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 26 °C). 77 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 61 nights a year. The climate in Metz →
Gardens
6 gardens to visit in Metz
Named gardens in the commune.
Espace naturel pédagogique et convivialIn Metz
DirectionsEsplanade de MetzIn Metz
DirectionsJardin BoufflersIn Metz
DirectionsJardin des Tanneurs de MetzIn Metz
DirectionsJardin suspenduIn Metz
DirectionsParc de la CavalerieIn Metz
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Wikidata.
Neighbors
Next to Metz
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
Saint-Julien-lès-MetzMontigny-lès-MetzLongeville-lès-MetzLe Ban-Saint-MartinWoippyMoulins-lès-MetzMetz
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metz | 0% | 8% | 6.8 |
| Saint-Julien-lès-Metz 3,554 · 2.7 km | 0% | 36% | 1.9 |
| Montigny-lès-Metz 21,718 · 3 km | 0% | 3.4% | 4.9 |
| Longeville-lès-Metz 4,102 · 3 km | 0% | 9.3% | 7.3 |
| Le Ban-Saint-Martin 4,684 · 3.4 km | 0% | 27% | 4.6 |
| Woippy 14,967 · 4.9 km | 0% | 12% | 3.1 |
| Moulins-lès-Metz 5,265 · 5.2 km | 0% | 17% | 3.5 |
Saint-Julien-lès-Metz and Le Ban-Saint-Martin are more wooded.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected areas. National-park cores, national parks’ outer areas, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites, from INPN. A national park’s core is strictly protected; its outer area and a regional park are charters between communes, not bans. Designations overlap, so the total counts each piece of land once.
- Woodland. Forest and woods as OpenStreetMap maps them, private woods included: woods nobody has mapped are missing, and a mapped wood isn’t necessarily open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footpaths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, then waymarked hiking routes (GR and others) measured apart. A route often follows a path or lane already counted: the two overlap. Paths nobody has mapped are missing.
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (INSEE’s 200 m grid) within 800 m, as the crow flies, of a mapped park, garden or wood edge. It measures nearness, not a way in. Guadeloupe and French Guiana have no grid: their pages say whether the town center is within 800 m.
- The coast. The straight-line distance from the town center to OpenStreetMap’s coastline, which follows the tide line into estuaries. A commune is on the coast when the coastline crosses its boundary.
- No grade yet. U.S. and UK towns have an Outdoors Grade; French towns don’t yet. Each figure is set beside the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade) in the département and in France, each figure its own median.
Questions about the outdoors in Metz
Is Metz in a national or regional nature park?
No. The nearest protected area is Pelouses du pays Messin, 4.5 km from the town center.
Are there good walks in Metz?
OpenStreetMap maps 286 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 6.8 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 24 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.
How much of Metz is woodland?
8% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Metz near the sea?
No: the coast is 329 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Metz?
April to September: long days, mild highs and little rain, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest suitable station.
Why is there no Outdoors Grade for French towns?
TownRatings grades the outdoors in the U.S. and the UK; the French figures are new and not graded yet. This page sets each one beside the median compared French town instead.
Sources: INPN / PatriNat (protected areas 2026, Natura 2000 2024) · © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (paths, hiking routes, woods, coast, gardens) · INSEE, Filosofi 2021 200 m grid (residents) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Météo-France normals 1991–2020 · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 9, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.