Paul Vautrin Quay, Quay in Metz, France
Quai Paul Vautrin is a short street in Metz that runs along the Moselle River, linking the Moyen Pont to the Pont des Roches. On one side flows the river, and on the other stand old buildings, including a house built in 1884 from white stone with decorative iron balconies.
The quay was built between 1740 and 1756 and carried several names over time, including quai des Roches, quai Sainte-Marie, and quai Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Its current name was officially adopted in 1946, after the end of the Second World War.
The quay takes its name from Paul Vautrin, who served as mayor of Metz from 1924 to 1938. A sign at the corner near the Pont des Roches tells passersby about his time in office, making the street itself a small piece of civic memory.
The quay is easy to reach on foot from central Metz and works well as a riverside walk. Part of the street is one-way for car traffic, and the bus stop Quai Vautrin N18 St-Julien Fort serves city buses heading into town.
Before this quay took its current name, the site was home in medieval times to the commandery of the Knights of Malta, known locally as the little Saint Jean. Earlier still, the area was shaped by the abbey of Sainte-Marie, which moved here around 1560 after the city built a nearby fortress.
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