Economy
Though steel industry has historically dominated Moselle's economy, Metz's efforts in economic diversification have created a base in the sectors of commerce, tourism, and information technology and automotive industries. The city is the economic heart of the Lorraine region and around 73,000 people are working daily within the urban agglomeration area. The transportation facilities found in the urban agglomeration, including the international high-speed rail, motorway, and inland connections and the local bus rapid transit system, have placed the city in an exchange hub in the European union's heart. So, Metz is home to the biggest harbour handling cereals in France with over 4,000,000 tons/year.
Metz is home to the chamber of commerce of Moselle. Some international companies, such as PSA Peugeot Citroën, ArcelorMittal, SFR, and TDF, have established plants and centres in the Metz urban agglomeration. Also, Metz hosts the regional headquarters of Caisse d'Epargne, Banque Populaire, and Crédit Agricole banking groups.
Metz is an important commercial centre of northern France with France's biggest retailer federation, gathering around 2,000 retailers. Important store companies are found in the city, such as the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores and the Fnac and Virgin Megastores entertainment retail chains. The historical downtown displays one of the largest commercial, pedestrian areas in France and a mall, the Saint-Jacques centre, in addition to the multiplex movie theatre and malls found in the urban agglomeration.
In recent years, Metz municipality have promoted an ambitious policy of the tourism development, including urban revitalization and refurbishment of edifices and public squares. This policy has been spurred by the creation of the Centre Pompidou-Metz in 2010. Since its inauguration, the institution has became the most visited cultural venue in France outside Paris with 550,000 visitors/year. Still, the Saint-Stephen Cathedral is the most visited edifice of the city accommodating 652,000 visitors/year.
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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