It was in February 2025 that we set off with my favorite photographer to discover Saint-Etienne, a city I was completely unfamiliar with (which is a bit of a shame considering I’m originally from Lyon and grew up in Lyon (which is located about sixty kilometers away), without ever setting foot in “Sainté” as we call it in the region in colloquial language, but as they say, “better late than never”).
The city is located in the Loire department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and part of its territory lies within the Pilat Regional Natural Park. The municipality is also situated at the heart of the Loire coal basin, and the city therefore has an important mining history. Design has also long been in the metropolis’s DNA, as Saint-Etienne is a city that invents and manufactures. Firearms, but also looms, textiles, and bicycles (indeed, it is here that the very first French bicycle, the Hirondelle, was invented). In fact, the 3 products that made the city famous are ribbons, bicycles, and weapons.
Practical Information
- Getting there by train: count about 3 hours by TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon for direct trains to Saint-Etienne Châteaucreux station
- Getting around the city: with the STAS network, Saint-Etienne Métropole’s urban transport / with several very convenient tram lines
- Top tip: The City Pass which allows access to numerous museums and guided tours (€19.50 for 48h / €26.50 for 72h)
Saint-Etienne Tourist Office / Saint-Etienne Hors Cadre
16 Avenue de la Libération 42000 Saint-Etienne
Table of Contents
What to see and do in Saint-Etienne?
In the mid-19th century, Saint-Etienne was only the sub-prefecture of the department, then it developed thanks to its various industries and became the prefecture of the Loire. The city covers quite a large area with an unusual shape, and to get to all the city’s points of interest, using the tram of the public transport network is very convenient. You can also walk around the city center and see quite a bit of street art for enthusiasts (including many works by Ella & Pitr, 2 French artists whose workshop is actually located in Sainté). Below, as usual, I offer a small selection of things to do and see if you come for a stay in Saint-Etienne.
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The Project House
Located in the city center, the Project House allows all residents of Saint-Etienne, as well as passing visitors, to understand and visualize the urban transformation of the city and projects underway or coming up. In this 400 m² space, you will find fun, digital, and interactive media, as well as a huge 3D model of Saint-Etienne. If you have never set foot in Sainté, it’s an interesting first stop to visualize the particular shape of the city and help you find your way around. Plus, entry is completely free, so no reason to miss out!
The Project House
10 Rue Louis-Braille, 42000 Saint-Etienne
Open Tuesday to Friday from 11 AM to 7 PM and Saturday from 11 AM to 6:30 PM (except public holidays)
Free entry
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Visit the Museum of Art and Industry
This museum, originally named the “Palais des Arts,” presented weapons, fine arts, and also textiles in the 19th century. In 1889, under the leadership of its curator Marius Vachon, it was transformed into the Museum of Art and Industry. He wanted to make it a place for training and information, especially open to students of the Regional School of Industrial Arts who could come to study local industrial innovations on site.
The museum’s collections today consist mainly of technical collections of weapons, ribbons (unlike Lyon which wove “in wide widths,” Saint-Etienne specialized in ribbons, with ribbon-makers who crafted this essential fashion accessory in the 19th century) and bicycles. This testifies to Saint-Etienne’s long and privileged relationship with object design. The museum’s new permanent exhibition, The Mechanics of Art, takes place in a renewed scenography covering more than 900 m².
We also discover a fascinating section devoted to the history of the textile industry in Saint-Etienne, which experienced its golden age in the 19th century, with more than 70,000 people living from it at that time. Weaving was done at home by passementiers (trimmings makers), installed on the hills of Saint-Etienne, because the rent was cheaper there and places where light was abundant were needed to be able to work maximum hours during the day. The last Saint-Etienne trimmings makers disappeared in the 70s and in the 2000s in the surrounding countryside. In the tour, we discover looms, and the museum also organizes demonstrations to show visitors how they work.
Museum of Art and Industry
2 Place Louis Comte, 42000 Saint-Étienne
Self-guided tour prices: €6.65 / reduced €5.10 / free for under-25s, for students, for job seekers and for everyone on the 1st Sunday of each month, except during the Saint-Etienne International Design Biennale
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Visit the Mamc
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Saint-Etienne reopened in November 2024 after a complete renovation. This museum space was created in 1987, and before that date, the collections were presented and kept at the city’s museum of art and industry (which I told you about just above). Today the MAMC holds the 2nd largest modern art collection in France and presents works of modern art (before 1950), contemporary art (from 1950), as well as design, photography, and ancient art collections. The museum is located on the northern edge of Saint-Étienne in a building designed by architect Didier Guichard. Around the exhibitions, the museum also offers numerous events and activities such as conferences, tours, meetings, performances, cinema screenings…
During our visit, we enjoyed a guided tour to discover the Hors Format exhibition (which runs until August 11, 2025) which lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes. This exhibition was created as part of the collections work, which helped identify 140 works classified as “out of format,” meaning large in size, making their transport difficult. A selection from this set presents the museum’s contemporary ambition from the end of the 1970s to the present day.
Museum of modern and contemporary art of Saint-Etienne
Rue Fernand Léger, 42270 Saint-Priest-en-Jarez
Open every day except Tuesday from 10 AM to 6 PM and until 6:30 PM on Saturdays and Sundays
Prices: €6.50 / €5 reduced / admission + guided tour €8.50 or €7
The top tip: free for everyone on the 1st Sunday of the month
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Visit the Cité du Design
This institution, installed on the site of the former royal arms factory (which today brings together eclectic places like a daycare, a restaurant, a design school, a media library…), anchors design in the city of Saint-Etienne and also ensures its international influence. The main building, La Platine (built between 2000 and 2010), is elongated and composed of various spaces, such as a media library, a material library, a greenhouse, mediation spaces, and an exhibition hall with a shop. The City is also the center of the Design Biennale which takes place between the months of May and July (and lasts about a month and a half) around a theme and with a guest country each edition. During our visit, we visited the current exhibition: Design en voyage, ceramic & food (which was held at the Cité du Design until March 16, 2025).
The City also looks to the future with the “Cité du design 2025” project which wants to transform the Saint-Etienne creative district into a new lively neighborhood, open to all, bringing together a leisure and culture center and an innovation platform through design, of international scale.
The Cité du design
3 Rue Javelin Pagnon, 42000 Saint-Étienne
Prices: €6 / €4.50 reduced / free for under-26s
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Visit the Ceysson & Be Gallery
This private gallery was opened in 2006 by Bernard Ceysson, who is the former director of the Saint-Etienne Museum of Modern Art. In 2021, the gallery moved to an old sawmill. It now occupies a 1000m² space with a bistro/bar area open during the week (which serves as a restaurant during the week at lunch) and also a wine cellar. Upstairs there is a showroom space for the sale of works.
The venue presents free exhibitions open to all, with a monographic exhibition space that changes every 2 months. During our visit, we were able to discover the temporary exhibition “Conversation(s)” by Aurélie Pétrel, a photographer artist (from December 13, 2024 to March 1, 2025), around the relationship between the support and the surface/material. Finally, the gallery also hosts events such as private openings or conferences.
Ceysson & Be Gallery
10 Rue des Aciéries, 42000 Saint-Étienne
Free entry
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Visit the mining museum – Couriot
The Couriot Pit (named after the engineer president of the company) was dug starting in 1907 under the name Chatelus III by the public limited company of the Loire Mines in the middle of a zone already dense with mining activity. The pit was intended for the exploitation of deep layers, reached at 725 meters in 1913. With more than 1000 miners, Couriot was the most powerful mining installation in the basin in the 1920s/1930s. The site ceased its mining activity in 1973. A great emblem of Saint-Etienne’s coal mining past with its two slag heaps (now covered by nature) and its headframe that dominates the city, the Couriot pit is today a place of memory.
Occupying the former mining buildings now classified as Historical Monuments, the museum tells the adventure of Saint-Etienne around coal and introduces machines, the trade, and the life of the miners and allows an understanding of the hardship of underground work. During the guided tour, we take a short descent to discover a reconstituted mining gallery, the room where miners prepared before going down, as well as exhibition spaces in the old boiler room, which recount the mining history of the basin and its links with the city’s industrial adventure.
The guided tour, which I highly recommend doing, really allows you to discover the main spaces of the pit with a guide. We go down via an elevator and we even take the mine train, a fun moment of the visit. We can also visit an immersive space on the coal epic in Saint-Etienne and several exhibition rooms.
Couriot – Mining Museum
Parc Joseph Sanguedolce
3 boulevard Maréchal Franquet d’Esperey 42000 Saint-Etienne
Open Tuesday to Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 AM to 6 PM
Guided tour prices: €8.70 / €6.65 reduced (duration 1h15)
The top tip: free for everyone on the 1st Sunday of the month (but no guided tour of the gallery at that time)
My top spots in Saint-Etienne
As usual, you will find below my selection of top spots in Saint-Etienne (accommodations, shopping boutiques, and several restaurants) that we had the opportunity to test during our stay with my favorite photographer. These addresses often offer the chance to discover local products and some regional specialties to taste if you come to Saint-Etienne.
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My top shopping spots
Les Halles Mazerat
Built in 1872 by Louis Mazerat, the Saint Etienne market halls underwent a renovation, which led to a reopening in September 2021. Today, they cover 1200 m² of surface area and two terraces that host food shops (butcher, greengrocer, bakery, caterer, wine merchant, cheesemonger, fishmonger…) and restaurants. It is the perfect place to do your gourmet shopping!
Les Halles Mazerat
2 cours Victor Hugo, 42000 Saint Etienne
Unfortunately the Halls have closed since our visit in February 2025, but they should reopen with a new concept in January 2026
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Village Café by Café Chapuis
This family coffee roaster is an SME installed in Saint-Etienne since 1945 and is today managed by the 3rd generation of this same family. The place houses a boutique, a café, the roasting workshop, and also a small museum about coffee which is very nice. The museum space was created in 2016 and offers a fun and educational tour to learn everything about coffee. You can also test their coffees (which are very good) on-site in the place’s coffee shop area. Since 2019, the brand has opted for a responsible environmental approach by transforming its roasting waste into useful bio-waste. In addition, their products come from organic farming and fair trade, via Max Havelaar organic labeling and certification.
Cafés Chapuis – Village Café
35 Rue des Aciéries, 42000 Saint-Étienne
Museum tour prices: €7.50 (guided tour and €6.50 self-guided tour / coffee offered for all paid tours)
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The Weiss chocolate factory
This Saint-Etienne chocolate factory with artisanal methods despite its size has existed since 1882, and you can visit their boutique in the center of Saint-Etienne to taste their specialties. Their workshops, located on the outskirts of the city, can also be visited, and we had the opportunity to discover them during an evening in October 2025. They host a very large boutique that offers the full extent of their range, as well as a museum space that traces the history of the chocolate factory since the 19th century and highlights the know-how of this living heritage company, both a chocolatier but also a roaster, because it is one of those chocolate factories (less than 2% of chocolate factories in France) that do “bean to bar,” meaning they master the production process from the cocoa bean to the finished product.
The history of the chocolate factory began at the end of the 19th century when Eugène Weiss, of Alsatian origin, fled the war and met Emile Gerbeaud in Switzerland, a renowned pastry chef and confectioner who introduced him to the delicate art of chocolate. In 1879, the two men settled in Saint-Etienne (which was a high place for chocolate at the time) and opened a pastry-chocolate shop at 8 rue du Général Foy. In 1882, Emile Gerbeaud went to Budapest where he took over the very famous Café Kugler, and Eugène then created the Weiss brand.
Les Ateliers Weiss
1 rue Eugène Weiss 42000 Saint-Etienne
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La Femme à Barbe Boutique
This boutique, which opened 7 years ago, brings together 5 artisans and artists from the region: stylist for children; graphic designer illustrator; upholsterer; jewelry; adult ready-to-wear textile, and also does some custom work. The place (which is both a shop and a workshop) therefore offers local crafts and also hosts other artists throughout the year. The artisans in this shop really have a strong eco-responsible awareness, as well as ethical values, and place great importance on the origin of their raw materials. It’s a lovely little local business.
The shop’s artisans: Elsa Martin upholsterer/decorator; Julie Bonnard Creations; Marie Gonon jeweler; Pimpante Panoplie clothes for babies; Dur à Cuire, artisanal leather goods; Sarah Balvay graphic design and illustration.
La Femme à Barbe Boutique
13 Rue Louis Braille, 42000 Saint-Étienne
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 AM to 7 PM
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The Saint-Etienne Tourist Office concept store: Magasin Saint-Etienne Hors Cadre
Nestled in the heart of the Tourist Office, this great concept store offers only products made or conceived within a 50 km radius of the city. It’s truly the perfect place to do some shopping and bring back souvenirs and/or specialties from Saint-Etienne. You can find gems from merchants, artisans, and artists from the destination.
Magasin Saint-Etienne Hors Cadre
16 avenue de la Libération, 42001 Saint-Etienne
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My top restaurant spots
Below I offer a selection of restaurants that we had the opportunity to test during our getaway to Saint-Etienne in 2025. I think there will be something for every taste and also for every budget!
A few local specialties: the authentic Saint-Etienne râpée (hash brown); sarasson, a creamy cheese preparation that is enjoyed on slices of bread or as an accompaniment to a dish of steamed potatoes and hot sausage.
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A restaurant right next to the station? Kitchen Street
Faty and her whole team offer a new generation catering service (a large part of which is event-based) that has existed for 6 years, with an eco-responsible approach. The brand has also been offering a restaurant in canteen mode for over 2 years not far from the Saint-Etienne station, a business district with many offices. It is a great option for a balanced lunch and very cheap in a super cozy and welcoming place (you can also take your lunch to go). You compose your plate with dishes and preparations made from scratch with good products that change regularly. The address finally offers a selection of desserts, each more gourmet than the last. In short, a super nice neighborhood address that we recommend with our eyes closed!
Kitchen Street
1 Bd Dalgabio, 42000 Saint-Étienne
Open only for lunch on weekdays for the restaurant
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A restaurant near the Châteaucreux neighborhood? Restaurant l’Absinthe
This lounge restaurant is nestled not far from the Châteaucreux neighborhood, in the former Giron factory, a ribbon and velvet factory. Inside, the decor is cozy with comfortable benches and wooden tables. Regarding cuisine, chef David opts for seasonal products and short circuits, with vegetables straight from his parents’ allotment garden. A nice drink menu is also available with a selection of local beverages.
To taste: tasting a beer from a local brewery, les 7 collines; as a starter, the mushroom puff pastry, roasted quinces, and porcini cream (€10); or the seafood ravioli, crab, shellfish, and Thai broth (€10); as a main dish, the braised lamb shank with crushed cereals (€23); or also the pan-fried beef fillet with sautéed potatoes (€25); pan-fried sea bream fillet, bok choy, celery root, and vegetable vierge sauce (€23).
Restaurant L’Absinthe
4 rue de la Richelandière 42000 Saint-Etienne
Prices: winter menu with starter + main dish + dessert €35 / à la carte starters between €10 and €14 / main dishes between €23 and €25 / desserts €7
The top tip: daily lunch menu at €20 with starter + main dish + dessert
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A gastronomic canteen in Saint-Etienne? La Fabuleuse Cantine
This address, installed in an old electrical transformer, is presented as a gastronomic canteen. It opened its doors 5 years ago and started as an associative canteen, to allow students in the area to eat healthy and balanced meals at low prices. At its base, it is mainly a vegetarian restaurant, but the place also offers the possibility to eat meat for those who wish. The menu changes every day and is made with 99% organic and local products. It’s truly a lovely place that I fell in love with and that I recommend warmly.
Fabuleuse Cantine
Open Tuesday to Friday + all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch (€28 adults / €14 children)
Prices: starter + main dish or main dish + dessert menu €15 / complete starter + main dish + dessert €19 / main dish only €13.50 / social minimums and students €8-€10
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Where to eat vegetarian in Saint-Etienne? Numéro Dix
We tested, a bit by chance, this small vegetarian and vegan canteen one lunch and it was quite a pleasant surprise for a quick and balanced lunch.
Numéro Dix
19 rue de la Ville Saint-Etienne
Prices: express menu €16.90 with starter + main dish or main dish + dessert / market menu €19.50 with starter + main dish + dessert
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A meat restaurant in Saint-Etienne? La Java Bleue
This Saint-Etienne bistro with 50s decor is specialized in meat (but quality and well-sourced) and in burgers. The address is run by the husband of chef Marinette whom I mention just below. The restaurant is also labeled “Tables en transition” by Saint-Etienne Métropole, a label that certifies that the establishment is committed to a local and ecological approach. For example, the burger bread is artisanal and made from local flours, and the cheese is organic and comes from less than 50km away.
We tasted: for the burger, I recommend trying “Les Gueules noires” with Montbrison fourme cheese and black charcoal bread in tribute to the miners (€19.90 and €22.90 in XXL version); regarding meat, we let ourselves be tempted by the butcher’s piece (€17.90); for dessert, the tart tatin with local and organic caramelized apples (€7.50).
Restaurant La Java Bleue
2 Cours Fauriel 42100 Saint-Etienne
Open 7 days a week continuously from 11:30 AM
Prices: cocktails between €7 and €9 / burgers between €17.90 and €22.90 for XXL versions / meats between €17.90 and €38.90 / salads between €12.90 and €20.90 / desserts between €5 and €8.50
The top tip: daily menu with starter + main dish + dessert €18.90 / Java menu €23.90
Good to know: at lunch on request, the place offers a quick service in 45 minutes on the daily menu or a direct main dish!
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A rotisserie in Saint-Etienne? L’Aile ou la Cuisse
I went a bit by chance to this address located right in the city center. Here the specialty is the Label Rouge free-range chicken, prepared with the fire of the rotisserie, and I must say that we really enjoyed ourselves.
Restaurant L’Aile ou la Cuisse
15 Place Jean Jaurès 42000 Saint-Etienne
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Where to eat in the Halles Mazerat? Dame D4 Café
This restaurant is installed in the Halles Mazerat (which I told you about a little higher up) and it was decorated by street artists. The day we arrived, there was a chess tournament, since the place is also a cultural cafe and bar and it regularly organizes events. We ate a Lebanese plate there that was very good.
Dame D4 Café
2 Cr Victor Hugo, 42000 Saint-Étienne
Unfortunately the address closed its doors at the same time as the Halles Mazerat in March 2025
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A gastronomic restaurant in Saint-Etienne? Madame table de Cheffe
This eco-responsible restaurant is that of chef Marinette. She welcomes us into a cozy and muffled, very feminine setting where you feel good. The chef offers in her address a creative cuisine nourished by her travels and experiences, which takes your taste buds on a journey. She makes it a point of honor to showcase quality products from short circuits and engaged producers in her region. We really loved the beautiful meeting with the chef who was able to transmit to us the love of her profession, but also the rigor and respectful approach to the environment that she promotes in her project. In addition, the place also offers a very nice wine list with a beautiful selection of organic and local wines.
We tasted: morel, organic egg, and Viognier d’Urfé; white pudding, farmhouse cream, and chestnut; duck, corn, and orange; vanilla and truffle scallop; Weiss Celba organic chocolate with pear and saffron; lemon white chocolate and yogurt.
Restaurant Madame Table de Cheffe
1 Place Villeboeuf 42100 Saint-Etienne
Open Tuesday to Saturday
Prices: discovery menu with starter + main dish + cheese or dessert at €42 / discovery menu with starter + main dish + cheese + dessert at €48 / signature menu with starter + main dish + cheese or dessert at €53 / signature menu with starter + main dish + cheese + dessert at €59 / children’s menu €12 / wine by the glass between €6 and €7
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My top accommodation spots
Comfort Aparthotel Saint-Etienne Centre
This 3-star establishment which belongs to the Zenitude hotel group offers apartments that can accommodate from 2 to 4 people in the center of Saint-Etienne. The interest of this type of accommodation, which unfortunately often lacks charm and character, is the presence in the apartments of a complete and equipped kitchen, which allows you to cook on-site if you wish. Our room overlooked an inner courtyard that was quite quiet and the place also offers a breakfast service if needed.
Comfort Aparthotel Saint-Etienne Centre ☆☆☆
15 rue Gambetta 42000 Saint-Etienne
Hotel prices: Room starting from €66 for 2 people
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Ibis Budget Saint-Étienne Centre Gare Châteaucreux
This hotel is a very good option for a short stay because it is located right in front of the main station of Saint-Etienne and the prices are very accessible. The building in which the hotel is installed is relatively new and therefore offers very good soundproofing and insulation. The room we were in was functional, quiet, and clean. I liked a little extra of the hotel: a box in the lobby where you can borrow for free (in collaboration with Decathlon) accessories (like mats) to exercise in your room.
Ibis Budget Saint-Étienne Centre Gare Châteaucreux ☆☆
4 Rue Du Plateau Des Glieres 42000 Saint-Etienne
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Hôtel Continental
This 1-star hotel, located in a fairly quiet small street in the center of Saint-Etienne, is a bit awkward and could use a little refreshing, but it offers a fairly unbeatable price if you are looking for accommodation with a good location, cheap and quite good quality/price ratio.
Hôtel Continental ☆
10 rue François Gillet 42000 Saint-Etienne
Room prices: starting from €50
Thanks to the Saint-Etienne Tourist Office for the organization of part of this great stay to discover Saint-Etienne as well as the restaurants and places that welcomed us.
I hope that with all this I will have made you want to visit Saint-Etienne and if you also have your top spots and advice for this destination, do not hesitate to share them in the comments below!
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez and MelleBonPlan Photos are not royalty-free, authorization from the photographer is mandatory before any use
