Saint-Etienne ( Loire ). A voyage to Saint-Etienne, Rhône-Alpes province, France, Europe.

Saint-Etienne

Europe : France : Southeastern France : Rhône-Alpes : Loire : Saint-Etienne

Saint-Étienne is a city in the central eastern part of France, 60 km (40 miles) southwest of Lyon. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Saint-Étienne is the prefecture (capital) of the Loire Department. It is situated in the Massif Central.

Understand

The city is situated on the Furan or Furens River at the foot of the Pilat Massif. It is around 59km (37 miles) southwest of  Lyon and 53km (33 miles) from Vienne. 

History

A legend states that in Roman times, it was a settlement with the name Furanum, from the name of the Furan River. The name was then changed to Furania, a name it would keep until the Middle Ages.
The first written traces of the city's history date to 1258 when the town was called Sancti Stephani de Furano after Saint Stephen (Saint Étienne in French).
The town, known for its arms industry, was briefly renamed Armeville or Commune d'Armes (Arms Town) during the French Revolution.
Saint-Étienne was a long secondary town, less influential administratively and politically than Montbrison or Feurs, which was the prefecture of the Loire Department. It was only in 1855 that Saint-Étienne became the prefecture of the Loire Department due to its rapid industrial development and population growth.
However, Saint-Étienne had been an important center for metalworking since the 15th century. Weapons manufacture was predominant with of production of blades transitioning into production of firearms at the time of the Italian Wars of King Francis I. Small metalwork was also present, though, and the manufacture of ribbons and trim also developed in the 16th century.
During the industrial revolution, Saint-Étienne developed heavy metalworking and extensive exploitation of coal mining.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the local arms industry was dominated by the military production of the Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne (Saint-Étienne Arms Works or MAS) and the Manufacture française d'armes et cycles (French Arms and Cycle Works), or Manufrance, as well as numerous small manufacturers of civilian firearms. Despite the closure of Manufrance many of the small manufacturers remained.
The first railroad in France was laid in Saint-Étienne starting in 1823. It linked the Saint-Étienne with Andrézieux to transport coal from the mines along the Loire River. A second line was constructed between Saint-Étienne and Lyon to transport freight and passengers.
The city was affected by the Allied Bombing of France on May 26, 1944.
After economic difficulties in the 1980's, the city is now in full recovery.

Get in

By plane

• L'Aéroport International de Saint-Étienne some 10 km north of Saint-Étienne .
• L'Aéroport International de Lyon - St-Exupéry.

By train

Saint-Etienne has four train stations:

• Châteaucreux (main stations of Lyon serving national and regional destinations)
• Carnot (in the heart of the city, 5 min from hotel de ville)
• La Terrasse (This station is close to Stade Geoffroy Guichard)
• Bellevue

Saint-Etienne is linked by TGV (fast trains) to Paris (2 hours).

 By car

• A72: to the north: Clermont-Ferrand, Bordeaux, Paris...
• A47 :to the east: Lyon, Paris,Marseille, Italy...
• RN88: to the west: Toulouse ...

Get around

By tram, trolley & bus

Société de Transports de l'Agglomération Stéphanoise, or STAS operates a public transport network and infrastructure in and around Saint-Étienne. Its responsibility is to provide tramway, trolleybus and bus service in the fifteen communes of the Saint-Étienne agglomeration.

By bicycle

The STAS is operating as well an automatic bike sharing scheme called Vélivert. Smartcard needed.

See

 Museums and Galleries

• Museum of Modern Art, Rue Fernand Léger - 42170 Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, tel: 04 77 79 52 52.
• Museum Art & Industry
• Museum the Mine.
• Museum of old Saint-Etienne.
• Les Ateliers et le Conservatoire des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France.
• Museum Urban Transport by St-Etienne and country.
• L'Astronef, 28 rue Pierre et Dominique Ponchardier, tel: 04 77 33 43 01. Planetarium of Saint-Étienne.
• Mémorial de la Résistance et de la Déportation (museum of the Resistance during the Second Wold War) 

Eat

Budget

• Bol' Appétit, 9 rue Clovis Hugues

Mid-range

• Le bistrot de Paris, 7 place Jean Jaurès

• La Bouche Pleine, 2, place Chavanelle

• Chez Les Fondus, 23 rue Marengo

• Le Clos Fleuri, 76, avenue Albert Raimond 42270 Saint Priest En Jarez

• L'Epicurien, 13, rue Praire

• L'Escargot d'Or, 5 cours Victor Hugo

• Flamiche, 19 rue Pointe Cadet

• La Mangoune, Gare du Clapier - 10, boulevard Pierre Mendès

• Nota Bene, 8 place Jean Jaurès

• Le Praire, 14, rue Praire

• Restaurant du Musée d'Art Moderne, La Terrasse

• El Sombrero, 4 cours Victor Hugo

Splurge

• Andre Barcet, 19 Bis Cours Victor Hugo

• Le Flore, 31 boulevard Jules Janin 

• Le Neuvième Art, place du 19 Mars 1962, 42170 Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert

• Restaurant Les Iris, 32 avenue Jean Martouret 42160 Andrezieux Bouthéon

• Restaurant Nouvelle, 28-30 rue St Jean

Sleep

Budget

• Auberges de jeunesses Le Pertuiset, Les Echandes - Unieux

• Camping de Chantegrillet, 16 allée Chantegrillet

• Foyer Clairvivre, 14 rue de Roubaix

• Résidence sociale Le Pax, 27 rue Elisée Reclus

Mid-range

• Agnès Hôtel, 18, rue de la Résistance

• Aréna Hôtel, 17, rue Marc Charras

• Austria Hotel, place Massenet La Terrasse

• Le Baladin Hôtel, 12, rue Ville

• Central Hôtel, 3, rue Blanqui

• Le Chaudron Vert, 23, rue Trois Glorieuses

• Furania Hôtel, 18, rue de la Résistance

• Hôtel des Arts, 11, rue Gambetta

• Hôtel Bellevue, 17, place Bellevue

• Hôtel le Carnot, 11, boulevard Jules Janin

• Hôtel le Cheval Noir, 11, rue François-Gillet

• Hôtel Tenor, 12, rue Blanqui

• Splendid Hotel, 16 rue du Théâtre

Splurge

• L'Albatros, 67, rue Saint Simon

• Hôtel Astoria, rue Henri Dechaud

• Hôtel Brasserie d'Anjou, 32, avenue Denfert Rochereau

• Hôtel Terminus du Forez, 31, avenue Denfert Rochereau

• Mercure, rue Dewuppertal parc de l'Europe

• Mid, 19 boulevard Pasteur 
• Novotel Saint Etienne Aéroport, 1, rue du 18 Juin - Andrézieux-Bouthéon                                  Show in Wikitravel