ST-ÉTIENNE, 78km northeast of Le Puy, is not a particularly appealing town. Almost unrelievedly industrial, it was a major armaments manufacturer, enclosed for kilometres around by mineworkings, warehouses and factory chimneys. However, like so many other industrial centres, it has fallen on hard times, and the demolition gangs have moved in to raze its archaic industrial past, which doesn't add to its charms.The centre is bland, and the mood is that of decline since the closure of the coal fields, but its Musée d'Art Moderne at La Terrasse, in the north of the city (daily except Tues 10am–6pm; €4.30) justifies a detour for anyone with an interest in twentieth-century art – a quite unexpected treasure house of contemporary work, both pre- and post-World War II, with a good modern American section, in which Andy Warhol and Frank Stella figure prominently, along with work by Rodin, Matisse, Léger and Ernst, and rooms filled entirely with French art, imaginatively laid out to exciting effect. La Terrasse station is served by frequent trains from St-Étienne's central station, Châteaucreux. The Musée d'Art et d'Industrie, 2 place Louis-Comte, is also good on St-Étienne's industrial background, including the development of the revolutionary Jacquard loom, and an impressive exhibition of arms and armour (daily except Tues 10am–6pm, €4.30). There are flights (with RyanAir from the UK for example) to St-Étienne's small airport (tel 04.77.55.71.71), and a navette service into the town centre. The tourist office on 16 av de la Liberation (April–Sept Mon–Sat 9am–7pm & Sun 10am–1pm; Oct–March Mon–Sat 9am–6pm & Sun 10am–1pm; tel 04.77.49.39.00, www.tourisme-st-etienne.com) is around ten minutes' walk from Châteaucreux train station along avenue D.-Rochereau. If you have to stay, try Hôtel de la Tour, 1 rue Mercière (tel 04.77.32.28.48, fax 04.77.21.27.90; under €30), Le Cheval Noir, 11 rue François-Gillet (tel 04.77.33.41.72, fax 04.77.37.79.19; €40–55), or Hôtel Terminus du Forez, 29 av D.-Rochereau (tel 04.77.32.48.47, [email protected]; €55–70). Alternate spellings:: France, St-Étienne, St-Étienne, St-Etienne
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