Saint-Étienne in a day from Saint-Galmier

Taking the road to Saint-Étienne

Saint-Galmier is about twenty-five kilometres (roughly fifteen and a half miles) from Saint-Étienne. The drive is straightforward, through the valley or on the motorway depending on the time. Allow half an hour, a little more if you set off after half past eight on a weekday.

Park on the outskirts of the city centre, near a tram line. Park-and-ride facilities are signposted at the entrance to the urban area. Saint-Étienne’s public transport network is extensive, and once you are there, everything that follows is done on foot or by tram.

The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

The Saint-Étienne Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art holds one of France’s important public collections of twentieth and twenty-first century art. It occupies a 1980s building, bright, with simple volumes, and rooms that alternate between permanent displays and temporary exhibitions.

Allow two hours to go round without rushing. Works in the permanent collection cover design, photography, painting and installation. The museum is generally closed on Tuesdays. For precise opening times and admission prices, check the museum’s website or ask at the tourist office, which keeps that information up to date.

The Cité du design and the Manufacture

The Cité du design is housed on the former site of the Manufacture d’armes, a ten-minute walk from the museum. The industrial halls have been restored, and the whole place retains an impressive scale: metal roof structures, glass roofs, inner courtyards. You will come across design students, temporary exhibitions and a shop.

The visit combines well with the museum. Allow an hour to an hour and a half. Again, opening times vary depending on the exhibitions: a quick look at the programme online before you set off will save you from finding the doors closed. The surrounding neighbourhood, the Plaine Achille, is good for a quick wander between two buildings.

Lunch in the city centre

At midday, head for the centre. Place Jean-Jaurès and its adjoining streets offer a varied choice: bistros, traditional restaurants, quicker options. The market on Place Jean-Jaurès is held on certain days, but it is better to check with the tourist office before relying on it.

If you prefer a light meal, the bakeries in the centre offer takeaway deals. You can also push on to the covered market, where a few counters let you grab a bite on the spot. Local products to look out for: fourme de Montbrison cheese and Côtes du Forez wines, which you will find at wine merchants and on some menus.

Geoffroy-Guichard and the Chaudron district

The Geoffroy-Guichard stadium can be visited outside match days. The guided tour takes you into the dressing rooms, along the pitch and through the history of the place, linked to the AS Saint-Étienne club. Slots are limited and departures are in small groups: book ahead if it matters to you.

The stadium is in the Chaudron district, north-east of the centre. It is reached by tram. Around it, the atmosphere is that of a working-class neighbourhood, with its shops and streets that come alive on match days. At other times, it is quiet. Allow an hour to an hour and a half for the visit, including travel.

Late afternoon and return

After the stadium, head back towards the centre for a final stroll. Place Jean-Jaurès and the pedestrian streets around it can be covered in an hour. If you still have time, the area around the station has a few cafés where you can sit before hitting the road again.

The return to Saint-Galmier again takes about twenty-five minutes. On arrival, you can extend the evening without going out again: the house has a balneo bath with jets and chromotherapy on the ground floor, handy after a day of walking. The next day, if you are staying in the area, the Badoit spring and the Saint-Galmier rose garden are just a stone’s throw away.