A little bit of culture

How about discovering Saint-Étienne during a cultural weekend centered around several must-see attractions?

Let’s go, let’s dive into the cultural buzz of Saint-Étienne! It’s the perfect time! The perfect opportunity to discover or rediscover the most beautiful exhibitions in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region over a weekend or more. Between modern art, architecture, and design, don’t hesitate—head to Saint-Étienne and its surroundings.

MAUSA: the “new kid on the block”

It’s new, it’s surprising, and it’s definitely worth a visit: welcome to MAUSA (Museum of Urban Arts and Street Art) in Saint-Chamond. Here, there are no traditional rooms or fixed itineraries. You can wander among caravans transformed by 25 international artists. It’s an exhibition that challenges you, playing with space, codes, and vacation memories. It’s a real artistic shock, popular and liberated, breaking down walls to better create connections.

And to think that it used to be an industrial wasteland… Today, it’s a vibrant spot in the heart of the Gier Valley. So, shall we head to Saint-Chamond?

📍 Novacierie, 42400 Saint-Chamond

🚍 Bus M5 – 40 min from downtown Saint-Étienne

Exploring Saint-Étienne's history

An underground museum? Yes, but not only that. The Mining Museum is much more than just a trip back in time. It’s a dive (no, a real descent) into Saint-Étienne’s history, the history that shaped the city with coal, courage, and camaraderie. Put on a helmet, descend into the galleries, listen to the rumbling of the machines and the echoing voices of the elders, and you’ll understand. What it meant to work underground. How it changed lives, cities, and cultures.

But beware, this isn’t frozen nostalgia. Here, heritage is alive. It tells stories, it challenges, it pushes boundaries. With its temporary exhibitions, impressive reconstructions, and little gems to discover in the nooks and crannies of the site, the museum continues to keep the mining heart of Saint-Étienne beating. Why not take a chance and visit? Just to see. To feel the dust of history that continues to vibrate. To understand in a different way. To take a small step aside. Nothing more.

📍 3 Boul. Maréchal Franchet d’Esperey, 42000 Saint-Étienne

🚍 Bus M2 – 9 min from downtown Saint-Étienne

Le Corbusier in Firminy and his current exhibition

Our visit to the capital of the Loire region is the perfect opportunity to pop over to Le Corbusier’s site in Firminy. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its cultural center, here we try out the guided tours to learn everything there is to know about this work and, above all, to be surprised by all the gems it has to offer. We strongly recommend visiting the church on a sunny morning to marvel at the light it offers (shhh, we won’t say any more). And to enjoy a superb panorama, head to the roof terrace of the housing unit.

Bonus tip: we recommend exploring the upcoming exhibition that echoes the design biennial: “Nos pieds d’argile” (Our Feet of Clay) by matali crasset. Through this exhibition, matali crasset invites visitors to look beyond the reality of a world in crisis and offers them the chance to experience useful design that is rooted in everyday life.

I take my ticket

📍 Boulevard Périphérique du Stade, 42700 Firminy

From Saint-Étienne: 🚆 TER 20 min or 🚍 Bus M2 35 min

We know a thing or two about sports in Saint-Étienne

Here, we talk about soccer, yes. But not just any soccer: the kind that thrills an entire region, spans generations, and makes people raise their arms and clench their fists. The Musée des Verts is much more than framed jerseys and cleats in display cases. It is a living, popular, collective memory. Here you’ll encounter the faces of legends, the chants of the stands, the images that have shaped the club’s history… and a little bit of our own too.

You can wander among legendary memories and little anecdotes from the locker room. Take the time to snoop around, look for details, and relive that famous epic of ’76 (even if you weren’t born yet). And then, surprise: temporary exhibitions that bridge the gap between soccer, art, and society, because here, the ball is never cut off from the world. All this, right next to Geoffrey-Guichard, a living temple, a stadium in fusion. Thrills guaranteed, even when there’s no game on.

So, whether you’re a Sunday supporter, an ultra at heart, or just curious about what Sainté represents on the field… this museum is well worth a visit. And not just a little.

📍 14 Rue Paul et Pierre Guichard, 42000 Saint-Étienne

🚊 Tram T1 – 15 min from Saint-Étienne city center