Avricourt: Railway History and Architecture

Avricourt has a clear focus for trip planning: railway history and architecture. Religious architecture and memorial sites with their own historical significance add to this. If you would like to shape your stay around cultural themes, these distinctions can help you choose a destination: alongside a 19th-century railway station, there is a contemporary hall, several religious buildings and a circular route that passes through Avricourt.

Railways and a divided local history

In 1871, a new border established along the railway line divided Avricourt into two parts. The railway line is therefore also a point of reference in the town’s history: it marked a border that split the town. In the Pays des Étangs, the Cité ferroviaire de Nouvel-Avricourt is part of the area’s distinctive heritage. Avricourt’s history can thus be considered both in connection with the railway and as part of the region’s cultural heritage.

The Gare de Nouvel-Avricourt was built in the 19th century and has been a listed monument since October 9, 2019. The construction period and the listing date refer to different stages: the building’s creation and its later protected status. Both the station’s construction period and the precise date it was listed are therefore relevant to understanding it.

Architecture from two eras

The Boulangerie-Halle offers a contrast to the Gare as an example of more recent architecture. It was completed in 2019 and received the “Architecture contemporaine remarquable” designation in 2024. On the street side, a covered public gallery leads to the premises. If you would like to visit the premises, check access in advance. The hall’s construction date, designation and gallery each provide their own architectural point of reference.

Churches, a chapel and a wayside cross

The Église Saint-Ferréol et Ferjeux preserves the Gothic, rib-vaulted choir of the first church, built in 1552. The term rib vault describes a type of vault with intersecting ribs. Together with its Gothic style, this feature gives the church a clearly identifiable architectural distinction and connects it with the history of the first church building.

The Chapelle Notre-Dame-des-Ermites has a different historical association: it was built after village merchant Joseph Deviot survived an attack around 1725. While construction of the chapel was delayed, Deviot erected the wayside cross at the junction of Rue Lorraine and Rue des Halles. The chapel and the cross are therefore linked by their recorded construction history, but differ as structures and in their origins.

Memorial sites and a circular route

The Temple d’Avricourt is built of sandstone in the Neo-Gothic style and has four clocks. Their number is explained by its location in a railway settlement. The German military cemetery in Avricourt contains 177 graves. Russian soldiers who fought alongside France are also buried there. The information about the clocks and the cemetery draws attention to different aspects of the place: an architectural feature and the historical composition of the burial site.

The Circuit de Réchicourt-le-Château par Avricourt is a 36.5-kilometre circular route that passes through Avricourt. If you include this route in your plans, check the route details in advance, as they may change. This lets you consider the circular route as a separate part of your trip alongside the architecture and history themes.

Discover more destinations: Langatte, Scy-Chazelles, Bitche, Niderviller, Hayange, Petit-Réderching, Haut-Clocher, Metz.

For the regional travel overview: Moselle.