SAINT-ETIENNE, the 2nd largest urban centre of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is the only French city with the UNESCO City of Design label. It is also the 1st and only French city included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (and the 2ndEuropean city after Berlin). Saint-Etienne, with the French Ministry of Culture "City of Art and History" label, is today a vibrant hub of artistic performance with a focus on contemporary creation.
The "Design Experience" of Saint-Etienne is expressed in a multitude of forms:
- France's leading design hub
- Design is also reflected in the public spaces, businesses, hotels and Saint-Étienne's different districts.
- Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Étienne, 230,000 attendees (2017 edition)
- The Firminy Vert district, the largest site in Europe designed by Le Corbusier. La Maison de la Culture de Firminy, a UNESCO world heritage site.
Saint-Etienne is a territory of digital technology and innovation with the French Tech label; With 31,000 companies and an important network of SMEs, Saint-Etienne is a very competitive and forward-looking urban centre. It is home to 4 major Clusters of Excellence representing major sources of economic renewal for several strategic sectors: optics, new manufacturing processes, medical and digital technologies.
Key information
A connected and centrally located urban region:
- Direct TGV high-speed train connections between Saint-Étienne / Paris in 2 hours 40 minutes.
- Regional train connections between Saint-Etienne and Lyon in 40 minutes, France's most travelled train line.
- 40 minutes from the Lyon Saint-Exupéry international Airport
The territory is serviced by 2 highways (A47 and A72).
- 40 minutes from Lyon
- 1 1/2 hours from Clermont-Ferrand
- 1 hour from Puy-en-Velay
- 3 hours from Marseille
Our Venues
Discover Saint-Etienne Exhibition Centre
Discover Saint-Etienne Convention Centre
Discover Les Espaces Réceptifs de la Cité du design
Discover La Verrière Fauriel
Discover Métrotech Conference Centre