ON OR NEAR PLACE DES CELESTINS
OTHER PLACES ON THE PRESQU’ILE
Straddling the mighty Rhône and Saône rivers between Burgundy and Provence, Lyon has been among France’s leading cities since Roman times. In spite of its workaday, business-first facade, Lyon is France’s most historic and culturally important city after Paris. You’ll experience two different-as-night-and-day cities: the Old World cobbled alleys, pastel Renaissance mansions, and colorful shops of Vieux Lyon; and the more staid but classy, Parisian-feeling shopping streets of the Presqu’île. Once you’re settled, this big city feels relaxed, welcoming, and surprisingly untouristy. It seems everyone’s enjoying the place—and they’re all French.
Just 70 minutes south of Beaune and two hours north of Avignon, Lyon is France’s best-kept urban secret. Lyon deserves at least one night and a full day. With frequent and fast service to many regions in France—and baggage storage available—the city makes a handy day-visit for train travelers. But those who spend the night can experience the most renowned cuisine in France at appetizing prices and enjoy one of Europe’s most beautifully floodlit cities.
For a full day of sightseeing, take the funicular up to Fourvière Hill, visit the Notre-Dame Basilica, and tour the Roman Theaters and Gallo-Roman Museum. Ride the funicular back down to Vieux Lyon and have a French (read: slow) lunch, then explore the old town and its hidden passageways. Finish your day touring the Museum of Fine Arts, Resistance Center, or Lumière Museum (covering the history of early filmmaking). Most of Lyon’s important sights are closed on Mondays or Tuesdays, or both. Dine well in the evening (book ahead if possible; your hotelier can help) and cap your day enjoying a stroll through the best-lit city in France.
In Lyon, how well you eat determines how well you live. The best restaurants are all the buzz—a favorite conversation topic likely to generate heated debate. Here, great chefs are more famous than professional soccer players. (Paul Bocuse is the chef MVP.) Restaurants seem to outnumber cars, and all seem busy. With an abundance of cozy, excellent restaurants in every price range, it’s hard to go wrong—unless you order tripe (cow intestines, also known as tablier de sapeur), foie de veau (calf’s liver), or tête de veau (calf’s head). Beware: These questionable dishes are very common in small bistros (bouchons) and can be the only choices on cheaper menus. Look instead for these classics: St. Marcellin cheese, salade lyonnaise (croutons, fried bits of ham, and a poached egg on a bed of lettuce), green lentils (lentilles) served on a salad or with sausages, quenelles de brochet (fish dumplings in a creamy sauce), and filet de sandre (local whitefish).
Fruity and fresh Gamay Beaujolais grapes, which grow in vineyards just north of Lyon, produce a light, fruity, easy-to-drink red wine. Beaujolais vines grow on granite rock slopes, compared to the limestone of nearby Burgundy, giving the wines their distinct flavor. While there are several premier crus producing lovely wines, the area is most famous for its simple Beaujolais Nouveau wines, opened just six weeks after bottling. The arrival of the new Beaujolais is cause for lighthearted celebration and mischief in this otherwise hard to impress country. At midnight on the third Thursday of November, the first bottles are opened to great fanfare, road rallies carry the new wine to destinations throughout France, and cafés everywhere post signs announcing its arrival.
Big, luscious reds made from mostly syrah grapes grow on impossibly steep slopes to the city’s south. Look for Saint-Joseph and (my favorite) Crozes-Hermitage wines. In the village of Condrieu, only viognier grapes are allowed to grow; they produce a rich and perfumy white wine.
Despite being France’s third-largest city (after Paris and Marseille), with about 1.5 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, the traveler’s Lyon (home to 485,000 people) is peaceful and manageable. Traffic noise is replaced by pedestrian friendliness in the old center—listen to how quiet this big city is. Notice the emphasis on environmentally friendly transport: Electric buses have replaced diesel buses in the historic core, bike lanes run everywhere, and pedal taxis (called cyclopolitains, seek-loh-poh-lee-tan) are used instead of traditional taxis for short trips (about €1/kilometer). Lyon’s network of more than 5,000 city-owned rental bikes was in place years before Paris’ (note that these work only with American Express or a true chip-and-PIN credit card).
Lyon provides the organized traveler with a full day of activities. Sightseeing can be enjoyed on foot from any of my recommended hotels, though it’s smart to make use of the funiculars, trams, and Métro. Lyon’s sights are concentrated in three areas: Fourvière Hill, with its white Notre-Dame Basilica glimmering over the city; historic Vieux Lyon, which hunkers below on the bank of the Saône River; and the Presqu’île (home to my recommended hotels), lassoed by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Huge and curiously empty Place Bellecour, which lies in the middle of the Presqu’île, always seems to be hosting an event.
The well-equipped TI can reserve a hotel for you at no charge (daily 9:00-18:00, tel. 04 72 77 69 69, www.lyon-france.com, corner of Place Bellecour, free public WCs behind the TI building). Pick up the city map (with good enlargements of central Lyon and Vieux Lyon; hotels have similar maps) and an event schedule (ask about concerts in the Roman Theaters during Les Nuits de Fourvière—early June to early Aug—and events at the Opera House). They also have a brochure on the Beaujolais wine road north of Lyon.
Walking Tours: The TI’s audioguide (€10/day) offers good, self-guided walking tours of Vieux Lyon. Live guided walks of Vieux Lyon are usually offered at 14:30 on weekends and on most days July through early September (€10-12, 2 hours, several in English, depart from guide office to right of funicular, verify days and times with TI). Other, less-frequent English-language walks include tours of the La Croix-Rousse district and the silk workshops.
Sightseeing Pass: The TI sells a good-value Lyon City Card for serious sightseers (€22/1 day, €32/2 consecutive days, €42/3 consecutive days, under age 16 half-price). This pass includes all Lyon museums, free use of the Métro/bus/funicular/Le Vaporetto river shuttle boats, a river cruise (April-Oct), a walking tour of Lyon with a live guide, and free use of the TI’s audioguide. The one-day pass pays for itself if you visit the Gallo-Roman Museum and the Resistance and Deportation History Center, plus take a guided walking tour and use public transit.
Helpful Website: For useful information in English about visiting Lyon, check out www.lyon.angloinfo.com.
By Train: Lyon has two train stations—Part-Dieu and Lyon-Perrache. Many trains stop at both, and some through trains connect the two stations but have an inconsistent schedule. Both stations are well-served by Métro, bus, tram, and taxi (figure €15 for a taxi from either station to my recommended hotels near Place Bellecour), and both have the standard car-rental companies. Only Part-Dieu has baggage storage (daily 6:15-23:00), along with free Wi-Fi in the waiting area. The all-day transit ticket is a great value—buy it upon arrival at the station if you plan to do much sightseeing that day (coin machines only), or wait to pick up a Lyon City Card—which covers transit—at the TI (for more on public transportation and tickets, see “Getting Around Lyon,” later).
Arriving at Part-Dieu Station: This is where most visitors arrive. There are two exits from the station: Porte du Rhône and Porte des Alpes. Bag check is near the Porte des Alpes exit. To reach Place Bellecour in the city center (close to most hotels and the TI), exit by following Sortie Porte du Rhône signs, then enter the Métro station and buy your ticket from the machine. Take the blue Métro line B toward Gare d’Oulins, transfer at Saxe-Gambetta to the line D/Gare de Vaise route, and get off at Bellecour. At Bellecour, follow Sortie Rue République signs.
The other main exit, Sortie Porte des Alpes, offers access to the handy airport train (called Rhône Express, described later under “By Plane”). Also out this exit are SNCF buses to Annecy and Grenoble (but train connections are more frequent). Taxis wait outside either exit, though they seem more plentiful at the Sortie Porte des Alpes.
Arriving at Perrache Station: This station is within a 20-minute walk of Place Bellecour (no baggage storage). Follow green Place Carnot signs out of the station, then cross Place Carnot and walk up pedestrian Rue Victor Hugo to reach the TI and most of my recommended hotels. Or take the Métro (direction: Vaulx-en-Velin) two stops to Bellecour and follow Sortie Rue République signs.
By Car: The city center has good signage and is manageable to navigate, though you’ll hit traffic on surrounding freeways. If autoroute A-6 is jammed (not unusual), you’ll be directed to bypass freeways (such as A-46). Either way, follow Centre-Ville and Presqu’île signs, and then follow Office de Tourisme and Place Bellecour signs. Park in the lots under Place Bellecour or Place des Célestins (yellow P means “parking lot”) or get advice from your hotel. The TI’s map identifies all public parking lots. Overnight parking (generally 19:00-8:00) is only €4.50, but day rates are €2 per hour (figure about €30/24 hours). Garages near Perrache Station are cheaper than those near Bellecour.
By Plane: Lyon’s sleek little airport (and TGV station), St-Exupéry, is 15 miles from the city center, and is a breeze to navigate (ATMs, English information booths, airport code: LYS, tel. 08 26 80 08 26, www.lyonaeroports.com). It has air and rail connections to major European cities, including two flights per hour to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport and direct TGV service to many French cities. Car rental is a snap. Four Rhône Express shuttles per hour make the 30-minute trip from the airport (follow red tram car icons) to Part-Dieu Station, described earlier (€16 one-way, €28 round-trip, buy ticket from machine with bills, coins, or chip-and-PIN credit card—conductors can help). Allow €65 for a taxi if you have baggage.
Market Days: A small market stretches along the Saône River near the Passerelle du Palais de Justice bridge (daily until 12:30). Tuesday through Sunday, it’s produce; Monday, it’s textiles. On Sunday morning, an additional crafts and contemporary art market is on the other side of the bridge near the Court of Justice. Another bustling morning produce market takes place on Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse (Tue-Sun until 12:30, biggest on Sun, see here).
Festivals and Events: Lyon celebrates the Virgin Mary with candlelit windows during the Festival of Lights each year in early December (www.lumieres.lyon.fr). Les Nuits de Fourvière (dance, music, and theater) takes place from early June to early August in the Roman Theaters (www.nuitsdefourviere.com). To browse upcoming performances and events, check youth-oriented magazine A Nous Lyon’s website at www.anous.fr and select “Save the Date”; the site is easy to use even though it’s in French.
Internet Access: Raconte Moi La Terre is a traveler’s bookstore and resource center; it’s also a good place to check your email (Mon 12:00-19:30, Tue-Sat 10:00-19:30, closed Sun, free Wi-Fi at their café, air-con, 14 Rue du Plat—see map on here, Métro: Bellecour, tel. 04 78 92 60 22, www.racontemoilaterre.com).
Laundry: A launderette is at 7 Rue Mercière on the Presqu’île, near the Alphonse Juin bridge; another is between Place Bellecour and Perrache Station, a few steps off Rue Victor Hugo at 19 Rue Ste. Hélène. Both have long hours daily (see map on here for locations).
SNCF Train Office: The SNCF Boutique at 2 Place Bellecour is handy for train info, reservations, and tickets (Tue-Fri 10:00-18:45, Sat 10:00-17:45, closed Sun-Mon).
Wine Tours and Sightseeing Excursions: Kanpai Tours runs minivan trips to the Beaujolais and northern Rhône Valley wine regions near Lyon (€80/half-day, €100/day for individuals, €400-750/day for private groups up to 8, tel. 06 84 52 14 99, www.kanpai-tourisme.com, kanpai.tours@gmail.com).
Chauffeur Hire: Design your own half-day or full-day tour with a car and driver (mobile 06 65 38 75 08, www.lugdunum-ips.com, contact@lugdunum-ips.com).
Riverside Bike Path and Promenade: A bike path/walkway along the east side of the Rhône River is ideal for adults and children (see map on here). For more information on the path and bike rentals, ask at the TI or check www.lyon.angloinfo.com. A walkway along the Saône’s eastern bank offers beautiful views of the old town and is great for picnicking (see map on here). The walkway goes as far south as the futuristic-looking Musée des Confluences science and anthropology museum.
Children’s Activities: The Parc de la Tête d’Or is vast, with rowboat rentals, a miniature golf course, pony rides, a free zoo and botanical gardens, and easy access to the riverside bike path described earlier (across Rhône River from La Croix-Rousse neighborhood, Métro: Masséna, www.loisirs-parcdelatetedor.com).
Lyon has a user-friendly public transit system, with five modern lines (tramways T1-T4 and the Rhône Express line to the airport), four underground Métro lines (A-D), an extensive bus system, and two funiculars to get you up that hill. The subway is similar to Paris’ Métro in many ways (e.g., routes are signed by direction for the last stop on the line) but is more automated (buy tickets at coin-op machines), cleaner, less crowded, and less rushed (drivers linger longer at stops). Study the wall maps to find your direction; ask a local if you’re not certain. Yellow signs lead to transfers, and green signs lead to exits (Sortie).
Tickets: You can transfer between Métro and tramway lines with the same ticket (valid one hour) and can do round-trips, but you must revalidate your ticket whenever boarding (€1.80/1 hour, €3/2 hours, €5.50/1 day, €16/10 rides, all tickets cover funicular). The one-day ticket is a great deal (even if you only use the funicular and visit one of the outlying museums—Resistance Center or Lumière Museum) and a great time-saver, as you only have to buy a ticket once. Also remember that the Lyon City Card (described earlier, under “Tourist Information”) covers transit.
To use the ticket machines, change the display language to English. Then use the black roller to selectionner your ticket, firmly push the top button twice to confirmer your request, and then insert coins (no bills, US credit cards won’t work). In the Métro, insert your ticket in the turnstile, then reclaim it. If the stop has no turnstile, you must validate your ticket by punching it in a nearby machine (tramway users always validate on the trams).
For a short cruise on the Saône River with nice views of Vieux Lyon, hop aboard Le Vaporetto. This shuttle boat makes a 30-minute trip between Vieux Lyon and the Confluence shopping mall, with a stop at Pont Bonaparte along the way (€2 one-way, daily 10:00-21:00 except no service mid-Dec-Feb, leaves from the Pont de la Feuillée bridge in Vieux Lyon on the hour and departs from the Confluence mall on the half-hour (last departure 20:30). For stops, see map on here.
This central bridge (Pont Bonaparte), just a block from Place Bellecour, is made to order for a day-or-night self-guided spin-tour.
• Stand on the bridge and face the golden statue of the Virgin Mary marking the Notre-Dame Basilica on Fourvière Hill. (It’s actually capping the smaller chapel, which predates the church by 500 years.) The basilica is named for the Roman Forum (fourvière) upon which it sits. Now begin to look clockwise.
The Metallic Tower (called La Tour Métallique—not La Tour Eiffel), like the basilica, was finished just before World War I. It was originally an observation tower but today functions only as a TV tower. The husky, twin-towered church on the riverbank below (St. Jean Cathedral) marks the center of the old town. A block upstream, the Neoclassical columns are part of the Court of Justice (where Klaus Barbie, head of the local Gestapo—a.k.a. “the Butcher of Lyon”—was sentenced to life in prison). Way upstream, the hill covered with tall, pastel-colored houses is the Croix-Rousse district, former home of the city’s huge silk industry. With the invention of the Jacquard looms, which required 12-foot-tall ceilings, new factory buildings were needed and the new weaving center grew up on this hill. In 1850, it was churning with 30,000 looms.
You are standing over the Saône River, which, along with the Rhône, makes up Lyon’s duo of power rivers. The Saône drains the southern area of the Vosges Mountains in Alsace and runs for about 300 miles before joining the Rhône (barely south of here), which flows to the Mediterranean. The Place Bellecour side of the river (behind you) is the district of Presqu’île. This strip of land is sandwiched by the two rivers, and is home to Lyon’s Opera House, City Hall, theater, top-end shopping, banks, and all of my recommended hotels. A morning market sets up daily under the trees (upriver, just beyond the red bridge). The simple riverfront cafés (buvettes) are ideal for a drink with a view (best at night).
Speaking of bridges, all of Lyon’s bridges—including the one you’re standing on—were destroyed by the Nazis as they checked out in 1944. Looking downstream, the stately mansions of Lyon’s well-established families line the left side of the river. Across the river, still downstream, the Neo-Gothic St. Georges Church marks the neighborhood of the first silk weavers. The ridge behind St. Georges is dominated by a big building—once a seminary for priests, now a state high school—and leads us back to Mary.
• Walk across the bridge and continue two blocks to find the funicular station and ride up Fourvière Hill to the basilica (catch the train marked Fourvière, not St. Just). Sit up front and admire the funicular’s funky old technology (€2.80 round-trip, Métro/tramway tickets valid). Or you can skip Fourvière Hill and go directly into the old town (Vieux Lyon) by turning right at St. Jean Cathedral.
▲Notre-Dame Basilica (Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière)
▲▲Roman Theaters and Gallo-Roman Museum (Musée Gallo-Romain)
Gadagne Museums (Musées Gadagne)
▲Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts)
Museums of Textiles and Decorative Arts (Musées des Tissus et des Arts Décoratifs)
Shopping and Eating on the Presqu’île
▲Resistance and Deportation History Center (Centre d’Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation)
▲Lumière Museum (Musée Lumière)
On Fourvière Hill, you can tour the basilica, enjoy a panoramic city view, and visit the Roman Theaters and Gallo-Roman Museum, then catch another funicular back down and explore the old town. I’ve listed key sights below according to this route.
This ornate, gleaming church fills your view as you exit the funicular. In about the year 1870, the bishop of Lyon vowed to build a worthy tribute to the Virgin Mary if the Prussians spared his city. They did, so construction started in earnest, with more than 2,000 workers on site (similar deal-making led to the construction of the basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris.) Building began in 1872, and the church was ready for worship by World War I.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 8:00-19:00; weekday Mass usually at 7:15, 9:30, 11:00, and 17:00; Sun Mass at 7:30, 9:30, 11:00, and 17:00.
Visiting the Basilica: Before entering, view the fancy facade, the older chapel on the right (supporting the statue of Mary; open daily 7:00-19:00), and the top of the Eiffel-like TV tower on the left.
Climb the steps and enter. You won’t find a more Mary-centered church. Everything—floor, walls, ceiling—is covered with elaborate mosaics. Scenes glittering on the walls tell stories of the Virgin (in Church history on the left, and in French history on the right). Amble down the center aisle at an escargot’s pace and examine some of these scenes:
First scene on the left: In 431, the Council of Ephesus declared Mary to be the “Mother of God.”
Across the nave, first on the right: The artist imagines Lugdunum (Lyon)—the biggest city in Roman Gaul, with 50,000 inhabitants—as the first Christian missionaries arrive. The first Christian martyrs in France (killed in A.D. 177) dance across heaven with palm branches.
Next left: In 1571, at the pivotal sea battle of Lepanto, Mary provides the necessary miracle as the outnumbered Christian forces beat the Ottomans.
Next right (view from right to left): Joan of Arc hears messages from Mary, rallies the French against the English at the Siege of Orléans in 1429 (find the Orléans coat of arms above and the timid French King Charles VII—whom Joan inspired to take a stand and fight the English—on his horse in the center), and is ultimately burned at the stake in Rouen at age 19 (1431).
Back across the nave on the left: In 1854, Pope Pius I proclaims the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in St. Peter’s Square (establishing the belief among Catholics that Mary was born without the “Original Sin” of apple-eating Adam and Eve). To the left of the Pope, angels carry the tower of Fourvière Church; to the right is the image of the Virgin of Lourdes (who miraculously appeared in 1858).
Finally, on the right: Dashing Louis XIII offers the crown of France to the Virgin Mary. (The empty cradle hints that while he had her on the line, he asked, “Could I please have a son?” Louis XIV was born shortly thereafter.) Above marches a parade of pious French kings, from Clovis and Charlemagne to Napoleon (on the far right—with the white cross and red coat). Below are the great Marian churches of France (left to right)—Chartres, Paris’ Sacré-Cœur and Notre-Dame, Reims (where most royalty was crowned), and this church. These six scenes in mosaic all lead to the altar where Mary reigns as Queen of Heaven.
Lower Church and Adjacent Chapel: Exit under Joan of Arc and descend to the lower church, dedicated to Mary’s earthly husband, Joseph. Priorities here are painfully clear, as money ran out for Joseph’s church. Today, it’s used as a concert venue (notice the spongy-yellow acoustic material covering the vaulting). Return on the same stairs to the humble 16th-century chapel to the Virgin (push the door); outside, glance up to see the glorious statue of Mary that overlooks Lyon.
Nearby: Just around this chapel (past the church museum and the recommended Restaurant Panoramique) is a commanding view of Lyon. You can see parts of both rivers and north from the Croix-Rousse district south to the Bonaparte Bridge, with greater Lyon spread out before you in the distance. The black barrel-vaulted structure to the left is the Opera House, and the rose-colored skyscraper in the distance is called, appropriately, Le Crayon (the pencil). The big green space along the river to the left, across from the Croix-Rousse hill, is Lyon’s massive park (La Tête d’Or). On a clear afternoon, you’ll get a glimpse of Mont Blanc (the highest point in Europe, just left of the pencil-shaped skyscraper).
• To get to the Roman Theaters and Gallo-Roman Museum, walk back to the funicular station and turn left down Rue Roger Radisson. The museum hides in the concrete bunker down the steps, where Rue Roger Radisson meets Rue Cléberg. Before entering, get the best overview of the site by taking a few steps left down Rue Cléberg and finding the ramp that leads to the museum’s rooftop (open the gate).
Founded as Lugdunum in A.D. 43, Lyon was a critical transportation hub for the administration of Roman Gaul (and much of modern-day France—much like today). The city became the central metropolis of the Three Gauls—the integrated Roman provinces of Aquitania (Aquitaine), Belgica (Belgium), and Lugdunensis (Lyon region)—and Emperors Claudius and Caracalla were both born here (for more on the Romans, see “How About Them Romans?” on here).
This worthwhile museum—constructed in the hillside with views of the two Roman Theaters—makes clear Lyon’s importance in Roman times. Visit the museum first, then tour the theaters.
Cost and Hours: Museum—€4.50 (includes good audioguide), €7.50 if special exhibits are on, free on Thu, open Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon; theaters—free, daily until 19:00, May-Sept until 21:00 except during Les Nuits de Fourvière festival early June-early Aug, when it can close as early as 17:00; 17 Rue Cléberg, tel. 04 72 38 49 30, www.musees-gallo-romains.com.
Self-Guided Tour: The route described below gives an overview of the museum’s highlights, while the well-done audioguide, excellent posted English explanations, and helpful staff add as much substance to this museum as you can stomach.
The collection takes you on a chronological stroll down several floors through ancient Lyon. After a brief glimpse at prehistoric objects, dive into the Gallo-Roman rooms. The artifacts you’ll see were found locally. The unusual bronze chariot dates from the seventh century B.C.
Next, sit close to the interactive model of Lyon with its hills and rivers and listen on your audioguide to the history of Lugdunum while following its evolution on the model.
Those curved stones you pass next were actual seats in an arena—inscribed with the names of big shots who sat there. Soon after, look for a big, black-bronze tablet placed up high. Carved into it is the transcription of a speech given by Emperor Claudius in A.D. 48—his (long-winded) account of how he integrated the Gauls into the empire by declaring them eligible to sit in the Roman Senate (also recorded: the interjections of senators begging him to get to the point already—see the English translation on the wall). A few steps farther is a stone Roman pump that looks like an engine block (read the explanation or follow on the TV screen to find out how it worked).
In the left corner of the next section, the model of Roman Lyon shows a city of 50,000 in its second-century A.D. glory days. Gauls and Romans lived and worked side by side in Roman Lyon. Notice that the forum stands where the basilica does today, hanging on the cliff edge. Find the arena in today’s Croix-Rousse neighborhood (you’ll see the arena’s ruins if you follow my walking route of that area).
You’ll soon come upon displays of Roman coins and tools, and models of a few key Roman buildings in Lyon. A bit farther along, the model of the theater (the original is out the window) demonstrates the mechanics of a Roman theater stage curtain, which was raised instead of lowered. Go ahead...push the button. The last section of the museum shows how Lyon’s wealthy merchants built large homes with interior courtyards often tiled with mosaics. Your visit ends with displays on Roman religious life and the onset of Christianity.
• Exit the museum via the elevator and into the Roman Theaters.
The closer big theater was built under the reign of Emperor Augustus and expanded by Hadrian—at its zenith, it held 10,000 spectators. Today it seats 3,000 for concerts. The small theater, an “odeon” (from the Greek “ode” for song), was acoustically designed for speeches and songs. The grounds are peppered with gravestones and sarcophagi. Find a seat in the big theater and read up on Roman theaters (see here).
From early June through early August, the theaters host Les Nuits de Fourvière, an open-air festival of concerts, theater, dance, and film. Check programs at the TI and purchase tickets here at the theaters (box office at gate exit toward the Minimes funicular station, Mon-Sat 11:00-18:00, closed Sun), or online at www.nuitsdefourviere.com.
• The ancient road between the Roman Theaters leads down and out, where you’ll find the Minimes funicular station (to the right as you leave). Take the funicular to Vieux Lyon (not St. Just), where it deposits you only a few steps from St. Jean Cathedral. Take some time to explore Vieux Lyon. Or, from the Vieux Lyon funicular stop, you can take Métro line D directly to the Lumière Museum or (with an easy transfer) to the Resistance and Deportation History Center (both described later).
Stand back in the square for the best view of the cathedral (brilliant at night and worth returning for). This mostly Gothic cathedral took 200 years to build. It doesn’t soar as high as its northern French counterparts; influenced by their Italian neighbors, churches in southern France aren’t nearly as vertical as their sisters to the north. This cathedral, the seat of the “primate of the Gauls” (as Lyon’s bishop is officially titled), serves what’s considered the oldest Christian city in France. Its interior houses some beautiful 13th- and 14th-century stained glass above the altar and adorning each transept (look for descriptions of the windows in English, near the altar).
Under the north transept is a medieval astronomical clock (1383); it has survived wars of all kinds, including the French Revolution. Amazingly, its 700-year-old mechanism can compute Catholic holidays, including those that change each year, such as Easter, until 2019 (demonstrations at 12:00, 14:00, 15:00, and 16:00).
Cost and Hours: Free, Mon-Fri 8:15-19:45, Sat-Sun 8:15-19:00.
Nearby: Outside (make two right turns as you leave) are the ruins of a mostly 11th-century church, destroyed during the French Revolution (the cathedral was turned into a “temple of reason”). What’s left of a baptistery from an early Christian church (c. A.D. 400) is under glass.
Vieux (“Old”) Lyon offers the best concentration of well-preserved Renaissance buildings in the country. The city grew rich from its trade fairs and banking, and was the center of Europe’s silk industry from the 16th to 19th centuries. The most prominent vestiges of Lyon’s Golden Age are the elegant pastel buildings of the old center, which were inspired by Italy and financed by the silk industry. Rue St. Jean, leading north from the cathedral to Place du Change, is the main drag, flanked by parallel pedestrian streets and punctuated with picturesque squares (Rue du Bœuf is quieter and more appealing than busy Rue St. Jean). The pedestrian-friendly lanes of Vieux Lyon were made for ambling, window-shopping, and café lingering.
• Stroll along Rue St. Jean and take a short detour by making a left up Rue de la Bombarde to the colorful courtyard of...
La Basoche: This beautifully restored Renaissance building gives you a good idea of what hides behind many facades in Vieux Lyon—and a whiff of Lyon’s Golden Age. (At the time, the building served as a kind of legal center.) Check out the black-and-white photos that show this structure before its 1968 renovation, and imagine most of Vieux Lyon in this state.
• Back on Rue St. Jean, A La Marquise pastry shop sells Lyon’s dessert specialty: la tarte à la praline, an almond and cream treat that’s as sweet as it is pink. This is my favorite place to sample it (closed Mon). You are now filled with energy to push open the heavy doors leading to Lyon’s...
Traboules: The old city’s serpentine traboules (passageways) worked as shortcuts, linking the old town’s three main north-south streets and provided important shelter from the elements when unfinished silk goods were being moved from one stage of production to the next. These hidden paths give visitors a hide-and-seek opportunity to discover pastel courtyards, lovely loggias, and delicate arches. Spiral staircases were often shared by several houses.
Several short traboules leading to courtyards are accessible (if a doorway is open, you can wander in—#28 Rue St. Jean is a good example). Just a few of Vieux Lyon’s many traboules that connect different streets are open to the public. The longest traboule links #54 Rue St. Jean with #27 Rue du Bœuf; another, with gorgeous loggias, leads from #27 Rue St. Jean to #6 Rue de Trois Maries.
Traboules are generally accessible from 8:00 until 19:30. Press the button next to the street-front door to release the door when entering, push the lit buttons to illuminate dark walkways, and slide the door-handle levers when leaving. You’re welcome to explore—but please be respectful of the residents, and don’t go up any stairs.
While you wander Vieux Lyon, look for door plaques giving a history of each building and traboule. After walking through a traboule, you’ll understand why Lyon’s old town was an ideal center for the Resistance fighters to slip in and out of as they confounded the Nazis.
• At the north end of Rue St. Jean is...
Place du Change: This was the banking center of medieval Lyon. Its money scene developed after the city was allowed to host trade fairs in 1420. Its centerpiece is France’s first stock exchange, Le Loge (now a Reformed Church), which was completely renovated in the 18th century (creating a stark contrast to the Renaissance architecture around it).
• With your back to the river, head to nearby Place du Petit Collège, where you can peek (for free) into the wonderfully restored courtyard of the...
This pair of museums covers two topics (both nicely described in English). The Lyon History Museum is overkill for most, taking you from the city’s Roman period to the present day—and every era in between (the rooms devoted to its silk industry are interesting, showing looms and sample fabrics). The Puppets of the World Museum celebrates Guignol puppetry, the still-vibrant tradition first created in Lyon by an unemployed silk worker. Here you’ll see examples of beautifully crafted Guignol puppets from around the world; the fun audioguide narrative may keep some kids engaged for a while. Don’t leave the museum without enjoying un pause on the rooftop terrace café.
Cost and Hours: €6 for one museum, €9 for both, includes audioguide and English brochure, Wed-Sun 11:00-18:30, closed Mon-Tue, 1 Place du Petit Collège, tel. 04 78 42 03 61, www.gadagne.musees.lyon.fr.
• A short block down Rue de la Fronde leads to a fun shop selling puppets (and housing its own puppet museum). A little north of here, ice-cream connoisseurs must stop at the recommended Nardone René Glacier (on river near Place du Change). From here it’s a short walk to Place des Terreaux and the Museum of Fine Arts (cross Pont de la Feuillée and continue straight four blocks).
This bit of land (French for “peninsula,” and literally meaning “almost-an-island”) between the two rivers is Lyon’s shopping spine, with thriving pedestrian streets. The neighborhood’s northern focal point is the...
This grand square hosts the City Hall (Hôtel de Ville), the Museum of Fine Arts, and an action-packed fountain by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (the French sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty). The fountain features Marianne (the Lady of the Republic) riding a four-horse-powered chariot, symbolically leading Lyon’s two great rivers to the sea. It was originally destined for the city of Bordeaux, which (ultimately) realized that it could not afford the price tag, so the sculptor shopped it at the 1889 World Expo in Paris. There, Lyon’s mayor fell in love and had to have it. After Bartholdi modified it to fit Lyon’s needs, it was installed in 1891. This massive fountain was relocated in 1992 to its current location to make room for access to a parking garage below the square (imagine moving this thing).
This silk workshop, just off Place des Terreaux on Rue Romarin (behind Café le Moulin Joli, a Resistance hangout during World War II), welcomes the public to drop in to see silk printing and screen painting by hand. Keep in mind that this is a lost art that today has mostly been replaced by machines. Within the shop, you’ll see stretched silk canvases, buckets of dye, and artists in action. Friendly staff members speak some English and are happy to field questions while they work. Climb the staircase to visit a boutique selling handmade silk creations. Prices range from €25 to €250.
Cost and Hours: Free entry, Mon-Fri 9:30-13:00 & 14:00-18:30, Sat 9:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00, closed Sun, tel. 04 72 07 97 83.
Hilly, untouristy, and SoHo-esque, this neighborhood hummed with some 30,000 silk looms in the 1800s. Today this part of town is popular with Lyon’s tie-dye types, drawn here by abandoned, airy apartment spaces (built in the age of the Jacquard loom, which required exceptionally high ceilings).
The smartest way to visit is to take the Métro to the top, then follow a series of scenic slopes and stairs back down (see map on here). On the 20-minute stroll from top to bottom, you’ll pass bohemian cafés, art galleries, creative graffiti, and used-clothing shops on your way to the Presqu’île. (Or—to burn off last night’s Lyonnaise feast—follow this suggested route in reverse.)
Begin by exiting Métro line C at the La Croix-Rousse stop. Every day except Monday, until about 12:30, a local produce market stretches across the square and down Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse (best on Sun). The statue at the center of the square is Monsieur Jacquard, inventor of the loom that powered Lyon’s economy in the mid-1800s.
Start your downhill stroll from behind the Métro stop along Rue des Pierres Plantées. Pause to appreciate the views from the top of the Montée de la Grande Côte, and notice how the small concrete square may be used as a soccer field, a tricycle track, an outdoor café, and any other purpose the neighbors can find for it. Continue down the stairs, through the gardens along the Montée de la Grande Côte. Detour a block to the right on Rue des Tables Claudiennes for a view over the Roman Amphitheater of the Three Gauls. It’s hard to imagine that this ruined arena was once the same size as the one in Arles, holding 20,000 spectators. Parts of the arena were destroyed in the 1800s for city development, serious excavation did not begin until the 1960s. Backpedal to the hill climb and continue your descent, working your way down to Place des Terreaux via Place des Capucins.
Located in a former abbey, which was secularized by Napoleon in 1803 and made into a public museum, this fine-arts museum has an impressive collection, ranging from Egyptian antiquities to Impressionist paintings. The inner courtyard is a pleasant place to take a peaceful break from city streets. The helpful museum map and free audioguide make touring it a pleasure. Plan your arrival carefully, as several key sections close for lunch. A bar/café with calming terrace seating is on the first floor, next to the bookstore.
Cost and Hours: €9, includes audioguide, Wed-Mon 10:00-18:00 except Fri, when it opens at 10:30, closed Tue, pick up museum map when you enter, picnic-perfect courtyard, 20 Place des Terreaux, Métro: Hôtel de Ville, tel. 04 72 10 17 40, www.mba-lyon.fr.
Visiting the Museum: After passing the ticket taker, walk up a short flight of stairs to the Chapel, a dreamy Orsay-like display of 19th- and 20th-century statues, including works by Auguste Rodin and Bartholdi (sometimes closed between 12:00 and 14:00). The next flight of steps leads to Les Antiquités (first floor on map), a fine collection of ancient (especially Egyptian) art, medieval art, and Art Nouveau (furniture).
The second floor up displays a pretty selection of paintings from the last six centuries (no famous works, but a good Impressionist collection). You’ll see Renaissance and Baroque paintings by Veronese, Cranach, Rubens, and Rembrandt, and “modern” works by Monet, Matisse, Pissarro, Gaugin, and Picasso. The highlight is a series of Pre-Raphaelite-type works called Le Poème de l’Ame (“The Poem of the Soul”), by Louis Janmot. This cycle of 18 paintings and 16 charcoal drawings traces the story of the souls of a boy and a girl as they journey through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood. They struggle with fears and secular temptations before gaining spiritual enlightenment on the way to heaven. The boy loses his faith and enjoys a short but delicious hedonistic fling that leads to misery in hell. But a mother’s prayers intercede, and he reunites with the girl to enjoy heavenly redemption.
These museums, between Place Bellecour and Perrache Station, fill two buildings (sharing a courtyard and connected with an interior hallway). The Museum of Textiles was founded in the mid-1800s to “maintain the commercial advantage of Lyon’s silk manufacturers by showing their discerning taste for the arrangements and color settings of original motifs.” It holds the world’s most valuable collection of textiles, going back over 4,000 years and touching all corners of the world. Though packed with fine exhibits, the museum offers spotty information in English (though many objects are labeled in English). Serious fabrics fans can invest in the €19 book (Collection Guide) for thorough explanations of the displays. The museum shows off some breathtaking silk work—you’ll see tunics, shawls, dresses, coats, capes, and more from around the world and made from a variety of fabrics.
The Museum of Decorative Arts fills a luxurious mansion and is decorated to the hilt with 18th-century furniture, textiles, and tapestries in a plush domestic setting. Entire rooms from aristocratic Lyonnaise homes have been re-created, including an 18th-century kitchen. There’s plenty of china and a dazzling display of designer teakettles and coffee servers. There is zero, zilch, nada English information in this museum.
Cost and Hours: €10, covers both museums, Tue-Sun 10:00-17:30, closed Mon, 34 Rue de la Charité, Métro: Bellecour, tel. 04 78 38 42 00, www.mtmad.fr.
There’s more to this “almost-an-island” than the sights listed here. Join the river of shoppers on sprawling Rue de la République (north of Place Bellecour) and the teeming Rue Victor Hugo pedestrian mall (south of Place Bellecour). Smart clothing boutiques line Rue Président Edouard Herriot. Peruse the bouchons (characteristic bistros—especially characteristic in the evening) of Rue Mercière.
Passage de l’Argue is an old-world covered shopping passage from the 1800s that predates shopping malls (78 Rue Président Edouard Herriot).
Grand Café des Négociants is ideal for an indoor break. This grand café, which has been in business since 1864, feels like it hasn’t changed since then, with its soft leather chairs, painted ceilings, and glass chandeliers (daily, 2 Place Francisque Régaud, near Cordeliers Métro stop, tel. 04 78 42 50 05).
Located near Vichy (capital of the French puppet state) and neutral Switzerland, Lyon was the center of the French Resistance from 1942 to 1945. These “underground” Resistance heroes fought the Nazis tooth and nail. Bakers hid radios inside loaves of bread to secretly contact London. Barmaids passed along tips from tipsy Nazis. Communists in black berets cut telephone lines while printers countered Nazi propaganda with anonymous pamphlets. Farmers hid downed airmen in haystacks and housewives spread news from the front with their gossip. Without their bravery, the liberation of France would not have been possible.
Cost and Hours: €5, Wed-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon-Tue, 14 Avenue Berthelot, tel. 04 78 72 23 11, www.chrd.lyon.fr.
Tours: Free tablets deliver a grand, short, or themed multimedia tour (numbers indicate rooms, letters indicate specific objects). For the best experience, use your own earbuds rather than the headset provided. Printed explanations are also available.
Getting There: The easiest way to reach the museum is to ride the Métro to Perrache Station and transfer to the T2 tramway (cross the tram tracks after exiting the Métro and board the T2 tram). You can also take Métro line B to Jean Macé, exit toward the elevated train line, and transfer to the T2 tramway (going right). Get off the tramway at Centre Berthelot.
Visiting the Museum: Though these days it’s dedicated to the history of the Resistance, the center actually served as a Nazi torture chamber and Gestapo headquarters under Klaus Barbie (who was finally tried and convicted in 1987 here in Lyon after extradition from Bolivia). More than 11,000 people were killed or deported to concentration camps during his reign.
The museum gives visitors a thorough understanding of how Lyon became an important city in the Resistance, what life was like for its members, and the clever strategies they employed to fight the Germans. You’ll also learn about the fate of the Jews in Lyon during the war. The museum uses interviews with people involved in the fight, reconstructed rooms, and numerous photos and exhibits to tell the inspiring story of the French Resistance.
Antoine Lumière and his two sons Louis and Auguste—the George Eastmans of France—ran a huge factory with 260 workers in the 1880s, producing four million glass photographic plates a day. Then, in 1895, they made the first cinématographe, or movie. In 1903, they pioneered the “autochrome” process of painting frames to make “color photos.” This museum tells their story.
Cost and Hours: €6.50, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:30, closed Mon, essential audioguide-€3, tel. 04 78 78 18 95, www.institut-lumiere.org.
Getting There: Take Métro line D to the Monplaisir-Lumière stop. The museum is in the large mansion with the tiled roof on the square, kitty-corner from the Métro stop at 25 Rue du Premier-Film.
Visiting the Museum: The museum fills Villa Lumière, the family’s belle époque mansion, built in 1902. Many interesting displays and the essential audioguide do a great job of explaining the history of filmmaking. After leaving this place, where the laborious yet fascinating process of creating moving images is driven home, you’ll never again take the quality of today’s movies for granted.
Before your visit, pick up the informative museum plan. The museum’s highlights are the many antique cameras and the screens playing the earliest “movies” (located on the ground floor). The first film reels held about 950 frames, which played at 19 per second, so these first movies were only 50 seconds long. About 1,500 Lumière films are catalogued between 1895 and 1907. (Notice that each movie is tagged with its “Catalog Lumière” number.) The very first movie ever made features workers piling out of the Lumière factory at the end of a workday. People attended movies at first not for the plot or the action, but rather to be mesmerized by the technology that allowed them to see moving images. After their initial success, the Lumières sent cameramen to capture scenes from around the world, connecting diverse cultures and people in a way that had never been done before.
Upstairs, the museum features exhibits on still photography and the Lumière living quarters (furnished c. 1900). Across the park from the mansion is a shrine of what’s left of the warehouse where the first movie was actually shot. In a wonderful coincidence, lumière is the French word for “light.”
At the southern tip of the Presqu’île, where the Rhône and Saône rivers converge, you’ll experience France’s cutting-edge, urban-design energy. Called La Confluence, this expansive urban renewal project (one of Europe’s most ambitious), features futuristic offices, sustainable residential buildings, shopping, and dazzling public spaces in an area that only recently was a vast wasteland. When completed, the Confluence project will double the size of Lyon’s historic center—that’s right, double.
To get here, cruise down the Saône River on the shuttle boat Le Vaporetto, from either the northern end of Vieux Lyon or near Pont Bonaparte, to the Confluence shopping mall dock. Here you’ll see the Confluence project’s latest eye-catching showpiece, the Place Nautique—a snazzy pleasure-boat marina lined with restaurants, cafés, shops, and dazzling architecture.
From here it’s a 15-minute walk along the river to the Presqu’île’s southern end and the Musée des Confluences (a science and anthropology museum). As you follow the pedestrian walkway you’ll pass revamped dock warehouses, wild-and-crazy office buildings, and restaurant barges. The Musée des Confluences is worth a gander at least from the outside for its daring design. Inside, the permanent collection recounts the great story of human existence from our origins to the present day, and evaluates our future (€9, Tue-Fri 11:00-19:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-19:00, closed Mon, 86 Quai Perrache, tel. 04 28 38 11 90, www.museedesconfluences.fr).
To return, catch tramway T1 (in front of museum, direction: Feyssine) back to the Confluence mall and board Le Vaporetto to Vieux Lyon, or continue on T1 to the Perrache stop where you can connect to the Métro and other tram lines (see map on here).
Lyon has France’s second-largest cultural budget after Paris, so there are always plenty of theatrical productions and concerts to attend (in French, of course). The TI has the latest information and schedules. From mid-June through mid-September, the terrace-café at the Opera House hosts an outdoor jazz café with free concerts (usually Mon-Sat, www.opera-lyon.com).
After dinner, stroll through Lyon to savor the city’s famous illuminations (see sidebar on here).
For lively bar and people-watching scenes, prowl Rue de la Monnaie (angles off “restaurant row” Rue Mercière to the south) and the streets between Place des Terreaux and the Opera House. The James Joyce Irish pub, in the heart of Vieux Lyon, is a cozy English-speaking place (daily, 68 Rue St. Jean, tel. 04 78 37 84 28).
Hotels in Lyon are a steal compared with those in Paris. Weekends are generally discounted (Sundays in particular) in this city that lives off business travelers. Prices rise and rooms disappear when trade fairs are in town, so it’s smart to reserve your room in advance. If you have trouble, the TI can help for free in person or by email (resa@lyon-france.com). All of my listings are on the Presqu’île except for the youth hostel. Hotels have elevators unless otherwise noted, and air-conditioning is a godsend when it’s hot (hottest June-mid-Sept). Expect to push buttons to gain access to many hotels.
Book ahead to sleep in this classy yet unpretentious neighborhood (Métro: Bellecour). Just a block off the central Place Bellecour and a block to the Saône River, this area gives travelers easy access to Lyon’s sights. Join shoppers perusing the upscale boutiques, or watch children playing in the small square fronting the Théâtre des Célestins. Warning: Weekend nights can be noisy if you score a room facing Place des Célestins.
$$$ Hôtel Globe et Cecil*** is the most professional and elegant of my listings, with refined comfort on a refined street and a service-oriented staff. Its rooms are tastefully decorated and mostly spacious (Sb-€160, Db-€200, more during festivals, good €9 breakfast if you book directly with hotel, air-con, 21 Rue Gasparin, tel. 04 78 42 58 95, www.globeetcecilhotel.com, accueil@globeetcecilhotel.com).
$$$ Hôtel des Artistes***, ideally located on Place des Célestins, is a comfortable, business-class hotel that offers a fair value on weekdays and a good value on weekends (Sb-€110, standard Db-€130, larger Db-€160, Tb-€170, €15 discount Fri-Sat and €25 on Sun, standard rooms are comfortable but tight, breakfast-€13.50, air-con, 8 Rue Gaspard-André, tel. 04 78 42 04 88, www.hotel-des-artistes.fr, reservation@hotel-des-artistes.fr).
$$$ Hôtel des Célestins***, just off Place des Célestins, is warmly run by Cornell-grad Laurent. Its cheery rooms aren’t cheap but are filled with thoughtful touches. Streetside rooms have more light and are bigger (Sb-€80-110, Db-€100-150, bigger Db-€110-160, Tb-€130-195, beautiful suites ideal for families or those in need of room to roam-€180-230, €10 buffet breakfast served 7:00-12:00, completely nonsmoking, air-con, laundry service, 4 Rue des Archers, tel. 04 72 56 08 98, www.hotelcelestins.com, info@hotelcelestins.com).
$$ Elysée Hôtel**, a few blocks off Place des Célestins, is a simple little hotel with excellent rates and two-star comfort. Gentle Monsieur Larrive is your host (Db-€80-88, breakfast-€8.50, air-con, elevator from first floor up, 92 Rue Président Edouard Herriot, tel. 04 78 42 03 15, www.hotel-elysee.fr, accueil@hotel-elysee.fr).
$$ Hôtel du Théâtre** has no air-conditioning and requires stamina to reach the lobby, as it’s 40 steps from street level. But the hotel is well-located on Place des Célestins and offers a solid deal. Owners Monsieur and Madame Kuhn run a tight ship, most of the rooms and bathrooms are spacious, and the beds are firm (Db-€69-77, extra bed-€15, continental breakfast-€6, no elevator, 10 Rue de Savoie, enter from hotel’s rear, tel. 04 78 42 33 32, www.hotel-du-theatre.fr, contact@hotel-du-theatre.fr).
$$ Le Boulevardier** is a great budget option located a few blocks south of Place des Terreaux. It’s particularly fun for jazz lovers, as the 14 rooms sit above a jazz café. The well-priced rooms are full of charm, some with stone walls, antique furniture, and toys; others with sweet church views. Owner Cédric, a bric-a-brac trader with great taste, lives on the top floor (small Db-€69, bigger Db-€79 and worth the extra euros, Tb-€99, 5 Rue de la Fromagerie, tel. 04 78 28 48 22, www.leboulevardier.fr, ccg.bernard@gmail.com).
$$ Hôtel la Résidence***, south of Place Bellecour and my closest listing to Perrache Station, has 67 plain but good-value air-conditioned rooms. Most are spacious and have high ceilings and bathtub-showers (Sb/Db-€98, Tb-€110, Qb-€120, breakfast-€8, 18 Victor Hugo, tel. 04 78 42 63 28, www.hotel-la-residence.com, hotel-la-residence@wanadoo.fr).
Hostel: $ Vieux Lyon Youth Hostel is impressively situated a 10-minute walk above Vieux Lyon. Open 24 hours daily, it has a lively common area with kitchen access and a snack bar (beds in dorm rooms-€25, includes sheets and breakfast, small safes available, 45 Montée du Chemin, Métro: Vieux Lyon, tel. 04 78 15 05 50, www.hihostels.com, lyon@hifrance.org). Book only through website. Take the funicular to Minimes, exit the station and make a left U-turn, and follow the station wall downhill to Montée du Chemin.
Dining is a ▲▲▲ attraction in Lyon and comes at a bearable price. Half the fun is joining the procession of window shoppers mulling over where they’ll dîner ce soir. In the evening, the city’s population seems to double as locals emerge to stretch their stomachs. The tried-and-true salade lyonnaise (usually filling) followed by quenelles is one of my favorite one-two punches in France. You won’t want dessert.
Lyon’s characteristic bouchons are small bistros that evolved from the days when Mama would feed the silk workers after a long day. True bouchons are simple places with limited selection and seating (just like Mama’s), serving only traditional fare and special 46-centiliter pot (pronounced “poh”) wine pitchers. The lively pedestrian streets of Vieux Lyon and Rue Mercière on the Presqu’île are bouchon bazaars, worth strolling even if you dine elsewhere. Though food quality may be better away from these popular restaurant rows, you can’t beat the atmosphere. Many of Lyon’s restaurants close on Sunday and Monday and during August, except along Rue Mercière. If you plan to dine somewhere special, reserve ahead (ask your hotelier for help) and if you do reserve, don’t expect to be asked for an arrival time—the table is yours all evening.
(See “Vieux Lyon” map, here.)
Come to Vieux Lyon for an ideal blend of ambience and quality (if you choose carefully). For the epicenter of restaurant activity, go to Place Neuve St. Jean, and survey the scene and menus before sitting down. All of these places are located on the map on here.
Daniel et Denise is worth booking ahead. Reputed chef Joseph Viola has created a buzz by providing wonderful cuisine at affordable prices in a classic bouchon setting (menus from €30, indoor seating only, closed Sun-Mon, 36 Rue Tramassac, tel. 04 78 42 24 62, www.daniel-et-denise.fr).
Café Restaurant du Soleil serves Lyon’s tastiest quenelles, offering six different types, including the traditional brochet (pike), scallops (my favorite), and original varieties made with wild garlic (menus from €22, indoor and good outdoor seating, no lunch Sun-Mon, 2 Rue Saint Georges, tel. 04 78 37 60 02).
Les Lyonnais is barely a block off the Rue du Bœuf action, making it a bit quieter. Its lighthearted interior has rich colors, wood tables, and a photo gallery of loyal customers. Sincere Stéphane runs the place with grace (good €25 menu with salade lyonnaise and quenelles, fine and filling €14 salads, closed Mon, small terrace, 1 Rue Tramassac, tel. 04 78 37 64 82, http://restaurant-lyonnais.com).
Les Retrouvailles serves tasty but less traditional Lyonnaise cuisine in a charming setting under wood-beam ceilings with an open kitchen. Tables are grouped around a central buffet displaying delectable desserts that inspire diners to eat their vegetables. Here your dining experience is carefully managed by adorable owners Pierre (le chef) and Odile (€26 and €32 four-course menus, indoor dining only, dinner only, closed Sun evening, 38 Rue du Bœuf, tel. 04 78 42 68 84).
Les Adrets is where bouchon meets beer hall. This linear, heavy-beamed place, lined with velvet booths and cheery lights, is crammed with a lively crowd enjoying good-value Lyonnaise cuisine (€27-45 menus, €18 lunch menu, indoor dining only, closed Sat-Sun and Aug, reservations recommended, 30 Rue du Bœuf, tel. 04 78 38 24 30).
Restaurant Panoramique de Fourvière, atop Fourvière Hill with a spectacular view overlooking Lyon, serves fine traditional cuisine in a superb setting. Choose from the modern interior or the better, leafy terrace, both with views. Reserve well ahead for a view table (evening menus from €28, €10 lunch plat du jour, daily until 22:00, 9 Place de Fourvière, near Notre-Dame Basilica—see map on here, tel. 04 78 25 21 15, www.restaurant-fourviere.fr).
Bistrot de St. Jean is a time-warp place with an old-school owner and cheap prices serving basic cuisine. It’s cheerfully located on a leafy square with fun seating outside. Bring Gérald a pin to add to his collection (€11 plat du jour, closed Sun evening and all day Mon, 3 Place du Petit Collège, tel. 04 78 37 15 81).
Ice Cream: Nardone René Glacier, with pleasant outdoor seating on the river near Place du Change, serves up Lyon’s best ice cream, made fresh daily next door. Ask Armelle about her peanut ice cream (May-Sept daily 8:30-24:00, off-season 9:00-20:00, 3 Place Ennemond Fousseret).
The pedestrian Rue Mercière is the epicenter of bouchons on the Presqu’île. Along this street, an entertaining cancan of restaurants stretches four blocks from Place des Jacobins to Rue Grenette. Enjoy surveying the scene and choose whichever eatery appeals. All of these restaurants appear on the map on here.
(See “Vieux Lyon & Presqu’île” map, here.)
Bistrot à Tartines is a young and fun place for nontraditional cuisine offered at unbeatable prices by a friendly staff. The interior, which feels like an antique general store, has good seating inside and out. Meals are served all day (€7 tartines, killer €4 desserts, daily, 2 Rue de la Monnaie, tel. 04 78 37 70 85).
Bistrot de Lyon feels très touristy but still bustles with authentic Lyonnaise atmosphere and reliable cuisine. It must be famed chef-owner Jean-Paul Lacombe’s least expensive establishment (€21 quenelles, €13 salade lyonnaise, limited-selection menus from €24, open daily, 64 Rue Mercière, tel. 04 78 38 47 47).
(See “Vieux Lyon & Presqu’île” map, here.)
La Francotte is a good if slightly pricey choice with a warm interior, a solid zinc-topped bar, and fine outdoor seating on Place des Célestins. Try the excellent fish dishes or anything served with their mouthwatering roasted garlic potatoes (menus from €24, closed Sun-Mon, near many recommended hotels at 8 Place des Célestins, tel. 04 78 37 38 64, www.francotte.fr).
(See “Vieux Lyon & Presqu’île” map, here.)
Archange is a softly lit, white-tablecloth place accommodating 26 happy diners, all eager to sample the popular chef’s creations that infuse a hint of Asian influence with refined French cuisine. Ask your hotelier to book your table ahead (€30 menus, dinner only, closed Mon, near Place des Terreaux at 6 Rue Hippolyte Flandrin, tel. 04 78 28 32 26, www.archangecafe.com).
Brasserie le Sud is one of four places in Lyon where you can sample legendary chef Paul Bocuse’s cuisine at affordable prices. His brasseries feature international cuisine from different corners of the world (each named for the corner it represents—north, south, east, and west). Le Sud is the most accessible, with a Mediterranean feel inside and out, but less easygoing service than you’ll find at my other recommended restaurants (€27 menu, higher prices on Sun, reasonably priced plats, daily, reservations recommended, 11 Place Antonin-Poncet, a few blocks off Place Bellecour, tel. 04 72 77 80 00, www.nordsudbrasseries.com).
After Paris, Lyon is France’s most important rail hub. Train travelers find this gateway to the Alps, Provence, the Riviera, and Burgundy an easy stopover. And now the Eurostar connects Lyon with London in a little over five hours. Two main train stations serve Lyon: Part-Dieu and Perrache. Most trains officially depart from Part-Dieu, though many also stop at Perrache, and trains run between the stations (service can be infrequent). Double-check which station your train departs from.
From Lyon by Train to: Paris (at least hourly, 2 hours), Annecy (10/day, 2 hours, some by bus), Chamonix (6/day, 4 hours, most change at St-Gervais), Strasbourg (7/day, 4 hours), Dijon (hourly, 2 hours), Beaune (at least hourly, 2 hours), Avignon (22/day; 12 to TGV Station in 70 minutes, 10 to center station in 2 hours), Arles (14/day, 2.5-3.5 hours, most change in Avignon, Marseille, or Nîmes), Nice (6/day, 4.5 hours), Carcassonne (4/day, 4 hours), Venice (2/day, 9 hours, change in Turin), Rome (3/day, 9.5 hours, change in Milan or Turin), Florence (4/day, 8-12 hours), Geneva (8/day, 2 hours), Barcelona (1/day direct, 5 hours, more with change in Perpignan, Narbonne, or Valence), London (1/day “direct” but border check at Lille, 5.5 hours on Eurostar, more with easy change in Lille).
The Rhône Valley is the narrow part of the hourglass that links the areas of Provence and Burgundy. The region is bordered to the west by the soft hills of the Massif Central, and with the rolling foothills of the Alps just to the east, it’s the gateway to the high Alps (the region is called Rhône-Alpes). The mighty Rhône River rumbles through the valley from its origin in the Swiss Alps to its outlet 500 miles away in the Mediterranean near Arles.
Vineyards blanket the western side of the Rhône Valley, from those of the Beaujolais just north of Lyon to the steep slopes of Tain-Hermitage below Lyon. On the eastern side of the river and closer to Avignon are the vineyards of the famous Côtes du Rhône.
The Rhône Valley has always provided the path of least resistance for access from the Mediterranean to northern Europe, and today, Roman ruins litter the valley between Lyon and Orange.
Between Mâcon (near Cluny) and Lyon, the Beaujolais region makes for an appealing detour, thanks to its beautiful vineyards and villages and easygoing wine tasting (for more on Beaujolais wines, see here).
The Beaujolais wine road starts 45 minutes north of Lyon and runs from Villefranche-sur-Saône to Mâcon. The Route du Beaujolais winds up, down, and around the hills just west of the A-6 autoroute and passes through Beaujolais’ most important villages: Chiroubles, Fleurie, Chénas, and Juliénas. Look for Route du Beaujolais signs, and expect to get lost more than a few times (Lyon’s TI has a route map, and you can check there for more information).
Along the wine route, you’ll pass Moulin à Vent’s famous vineyards and see its trademark windmill. You’ll enter the Mâconnais wine region and pass signs to the famous villages of Pouilly and Fuissé as you near Mâcon. Trains running between Lyon and Mâcon stop at several wine villages, including Romanèche-Thorins (described next; 6 trains/day from Lyon). While Villefranche-sur-Saône may be the Beaujolais capital, it’s a big, unappealing city that’s best avoided. Focus your time on the small villages, and look for dégustation (tasting) signs.
For a high-priced but thorough introduction to this region’s wines, visit Le Hameau Dubœuf in Romanèche-Thorins. The king of Beaujolais, Georges Dubœuf, has constructed a Disney-esque introduction to wine at his museum, which immerses you in the life of a winemaker and features impressive models, exhibits, films, and videos. You’ll be escorted from the beginning of the vine to present-day winemaking, with a focus on Beaujolais wines. It also has a lovely garden with fragrant flowers, fruits, herbs, and spices that represent the rich aromas present in wine (€19, keep receipt for discount if you intend to visit the Abbey of Cluny—see here, includes a small tasting, free English headphones and a petit train ride, plan to spend half a day, daily 10:00-18:00; in Romanèche-Thorins, follow signs labeled Le Hameau Dubœuf from D-306, then La Gare signs, and look for the old train-station-turned-winery; tel. 03 85 35 22 22, www.hameauduboeuf.com).