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TOP 10 REASONS
TOP 10 REASONS
TOP 10 REASONS
Why travel to Lyon: Find out the top 10 reasons to visit
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01
A SNEAK PEAK
A SNEAK PEAK
A SNEAK PEAK
A Sneak Peek into Lyon
- Lyon, the capital of the Rhone-Alpes region, which borders Switzerland and Italy, is one of the few places in France that depicts the country's vast history in vivid detail.
- Lyon's rich and varied history is on show in the city's ancient neighbourhoods, spared from significant natural and artificial tragedies throughout its 2,000-year history.
- From the Renaissance courtyards of Vieux Lyon to Fourvière hill, where the Romans first came in 43 B.C., each of Lyon's districts, or "arrondissements," gives visitors a unique experience.
- Because many of Lyon's major sites are illuminated at night, it is known as the Capital of Lights.
- Lyon is recognised as the centre of gastronomy and is home to some of the world's best chefs, providing travellers with yet another tasty reason to visit charming Lyon.
- Capital: Lyon
- International Airport: Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport (LYS)
- Population: 1,719,000
- Currency: Euro
- Time: GMT+1
- Driving side: Right
- Main Electricity: 230 V
- Official Language: French
- Religion: Roman Catholic
02
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
Top Tourist Attractions in Lyon
- You can go through one of Europe's most extensive Renaissance old quarters.
- The architectural features of Vieux Lyon and La Croix-Rousse Saône are unique to this city.
- The distinctive hill-top churches built in major French cities in the late nineteenth century include the Fourvière hill to the west of the capital.
- A massive 18th-century urban engineering project drained marshes and connected what was formerly an island with dry ground, creating Presqu'île.
03
SEASONS TO TRAVEL
SEASONS TO TRAVEL
SEASONS TO TRAVEL
Best Months to Visit Lyon
- Summers in the city are sunny and comfortable, with temperatures reaching around 35 degrees Celsius in July and August.
- Spring temps are pleasant, ranging from 10-15 degrees Celsius.
- Rainfall is at its peak in the fall, although Lyon still has pleasant weather.
- Lyon has frigid winters due to its proximity to the Alps.
- Even though Lyon's weather can be fickle, the best time to come is in the spring and early fall.
- To avoid the heat and crowds, June and September are the best months to visit.
- Spring showers are expected and predicted in Lyon, so bring a light umbrella.
- Lyon's climate is often mild and pleasant.
04
WORTH A VISIT
WORTH A VISIT
WORTH A VISIT
The Best Places to Visit in Lyon
Vieux Lyon Traboules
- Lyon is known for its "traboules," which are unique covered corridors built to preserve the delicate cloth from lousy weather while transported from one location to another.
- One of the city's longest traboules extends from Rue St-Jean to Rue du Boeuf in the Vieux Lyon area; however, several more are located across the city.
- The corridors, hidden behind unassuming doors, proved helpful during World War II by allowing inhabitants to flee Gestapo raids.
- Today, most traboules are on private land and serve as entrances to neighbourhood apartments.
- During daylight hours, tourists can access many traboules in Vieux Lyon by pressing a service button beside the door.
Fourviere Basilica
- The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, which dominates Lyon's "Hill of Prayer," the Fourvière, was built in the late 19th century to a design by architect Pierre Bossan.
- The church's architecture is remarkable in that it combines Byzantine and Romanesque elements.
- The basilica has a bell tower with a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary and four corner towers towering above the skyscraper.
- The church's upper sanctuary is decorated with mosaics and stained glass.
- Visitors can either ride the funicular from the Vieux Lyon metro station or walk up the problematic slope to the peak of Fourviere Hill.
Place des Terreaux
- The Place des Terreaux in the Presqu'île area, which dates back to the 13th century, has played an essential role in Lyon's history.
- The location was once part of a walled stronghold and was transformed into a city plaza in the 1600s.
- The centre square, which was the location of many guillotine beheadings during the French Revolution, is now bounded to the east by the Lyon City Hall and the Lyon Museum of Fine Arts to the south.
- A fountain designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the creator of the Statue of Liberty, may be found on the square's north side.
05
DISCOVER MORE
DISCOVER MORE
DISCOVER MORE
Lyon Off the Beaten Track
Rue St-Jean
- The Rue St-Jean, the main thoroughfare of the Vieux Lyon neighbourhood, was formerly the heart of the city's silk industry.
- Here, visitors will see some of the city's most beautiful Renaissance architecture and courtyards.
- Bouchons, restaurants that sprang up in the 19th century when cooks from aristocratic families struck out to form their establishments, occupy many of the exquisite residences and palaces erected for silk merchants and Lyon nobles.
- It's one of the greatest venues in Lyon to try regional specialities like dauphinois gratin and moutarde rognons.
Mur des Canuts
- This large mural, located on the Boulevard des Canuts in the Croix Rousse area, illustrates the neighbourhood's history, originally home to many silk weavers or canuts.
- The subjects depicted in the vast fresco, painted in the trompe-l'oeil manner, mix in flawlessly with their surroundings, challenging spectators to analyse the boundaries between art and reality.
- The giant mural in Europe, first painted in 1987 and altered multiple times to reflect changes to neighbouring structures, has become a significant tourist attraction in Lyon.
06
CULTURE & TRADITIONS
CULTURE & TRADITIONS
CULTURE & TRADITIONS
Lyon Culture and Traditions
- Then there are museums, which are vibrant living spaces dedicated to learning about and sharing diverse cultures and are exceptionally accommodating to the needs of many types of visitors.
- From Gallo-Roman culture to the sumptuous silk and textile adventure, from our local Guignol to all the other puppets in the world, from printing or the development of cinema to the historical narrative of the French Résistance, and from Fine Arts to Decorative Arts.
- Immerse yourself in Lyon's history and culture.
- The Lyon City Card covers all of the major museums and their temporary exhibitions.
- Additionally, the city's museums offer a variety of discussions, conferences, and artistic and cultural events.
07
FOOD FUN FASHION
FOOD FUN FASHION
FOOD FUN FASHION
Lyon: Food, Fun & Fashion Guide
Charcuterie and cheeses
#Food
- Lyon is also well-known for its charcuterie and cheeses.
- The Jésus, which is dried for at least eight weeks, and the Rosette de Lyon, produced from pork leg and presented in thick slices, are two of the most famous local cold cuts.
- The beautifully creamy Saint-Marcellin and Saint-Felicien, the brandy-soaked Epoisse, and the semi-hard and nearly sweet-tasting blue Fourme d'Ambert are also excellent local cheeses to try.
- The latter is one of France's oldest cheeses.
Poultry, fish, and meat dishes
#Food
- The poulet de Bresse, a solid and tasty chicken with its appélation controlée ("controlled designation of origin"), is a regular main in local Lyonnaise brasseries.
- A creamy mushroom sauce usually accompanies it.
- Another soft and tasty option is the quenelle de Brochet and a pike dumpling served with Nantua sauce produced with crayfish from the neighbouring Nantua lake.
- On the other hand, Salade lyonnaise is a simple lunchtime staple made with fresh lettuce, lardons, crispy croutons, and a poached egg.
- On the other hand, Lyon is the place to go if you want to sample meals like escargots à la Bourguignonne, which are snails in parsley and garlic butter sauce.
- The Mères' leftover-style cuisine carries on at Lyon's tiny bistros (or bouchons), where the tablier de sapeur is a must-try dish.
- This dish is made out of beef tripe that has been cooked in a court-bouillon, marinated in white wine, breaded, and then fried.
- It's commonly served with steamed potatoes and gribiche sauce, created from emulsified hard-boiled eggs, mustard, and chives.
Sweet snacks
#Food
- The coussins de Lyon are sure to please anyone with a sweet craving.
- Green marzipan bites in the shape of cushions filled with chocolate ganache.
- They can be found in bakeries and businesses all across the city.
- A more satisfying option is brioche aux pralines roses, a tempting buttery nibble coated with vivid pink sugar crumbs.
- The bugne, Lyon's variation on the doughnut, is another beautiful sweet treat.
- This may be found at almost all bakeries and patisseries in the city.
Pôle de Commerces et de Loisirs Confluence
#Fashion
- The Confluence trading and leisure complex, located halfway between the rivers Saône and Rhône, on the point of Lyon's peninsula and in the heart of the new Confluence district, has three levels dedicated to shopping and new generation leisure activities.
- A UGC movie theatre with 14 movie theatres, a Novotel hotel with 150 rooms, 75 stores dealing in fashion, decorating, sport, and culture, 15 restaurants, 10 of which have a panoramic terrace overlooking the banks of the Saône, a UGC movie theatre with 14 movie theatres, and many unusual leisure areas to enjoy with friends or family: a play centre, climbing wall, and fitness club
- The Confluence shopping and leisure complex represents a new breed of the shopping centre that prioritises relaxation and well-being.
- This one-of-a-kind architecture by Jean-Paul Viguier, with its massive translucent roof that uses natural light.
- Confluence is your new destination for a unique shopping experience that will leave you speechless!
Le Pal - Theme Park and Animal Park
#Fun
- Le PAL is a one-of-a-kind amusement and wildlife park located in the charming town of Saint-Pourçain-Sur-Besbre, in the heart of the Allier department (Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region), where it opened about fifty years ago.
- On 35 hectares of land, no fewer than 700 animals representing nearly 100 different species live in semi-freedom (out of a total surface area of 50 hectares).
- With birds of prey, penguins, parrots, zebras, monkeys, hippos, alligators, stately felines, and more, you're sure to discover one of your family's favourite creatures among them.
- The zoo has also welcomed some newcomers: a wolf pack consisting of three males and four females.
- This diverse fauna will astonish children and, be honest, adults!
08
NATURE & SAFARI
NATURE & SAFARI
NATURE & SAFARI
Lyon: Natural Beauty & Safari Adventures
- The Parc de la Cerisarie was designed in 1913 and sold to the city 60 years later.
- It was formerly part of the Gillet family's property.
- A big house was built in the park's centre, home to the Villa Gillet cultural institution.
- With its lush lawns, playgrounds, workout spaces, sculpture path, and even a vineyard, the park is now a popular destination for Lyon residents and visitors.
- The Parc de la Tete d'Or, France's largest urban park, is a favourite holiday destination for families, runners, and bikers.
- A carousel, a tiny zoo, a miniature railway, and a puppet theatre are among the park's attractions for children, and there are also several sports facilities on the grounds.
- Boating, waterside picnics, and picturesque walks along the coastline are possibilities on a lake.
- The Jardin Botanique de Lyon, which boasts magnificent 19th-century greenhouses filled with a wide selection of tropical plants, including century-old camellias, carnivorous plants, and Amazon water lilies, is the park's highlight for tourists.
09
EVENTS & FIESTAS
EVENTS & FIESTAS
EVENTS & FIESTAS
Lyon Must-Attend Festivals and Events
- The Lumière Festival was founded in 2009 to honour and revive older, historical cinema.
- It takes place every year in October, and it has always lasted nine days since 2016.
- Film screenings, award ceremonies, and various other events take place across Lyon.
- The Lyon Auditorium, the Congress Center, the Célestins theatre, the Lumière Institute, and, most crucially, the Halle Tony Garnier, where the festival's opening and closing evenings are held, are among these venues.
- The festival features retrospectives to honour great filmmakers who have made and continue to make history, screenings (nearly 400 in total), restored films projected in some of the world's most opulent theatres, visitors (directors, producers, actors, screenwriters, music composers), and tributes.
- Lyon's most famous festival, the "Fête des Lumières," attracts 3 million tourists to see the illuminations and evening light shows in December.
- On December 8, 1852, the Catholic populace established a tradition of lighting candles on windowsills to honour the Virgin Mary.
- Locals still light their windows, but Lyon's historic districts have become a popular haunt for contemporary light artists.
FAQs to Plan Your Best Lyon Holiday
Places similar to Lyon to visit
Places similar to Lyon to visit
Places similar to Lyon to visit