About Lyon
Lyon is France’s second most populous city, situated in the east of the country in the Rhone Alpes region. Established by the Romans in 43 BC and situated at the confluence of the Rivers Saône and Rhone, it became an important trading city between the North of Europe and Italy in the Middle Ages. Later Lyon became the capital of the French silk weaving industry. Situated between the wine growing areas of Beaujolais, Burgundy, and Cotes du Rhone, there is an abundance of quality wines available as well top-quality cuisine for which it is rightly famous. The old city is a UNESCO world heritage site and along with modern buildings such as the Confluences Museum of Sciences and Anthropology, Lyon makes for a fascinating and exciting place to visit.
Getting to Lyon
Lyon Saint Exupéry airport lies 20 km to the east of the city and the public transport transfer to the city centre is by Rhonexpress shuttle tram. The journey takes you to Part Dieu railway station for 10€ and takes about 30 minutes. The airport also has its own railway station for TGV services to Paris, Strasbourg and Marseille.
All TGV services (including the Eurostar) come into Part Dieu railway station which is the busiest station in Lyon. Also, you can connect to the metro and tram networks here. Check out Airinme trains in Europe search to see all relevant options.
By car, Paris is 4.5 hrs away (via A6), Marseille is 3 hrs away (via A7) and you can reach Geneva in under 2 hrs (A42 / 40).
The hotel, Ibis Perrache (28 Cours de Verdun, Perrache) was just a few metres from the Lyon Perrache station in the centre of the city. The trip from the airport was by tram to Part Dieu then train to Perrache. There are 8 reasonably priced hotels in this area.
The Brasserie Georges (30 Cours de Verdun, Perrache) A beautiful Art Deco restaurant founded in 1836 and right next to the hotel. A famous brasserie visited by the like of Ernest Hemingway, Jean- Paul Sartre and what appears to be most of the residents of Lyon! Craft beer and a varied menu are served by smart waiters in quick time. The main dining room is huge, and the atmosphere is buzzing.
King Arthur Pub (10 Rue de Monnaie) A sister pub to the George and Dragon in Toulouse, owned by Charles Wells. Nice place for a drink and a taste of England in France!
Over the Pont Bonaparte and River Saône and into the Old City and historical area to the west:
Saint Jean Baptiste Cathedral (Place Saint-Jean) An impressive 12th century medieval cathedral with a 14th century astronomical clock. Another one of France’s beautiful cathedrals. There is a metro station close by (Vieux Lyon – Cathédrale Saint Jean) and the station for the funicular railway to Fourvière.
On arriving at Fourvière station, you will see the hilltop Basilica of Notre Dame (8 Place de Fourvière). A magnificent 19th century basilica in white stone, it bears a resemblance to Sacre Coeur in Paris. With views over the city from one of the four octagonal towers. Should you decide to walk up the hill, the path is steep but there are benches to take a seat and take in the city view.
Gallo-Roman Museum (17 Rue Cleberg) Just along the road from Fourvière is a hillside museum displaying antiquities from the Roman city of Lugdunham (the ancient capital of Gaul). Built over 5 floors and into the hillside, there are artefacts, not only from the site in Lyon but also Saint Romain en Gal and Vienne. It also overlooks the Théâtre Gallo Romain (Rue de l’Antiquaille), a superb amphitheatre which is today used for various festivals and concerts.
After coming back down the hill, time for some refreshment at Le Basilik (9 Rue Pierre Marion). However, it was after 2.30pm so was shut. A pity because there are some fine views from the terrace over the city. In fact, most restaurants close until evening and bars open at around 6pm, so it was a visit to the ubiquitous Irish pub! Jonny’s Kitchen (48 Rue Saint Georges) was open and serving. There are pavement tables as well as the traditional Irish pub look of a worn wooden bar and ceiling. The menu was mainly burgers, but they were tasty and reasonably priced (13€). There were 12 draught beers and 15 bottled beers. There is also live music at weekends.
Heading back over the river to the Place Bellecour, a huge square in the centre of the city. There are high end shops all around and the Tourist Information Centre is situated here. 1 km north of the Place is Lyon Fine Arts Museum (20 Place des Terreaux). Built inside a former abbey, there are paintings by Picasso and Rubens as well as classical antiquities. If it all gets too much, there is a courtyard to sit and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Le Bistrot de Lyon (64 Rue Mercière) is a restaurant I would like to have visited as it is built and decorated very much in the Art Nouveau style and the food is a perfect example of Lyon gastronomy. However, I was heading south back down to the hotel when I realised, I had not been to a brewery.
Fortunately, 10 mins from the hotel, through the station was Platypus Brewpub (32 Cours Charlemagne). It was open as it was after 5pm and there was the usual brewpub atmosphere. 9 draught beers and a selection of bottles. Snacks (cheese and cold cuts) and boardgames were on hand, reminded me a lot of Brewdog in Glasgow. There is live music one night each week and Happy Hour is 5pm - 9pm when it gets busy. A good bar away from the centre of town.
So that was a visit to Lyon, only a brief look at what is a fascinating city of culture and cuisine. With excellent transport links and a wide range of accommodation, there is no reason not to visit.
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