Lyon

Lyon has always been a city close to my heart, for I lived here when I was aged 13 for eight months, a period that came to define me and my independence.  These eight months certainly weren’t always easy, the Lyonnais are famous even amongst the French for being aloof and distant; and in some ways the grand and imposing architecture of the city, and the vastness of its roads and squares reflects this fact.  With two rivers running through its centre, the Rhône and the Sôane, and an imposing Basilica perched atop a hill casting its presence over the city, this is a beautiful city worth discovering.

Lyon is worthy in its own right of a long weekend.  It has a beautiful old town, a beautiful new town and numerous museums to explore, not to mention it is a city famous for its gastronomic prowess.  However, sitting just below Burgundy, in the midst of the Beaujolais and acting as the gateway to the Rhône, it is also worth combining these areas and planning a true food and wine holiday that will not disappoint, my post on ‘Burgundy and the Beaujolais’ will go further into detail about these wonderful regions.

Being a business city there are the usual chain hotels here, as well the old town hosting some upmarket hotels which utilise the traditional architecture of this area to create luxurious and beautifully designed spaces.  However, my favourite hotel is the ‘Hotel Carlton’  Renovated in 2013 they chose red as their primary colour and certainly went to town with it, the result being a modern yet classic hotel, (with the original wrought iron lift still in place) and bold and striking decor with all the finishing touches you would want.  The bathrooms are clean, spacious, bright and fresh with towelling robes and toiletries, some with baths.  The rooms again are red, but they are still cosy and inviting and the beds are sumptuously comfortable with warm duvets allowing you a cosy nights sleep; the superior rooms are spacious and come with a nespresso machine.

The hotel retains the feel of a chain, it has 80 rooms and the staff are efficient and friendly, but the warmth of the decor and the luxurious comfort set it apart from a normal chain hotel.  The bar is entered through some velvet curtains, and velvet chairs and banquettes await you as well as a decent choice of drinks.  Ending the evening in here feels both relaxing and slightly decadent.

Its excellent location is over the river from the old town, and is only a five minute walk to place bellecour or the opera house, and the metro stop is a five minute walk.  Handily placed in the middle of the main shopping district you will not have to walk far to discover all the nearby designer shops, the main department store and Rue Mercière, with its plethora of bars and restaurants.

Prices start from €150 for a cozy room with advanced booking, on average prices tend to range from €190 upwards.

Things to do

There are so many thing to do in Lyon that it’s hard to know where to start, the city and its size lends itself perfectly to strolling about, especially the old town and this is an area worth exploring both during the day and at night, due to the large quantity of bars and restaurants here.

Traboules

Lyon’s old town is famous primarily for its ‘traboules’; small narrow passageways leading into beautiful, tall and often tiny courtyards.  These passageways were originally used by silk merchants in the 4th century, allowing them to transport their goods to the river easily (the complex angles and narrowness of the passages allowing protection from bad weather).  Wandering around the streets of the old town you will find yourself stumbling across a few, but a great many belong to private properties or can be difficult to find, so if this is something that catches your interest then I would suggest a walking tour.  The tourist office on Place Bellecour (open 9am-6pm all week) can provide you with maps for a self-guided tour, and they also offer guided walking tours , online booking is available with many different tour types to choose from, some are in French only so double check before booking. Prices start at €10, concessions €5.

Fourvière

Fourvière is the hilly area rising up behind the Old Town, upon which sits the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, which can be visited either by funiculaire (rather fun!) or on foot (lots of steps!).  Both are enjoyable ways of reaching the top, and if you’re not feeling up to the masses of stairs that lead up then the best way is to catch the funicular from the Old Town metro station, and then walk down, you will find the views of Lyon quite spectacular.

After exploring the Old Town I would suggest heading over the river, crossing the pedestrian bridge ‘passerelle du Palais de Justice’ will allow you see the impressive Palais de Justice, as well as stop for photos on the bridge which has an impressive view along the river as well as of Fourvière. After crossing the bridge you will also find that this is the boarding point for the many river boats tours that are on offer, and are well worth taking as they offer a relaxing and alternative viewpoint of Lyon, as well as a fascinating description of the rich history that lies behind this city. Tickets can be bought online or at the ticket stand.

There is also a boat tour (departs at 2pm) offered to the newly opened ‘Musée Des Confluences’, a highly recommended visit.  This is a museum of science and anthropology, exhibitions focused on evolution and the big bang theory, with temporary supporting exhibitions on offer as well.  The museum is housed in a crazily shaped steel and glass structure, and this alone is worth a look. Entry €9.

Having crossed to the other side of the river you will find yourself in the ‘Terreaux’ area of Lyon, an area which houses the ‘Musée des Beaux-Arts’, host to collections dating from Egyptian times through to modern day, as well as an interesting range of temporary exhibitions. Entry is €12 for both the temporary and permanent collections.

From Terreaux you can wander the streets, discovering en route some interesting independent boutiques as well as lots of comic stores, ending in Place des Jacobins, a beautiful roundabout with many streets leading from it, and you will find all but a couple of these streets are full of shops, starting from mid to high end prices, reaching up to the usual designer shops found in most major cities.  Get your credit card ready because there are some gorgeous shops here to while away your time in.  The two streets Rue Emile Zola and Rue Gasparin lead to Place Bellecour, one of the largest open squares in Europe covered in the local red sand ‘gorrhe‘; surrounded by beautifully imposing buildings this is square that has to be visited.  Heading north from the square is Rue Victor Hugo, where you will find more high street style shops.

Textiles

Lyon’s reputation as a industrial city was born in the 1800s, when its silk and textile industry flourished and was revived by the inventions of modern machinery during the industrial revolution.  After this Lyon became one of the leading capitals in silk production and design, and the ‘Musée des tissus’ is a celebration of this history.  With textile collections spanning 2000 years, it offers a fascinating insight into the history of textiles and Lyon’s part in textile production. The surrounding area is also home to a great many small antique shops which makes for interesting browsing. Entry €10

Eating

Famous for its culinary expertise, Lyon’s reputation as the gastronomic capital draws people from far and wide to this city.  The traditional restaurants are called ‘Bouchons’, (small taverns originally created to feed the silk workers) these are small, wonderfully atmospheric eateries where you will find high quality local fare.  However, be warned, the food is very particular and not always to everyone’s liking, and you will find only the traditional offerings in these restaurants.  Expect to see offal based food, livers, calf’s feet, calf’s head, sweetbreads, pig’s trotters, oxtail, tripe…personally this is not my kind of cuisine and so I have never actually eaten in a bouchon, which is a shame as when you walk past them it is almost like peeking into someone’s living room, and they are always jam packed full of people so perhaps it is only me that is put off by this kind of food!

Finding a bouchon to eat is isn’t difficult as they are everywhere, but if you head up to the Croix-Rousse neighbourhood (take the metro) which is on a hill above Lyon you will find lots of really authentic bouchons, full of the locals tucking in heartedly to their calves heads.  A convivial little neighbourhood, born once again from the silk industry when more housing was needed for the workers,  it is not as beautiful as the centre but is it very authentic and popular with the Lyonnais, and on a Saturday there is a fabulous street market on Boulevard de la Croix, if you don’t come here for an evening meal then it’s worth perusing the market before settling down in a traditional restaurant with a nice glass of Beaujolais.

If you are looking for a more relaxing evening out, without the small, homely intensity of a bouchon there is still lots to offer.  Rue Mercière just near the river and Place des Jacobins is a street consisting entirely of bars and restaurants and you will be spoilt for choice.

Restaurants

• L’Antigny – 15 Rue Chariot d’Or, Croix-Rousse- Offering a tasting menu (menu degustation) of five small courses for €36, not a traditional bouchon but offering a more modern decor and approach. Booking advisable.
• Bonsoir Clara – 7 Rue Chariot d’Or, Croix-Rousse, +33 4 78 39 04 55 – Modern and airy wine bar offering simple meat and cheese platters, offers a nice relaxed atmosphere.
• Bouchon Le Jura – 25 Rue Tupin – Centrally located between Bellecour and Cordeliers this is a traditional bouchon offering all the local specialities at a high level.  Small and intimate, it offers you the authentic experience. Booking necessary.
• La tête de lard – 13 Rue Désirée – I think the name alone makes this worth visit, and true to its title this is a traditional bouchon. Near the Opera House which is worth a look at, this is small, old fashioned and authentic, it is run by a young chef carrying on the traditions of his father who assists in the running of the restaurant. Booking advisable.
• Pléthore et Balthazar – 72 Rue Merciére – Gorgeously modern and decadent black and white chequered decor, this place has an upmarket and trendy vibe.  Dishes are a mix of French and Italian and they have an excellent wine list.  Wines by the glass come in  tasting measures also, which means you can try out a few expensive wines if you desire.  Booking advisable.
• Le Centre brasserie – 14 Rue Grolée – Attached to the Hotel Carlton, this brasserie continues with the red theme and creates an intimate and modern brasserie, with fresh white tableclothes and a high ceiling.  Sitting at the more expensive end of the scale, although with some good set menu options, the food is exceptional.  I quite honestly had the best steak of my life here.  Booking advisable.

Lunchtime

If you’re feeling a little weighed down by the all the food, and you just want a casual light lunch then I would recommend one of my favourite cafes in Lyon.

A culinary bookshop on the Place Bellecour, ‘In Cuisine‘  also has a few tables nestled between all the cook books and wine guides, with a larger seating area extending into the back. This is a great place for gift buying as they have a few small cooking gadgets and utensils for sale too, and I managed to get quite a few interesting Christmas present whilst I was here.  The food is simple but light and tasty, and they do a really good value set menu at lunch time (€13.50 for three courses),  the atmosphere is nice and relaxed and they have a vegetarian option which is always a rarity in France!

• In cuisine – 1 Place Bellecour 
• Pain & Cie – 13 Rue des Quatre Chapeaux – Casual lunchtime cafe, with large wooden communal tables as well as small tables for two.  Offering plentiful breakfasts with an assortment of breads and jams, their lunchtime offerings consist of large, fresh salads or sandwiches as well as meals of the day which are normally hot dishes.
• Slake coffee house – nice casual coffee house/cafe offering sandwiches and the opportunity to sit in a bathtub couch, this is the perfect place to while away a few hours in.

 

 

Alternative accommodation

Cour des Loges, Vieux Lyon – housed in a beautiful old red building in the middle of the Old Town, this hotel has a gorgeous central courtyard in the middle which is quite spectacular.  I originally stayed here about ten years ago and it was magnificent, a 5* hotel with Phillip Starck designed rooms, it was pure luxury.  However, having returned again last year I do feel some of the rooms are in definite need of updating.  The larger rooms are still ok, but the small rooms are completely impractical with a bath in the middle of the room, and the bed on a mezzanine which is only accessible by a narrow staircase, leaving the feeling of being in a ship’s cabin.  However, the hotel has a nice terrace off some rooms, a lovely bar area as well as a small exercise pool to float about in and a fitness room.  I think it is now a little overpriced, but they sometimes have offers on, in which case it is well worth the stay, just don’t book the small mezzanine room! Classic room prices start          from €250, suites start from €480

Mercure Part Dieu – Located next to the Part Dieu train station and shopping mall, the area at night has nothing to offer but booked well in advance this hotel sometimes does some really good deals, and it can be convenient if you are passing through by train.  It is a typical Mecure 4*, clean and simple but it has a nice casual restaurant, which offers some tasty food.  Rooms start from €87.