France

France’s Historic Second City and Gourmet Capital Lyon is the number two city of France and on a recent visit to France proved was a revelation. It has many interesting sights to see, great food / gastronomy, magnificent buildings, massive rivers in a city that will not disappoint. Lyon dates back to the Roman and early Christian period. Situated on two major rivers, the Rhone and the Saone, if you remember from your school geography lessons. Today it is a bustling thriving city of 1.5 million people, much the size of Dublin but with many lessons for here. Lyon is an excellent stop over between Paris and the North, a half way point to the south and its sunnier climes of the Riviera. We were heading south on a brief road trip in the past, but never made the city centre. Old Lyon or “Vieux Lyon” was a revelation. A friend from Lyon but based in Waterford, Laurent, gave me some useful tips in advance. He said focus on the old parts but also check out the modern side and its great culinary heritage. We were there in 2024 and suggest it for 2026. Getting There & Around Lyon is well served with transport but the airport is far out of town. Some helpful locals at the airport explained the best way to the city via local bus to tram way and then onto the city centre via lines to the main station. A local Moroccan working as a building engineer made sure we made the right connections and was most obliging as we made tracks for our city centre hotel near the main Perrache station. Across the main river Saone, a tram link on the other side proved useful to visit the local market, Les Halles, where good fresh food awaited. Old Lyon – Vieux Lyon It was then onto “Vieux Lyon” on what was becoming a nice sunny day. A chat and snack saw some more options. Bellecour is a fine place to start too with its wide open square and main focus for shopping, where the FNAC shop overlooks the square. There is a great impression of the city’s prestige and wealth here, tourism office close by and various downtown hotels. It is a 15-minute walk or short tram ride. Paris looks splendid but Lyon gives it a strong impression too with facelifts and regeneration. Old Lyon attracts many tourists but is not overbearing in June, early in the tourist season. See the Iris Galerie, art on eyes and health. A miniature is also an attraction, many interesting points near Place de la Basoche. We sat on an open square under the Jean Baptiste sculpture and took it all in, as it faced the main cathedral of the same name. The fountain had flowing water and a local guy just dashed along to cool off from the water, provoking conversation with nearby locals as he made a bow for his genuine effort, offering a welcome smile and bow (Metro Vieux Lyon). It was a nice introduction again to this impressive city. Along the streets of Vieux Lyon, browsing interesting shops and restaurants, thus finding possibilities for the next day. Guided Tours & Architecture The local tourist office has city tours at 10am daily, given by Laurence. She had great knowledge of the Roman origins and can show you, walking through the city, the incredible Lyon architecture and restoration of older buildings to make them now a tourist attraction with expert guidance. Various tax incentives and local supports encouraged this process. We need to send some Irish urban planners here and see good practice. The quality was superior to our standards but they had great heritage buildings to restore. Local stonemasons and builders have great expertise in this work, restoring residences of four to five storeys high in multi-apartment dwellings over shops and inner courtyards. The thick walls are great in summer heat with shuttered windows. There are apps for such tours also and puzzles. Rivers, Hills & Views The river walks are splendid and give a sense of importance to these great rivers. Other tips from locals are on the edge of the city’s hills or “Colline de Fourvière”. The Esplanade de Fourvière is very impressive. We were recommended to see the river and try some of the boat tours, the food market Les Halles, and the bouchon restaurant area near Bellecour. Bellecour is a fabulous square in the centre of the city, a great meeting place and also the location for the main tourist office. Near access to the rivers of Saone and Rhone and the great bridges, we were recommended to visit an amazing hotel transformed from its previous existence as a hospital. Fabulous job and open to the public for drinks and outdoor dining in the courtyard. This is now known as the Grand Hôtel-Dieu. Locals love it as they remember it from the hospital era. Silk, Fashion & Workers’ History Lyon as a city has tremendous heritage and fashion is another one. It was known as the French city of silk, a prize won by the Sun King Louis XIV as they battled with the Venetians and Italians over trade openings. Venice gave its silk secret to Lyon as part of a deal. Croix Rousse is the area for silk and an old silk artisan building is still operational for visitors to watch and buy silk. Some small artisans still use it but most production is now in Asia. Lyon still has a sense of style but also a cosmopolitan flavour with many nationalities, some from former colonies in Africa and the Caribbean. In the 1830s there were riots and deaths as workers rebelled over wage regulation reductions, with police opening fire on strikers. Over a hundred died. They were called the Canuts and the story is explained at Maison des Canuts at Croix Rousse Metro, about 300 metres from the station. Music, Bars & Nightlife Vieux Lyon is a good location