11 Great Things to do in Lyon France
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist
This is a good chance to learn more about Lyon, France. Lyon has two great rivers running through it. They are the Rhône and the Saône Rivers.
Lyon is known as the gastronomic capital of France, has Roman ruins and a very good old town. The historic section of town is known as Vieux Lyon (“Old Lyon”). The Old Town is on the Saône River.
Lyon is fun, we really enjoyed the old town area and its narrow streets and colorful bouchons (small bistros) with their trademark red and white checkered table cloths.
So, let’s explore together and find 11 great things to do in Lyon.
Saône.River view of the old town area
3 River Cruise ships on the Rhône River.
Notre-Dame Basilica—ornate church built in 1872 as a tribute to the Virgin Mary on the orders of the bishop of Lyon for sparing the city of Lyon during the Prussian-Franco War. Free. Located on Fourviere Hill above the old town. Here are 2 pictures:
Roman Theaters and Gallo-Roman Museum—there are 2 ancient Roman theatres here along with excellent artifacts from the Roman time in Lyon. Among the highlights is a bronze chariot from 7th century BC. Good explanations of exhibits in English. Closed Monday. Admission charge. (www.musees-gallo-romains.com) Located on the Fourviere Hill above the old town—there is a funicular to get up the steep hill.
The Old Town
The best thing to do is just wander around. Here are 3 pictures—showing the winding streets and lanes. The second picture is what moving day looks like in the old town.
Shopping—shop in Vieux Lyon. Lyon is renowned throughout Europe for silk, especially silk scarves.
St. Jean Cathedral—has a 700 year old astronomical clock. This cathedral was built between the 12th and the 15th centuries, and its exceptional stained-glass windows date from the same era. Its apse is a masterpiece of Lyonnais Romanesque architecture. A highlight is the Flamboyant Gothic chapel of the Bourbons. On the front portals are medallions depicting the signs of the zodiac, the Creation, and the life of St. John. Located in Vieux Lyon.
Traboules—these serpentine passageways were shortcuts that linked the old town’s 3 main streets. Wandering these paths will allow you to discover courtyards, lovely loggias (covered walkways open on one side) and arches.
Museums and Workshops
Atelier de la Solerie—workshop demonstrating handmade silk printing and screen printing. Free. Closed Sunday.
Museum of Fine Arts--The former Benedictine abbey was built between 1659 and 1685 in the Italian baroque style. Today, it is home to the Musée des Beaux-Arts, which has an outstanding collection of paintings and sculpture. Closed Tuesdays. Admission charge. Metro Stop Hotel de Ville. (www.maire-lyon.fr)
Museum of Fabrics and Decorative Arts--In the 1739 Lacroix-Laval mansion by Soufflot (architect of the Panthéon in Paris), the Musée des Arts-Décoratifs contains furniture and objets d'art from the 17th and 18th centuries. The medieval and Renaissance periods are also represented. Closed Mondays. Admission charge. Metro stop Bellecour. (www.musee-des-tissus.com)
Resistance and Deportation History Center—this museum has displays and videos telling the story of the French Resistance. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Admission charge. Metro stop Jean Mace, turn right on avenue Berthelot and walk 5 blocks.
Lumiere Museum--Film buffs from all over the world come here. The famous Lumière family, including Antoine (1840-1911), Auguste (1862-1954), and Louis (1864-1948), once lived in Lyon. The brothers were chemists, industrialists, and motion-picture pioneers. In Lyon, they founded a factory for producing photographic plates, paper, and chemicals. They invented the Lumière process of color photography and the Cinématographe, an early motion picture camera, in 1895. Closed Monday. Admission charge. Metro stop Monplaisir-Lumiere on Metro D. (www.institut-lumiere.org)
Dining—Lyon is the gastronomical capital of France. Among the best options are bouchons (small bistros) often their red and white checker-squared tablecloths. Local specialties are plentiful and vary from the creamy cervelle de canut (fromage blanc with herbs) to salade Lyonnaise with greens, soft-boiled eggs, bacon cubes and croutons. Here are 2 pictures of bouchons and the most famous food market in Lyon:
One of the 70 stalls of Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse market place
Getting Around
If you are coming by TGV get off at the second station, Gare de Perrache (takes 2 hours from Paris).
A network of Métro lines, trams, and buses branch out to serve the city. A plan de poche (pocket map) is available at any office of TCL (tel. 08-20-42-70-00; www.tcl.fr), which handles all forms of mass transport. Tickets are valid on all forms of public transport, costing 1.60€ for the average ride or else 13€ for a carnet of 10 tickets. Most short-time visitors may want to purchase a Ticket Liberté day pass for 4.40€. For a cab, call Taxi Radio de Lyon at tel. 08-72-10-86-86).
Our Final Thoughts
Wow—what a great guide We have 50 guides for interesting cities in Europe.
We hope you enjoyed this report.
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ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.
HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
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