Lyon. A brief introduction to the Rhône-Alpes’ largest city.
Lyon is the third largest city in France and home to well over a million people. It is situated half way between Clermont-Ferrand and Geneva, in the Region of Rhône-Alpes and is divided into 9 municipal arrondissements, much like Paris and Marseille.
You’ll find it easy to fly to Lyon, as the city has it’s own airport (Saint-Exupéry) which is just 12 miles to the east of the city centre. The airport handles both domestic and international flights and can be reached easily from the UK.
Lyon has a rich cultural and historical heritage, and has been recognised by UNESCO as a Wold Heritage Site.
The World Heritage.
Since Roman times, Lyon has been expanding east, so you’ll find a distinct structural change to the style of buildings as you work your way from west to east, starting in Fourvière and the Roman district. Here, you’ll find a Roman theatre from 15 B.C. and the Roman baths, together with the 15th Century Saint-Just church and the Saint-Just basilica dating from 1250 A.D. You’ll also be able to look at the Roman mausoleums and the church of Saint-Irénée with it’s crypt of the first Christian martyrs.
Moving east to the river Saone is the Renaissance district (Vieux-Lyon). Here you’ll find the Saint-Jean Cathedral, built from the 12th to 15th century, and vestiges of the Saint-Etienne and Saint Croix churches. There are also many buildings built between the 16th and 18th centuries, such as the Laurencin house with it’s 18th century façade and spiral staircase tower and the place du Gouvernement offices, home to the city councillors from 1512 to 1720 to name but a few.
Between the river Saone and the Rhone, is the Presqu’île area, which is home to buildings from the 14th to 19th centuries and the Place Bellecour, which houses a statue of Louis XIV. It was constructed from 1713 to 1738 and is a great shopping area as well as being home to many great works of architecture.
To the north of Presqu’île is the silk district, built up around the 17th century. Here you’ll find many buildings used by silk workers, such as the Condition des Soies which used to house the raw silk materials quality control authorities.
Theatre.
Lyon is home to many great theatres, not least of which is the Théâtre des Célestines that has been home to dramatic art for over two centuries. It is situated in the centre of Lyon and was completely renovated between 2003 and 2005. It consists of two theatres and has become one of the most successful Italian style theatres in Europe.
You’ll also find ‘Les Subsistances’ which is dedicated to dance, theatre and circus acts and it occupies the old Sainte-Maire des chaînes convent, built in the 17th century.
There’s also the thoroughly modern Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse which has contemporary performances under a glass dome roof, the ‘New Generation Theatre’ for family oriented shows and the Théâtre National Populaire in the centre of Villeurbanne which shows performances that will appeal to the general public.
Gastronomy.
Lyon is world-renowned for it’s cuisine. Traditional tastes dating back to the 16th century are still available today, complimenting the vast array of Michelin star restaurants all over the city.
A great proportion of Lyon’s produce is sourced locally, from farms in the Bresse and Charolais regions, fruit and vegetables from the Rhône valley, fish from the Savoy lakes and game from the Dombes. All this comes without even having mentioned the famous local wine regions of Beaujolais to the north and Cotes du Rhône to the south.
In fact, many of the (over 1000) local restaurants carry three coveted Michelin stars, but you’re just as likely to have a great meal to remember in one of the many ‘bouchons’, which are small traditional restaurants.
Wine.
There are no fewer than 10 vintage wines in the Beaujolais region to the north, which boasts the highest density of vineyards in the world.
The northern Côtes du Rhône produces a further 8 vintage wines to the south of Lyon, grown on steep terraces facing the sun.
Museums.
There are plenty of museums in Lyon, ranging from the Museum of Contemporary Art to the Gadagne Museum, which houses both the International Puppet Museum and the Historical Museum of Lyon.
There’s also the Natural History Museum, Gallo-Roam Museum of Lyon in Fourvière, the printing museum, Textiles and Decorative Arts Museum and the Lumière Institute which covers film and photography, to name but a few.
Transport.
Saint-Exupéry airport is served by shuttle buses (Satobus), which link it with the main cities of the Rhône-Alpes region. Downtown Lyon buses run for 18 hours per day at 20-minute intervals.
There are 4 tramlines in Lyon, one of which serves the airport. The trams compliment the Lyon Metro (underground) service, which opened in the 1970s, making public transportation around the city incredibly easy.
There are also 2 main railway stations in Lyon (Lyon Part-Dieu and Lyon-Perrache). Using the high speed TGV service, you can reach Paris in under 2 hours, Lille in 3 hours and Marseille in 1hr 40 minutes.
Due to Lyon’s central location, the road network has become very important, and the motorways allow you to reach Geneva in 90 minutes, Turin in 3 hours and Barcelona in 5 hours.
Be sure to read our page on holiday rentals in Lyon as well as our page on holiday rentals in Rhone Alpes
Labels: holiday rentals in Lyon, Lyon holiday rentals
