What to see in Lyon, France

What to see in Lyon, France

Hello, hello again! Today, we will continue discovering another French city: it is Lyon's turn. Lyon is the third most populated city in France and is also a World Heritage Site. I could say that during my Erasmus I visited the three most "important" French cities: Paris, Marseilles and Lyon. They aren't very far away from Aix-en-Provence, so don't hesitate for a second about visiting them.

We went via Flixbus. I think that it took around 4 hours. In reality, it takes quite a long time to get there compared with taking the train: only an hour and a half. The problem is that the trains were really expensive so we went for the cheapest option.

My Erasmus friends and I were there for only three days, but it is enough time to get to know the city well. Honestly, we thought that it would be smaller, but really: it is enormous. You have to walk around a lot. You can also go in public transport to travel from one side of the city to the other, even though I am in favour of walking as it is the best way to see this (or any) city. We stayed in a hotel which was in the city centre, on the street Victor Hugo, I remember. It was in a really good location, although there was not breakfast included so we went to a supermarket the night before so that we could fulfill our needs first thing in the morning the next day.

Parc de la Tête d’Or

We planned our visit on foot bearing in mind where the bus left us, which unfortunately wasn't in the centre. We started the day by visiting the most famous park in Lyon: Parc de la Tête d’Or. It was early in the morning, but I remember there were a lot of people around, running, wrapped up to their ears. It is an ideal place for running as it is enormous, so you won't get bored of the views. There is a fairly big lake that you can go around calmly, look at its greenhouses or its big botanical garden. And look! There, all of a sudden, we came across lots of beautiful deer.

After, we walked for quite a while towards the city centre. The nature, bit by bit, transformed into buildings and the tranquility of the park transformed into the hustle and bustle of the street full of people. If I were to like Lyon for something, it is because there was not a massive amount of tourists there, but it was quite the opposite. Maybe also because it was winter and it could be that it wasn't the best season for travelling, but we didn't care. Walking we warmed up and it wasn't freezing cold either.

Notre-Dame de Fourvière

The most famous attraction in Lyon was interestingly the last one that we saw, we left it till the end. It is the basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière, very different to any other basilica that I have seen before. If you are not in shape, you can take the cable car which isn't very expensive, around 3 euros. We decided to go up by foot. The basilica is located in one of the highest points of the city so the inclines that you have to go up are hellish. It took us quite a while, to the extent that the climb validated the fact that we were missing our step classes that week because we were travelling. But the views from there were worth the effort. Judge them for yourselves.

And since we spoke of the buildings, I will take the opportunity to mention to other very important ones in this city: the first, Lyon Cathedral, in gothic style. And secondly, the opera, a slightly more original building than the last, since it combines a modern and classic style.

Bellecour Square

The Bellecour square is also a must-visit, which is situated between the two rivers, Saona and Rhone. It is enormous and the buildings are beautiful, similar to the ones in Paris, with their fronts decorated right down to the last detail. There was a big ferris wheel in the centre of the square, which really reminded us of the one in Marseille.

Several important streets which are named after famous French writers are connected with this square. Streets are full of luxury shops, or on the other hand, little shops where you can buy any kind of souvenir. This is the area where there are more restaurants and cafes. To be honest, we weren't able to resist entering one after seeing these pastries.

And I forgot, it is in this area of the city where the most modern and most architecturally interesting buildings are located, as well as the squares with famous fountains such as the Jacobin's fountain, where everyone was taking photos.

Old Lyon

But without a doubt, the best part of Lyon is its old quarter, or as they call it there: "Old Lyon". It is the heart of the city, where you can still live and breathe the atmosphere of how the city formerly was. The houses and buildings aren't as modern, nor are they as bourgeois as those in the newest part. It is worth losing yourself down the alleys, where there are little shops with curiosities and secret corners to photograph. We ate here in a delicious burger restaurant, which was in a decadent and run-down building, but it had a particular charm. It was a small cafe-bar-restaurant where there only two free tables which each had two chairs still free, so we had to eat separately, but we were so hungry that we didn't care.

In this area, if there is something worth mentioning and seeing no matter what, it is the traboules. I don't know the exact translation so I will have to describe them: they are small alleys that connect two buildings, thus allowing you to cross from one street to another as a kind of shortcut. They are very strange, pretty and typical of the city. These passages are very well taken care of and when you find yourself hidden inside of one of them you can understand why people used these during the war as a hiding place in order to survive.

I think that the best perspective for viewing the little houses, each a different colour, is on the banks of the Saona river. We went around the city following the riverbank, where there was a market on that day. As I have already mentioned, there are two rivers in Lyon and therefore, there are lots of bridges and each one of those are unique. They aren't as pretty as the ones in Paris but hey, they are nice enough that you aren't left disappointed.

And now almost ending it, something that definitely caught my attention in the city, was a Roman theatre. We came across it by chance, walking to the basilica, but honestly it surprised us quite a bit. It was enormous and it was in really good condition.

Bar à chats

Also as something interesting, one afternoon we went to a very strange cafe. It is a cafe with cats! It was the first time that I had been to one like that. We were lucky because to go in you have to have a reservation beforehand. We didn't do that but fortunately, there was a space for us four. I found it strange to be chatting with my friends whilst drinking a coffee and then, the cats started to surround my legs and use them as a scratching post. You could touch them and play with them, but it was forbidden to disturb the ones which were sleeping. It was a very peaceful cafe, I liked it a lot. It was called Bar à Chats and I recommend it, it is in the city centre, very close to Bellecour.

As a way of conclusion, Lyon may not catch your eye at first, but it is a magnificent city in which the best way to get to know it in depth is by losing yourself in its streets. It would not be a city I'd like to live in seeing as it doesn't have a sea, but maybe I could pass some time here, like doing a Erasmus stay, so I wouldn't say never. So if you are thinking about this city, I would really encourage you to visit it. Time flies by, so make the most of it and get to know the world! So now I'll say goodbye: I'll see you soon and thank you for reading.

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