2023 - April - Lyon

If you go to Lyon, you can expect a lot! The city is lively and young, but you can also encounter a lot of historical heritage here. Over 500,000 people live in Lyon, so it's also big. A day ticket for public transportation is definitely worth it. There is the metro, trams, buses, and even a funicular, all of which you can use with your day ticket.

A good starting point for your exploration is the centrally located Bellecour square. It is huge with 62,000 square meters and is even the largest pedestrian square in Europe.

In the middle of the square, you will find an equestrian statue of Louis XIV. The locals also like to meet at this monument, as there is a metro station and you can't miss each other on such a large open space.

The square is also centrally located between the two rivers. In one direction, you can go to the right bank of the Rhône and in the other to the left bank of the Saône.

Of course, there are numerous ways to cross the respective rivers. You can directly reach the imposing Palais de Justice by crossing the beautiful red pedestrian bridge, Passerelle du Palais-de-Justice, and from here, it is not far to the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral.

But of course, you also want to see another, even more famous church. It is visible from everywhere and is one of the landmarks of the city: The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. It is located on a hill and shines down on the city with its white color.

There are several ways to get up there. The convenient way is to take the funicular.

Tip 17 for your ride without long waiting times: If the line at the F2 funicular towards Fourvière is too long, take the F1 and ride it to Minimes Théatres Romains. Here you will find the free-to-visit Ancient Theater and also the Ancient Odeon of Lyon. Both were built by the Romans about 2000 years ago.

After visiting these interesting locations, you can already see the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière and the Saint-Thomas Chapel from the upper part of the complex. It only takes a short walk and you're there.

By the way, we did it completely differently and walked up the mountain ourselves. A bit exhausted, you can immediately sit in the shady beer garden at the top and then start your church visit.

For an evening or afternoon program, a walk along the left bank of the Rhône is recommended. It is designed like a promenade. You can stroll along here, but you will also encounter many cyclists and joggers who are in a hurry. The striking white towers of the swimming pool are visually interesting. In the warm months, it is probably open to the public, but during our visit, it was used as a training area.

If you go a bit further, you will inevitably come across various cargo barges that are used as restaurants or bars. Even at the end of April, during our visit, people were sitting outside and celebrating late into the night.

Speaking of sitting and relaxing. How about a visit to the park for the next day? The Parc de la Tête d'Or is a beautiful English-style park and the largest in all of France. It was opened in 1857 and equipped with a large pond. In the park, you will also find the Botanical Garden and the Zoo. However, the zoo is fenced off, and during our visit, we only saw the flamingos.

Equally interesting, but a completely different feast for the eyes, is a visit that goes high up. I'm talking about taking the elevator to the 32nd floor of the Tour Part-Dieu. Here, you can enjoy the view in the bar or restaurant of the Radisson hotel, which is under construction. We went a step further and stayed one night in the hotel on our return journey. The hotel rooms are located on higher floors. We were on the 35th floor. Even though the room was small, there is something special about 'residing' so high up.

By the way, the locals call the building "Crayon" (Pencil) because of its round shape and tip, and at 164.9 meters, it is the second tallest building in Lyon. However, we skipped dining at the top due to the 'height surcharge'. There are many cheaper options in the adjacent Westfield shopping center.

Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we missed, for example, the confluence of the two rivers and the corresponding Musée des Confluences. The Paul Bocuse market hall was also still on our list and will have to be postponed to the next visit.