A shade under 2 hours on a fast train from Paris will bring you to the south of France and the lovely city of Lyon. The gastronomic capital of France, Lyon is a feast for the eyes, the soul and the stomach. Janine Marsh seeks out tempting visits for culture vultures and shoppers and finds that in the old town, almost every other building seems to house a restaurant, bakery, wine bar or somewhere to tempt your taste buds.
What to do in one day in Lyon
Let’s assume you arrive in time for breakfast and will stay for an early dinner catching the 21.04 train back to Paris.
At a Glance
It’s a long walk to the old town from the station and as you’re only there for a day it’s worth taking the metro to Place Bellecour. Get a map from the tourist office which is in Place Bellecour and from where you can take a guided tour on an open top bus. It stops at 13 key sites and you can get on and off as you like, so you can spend time where you want and it saves you the trouble of buying a one-day travel pass, making it really good value at €19.00.
If you don’t want to take the guided tour, from Place Bellecour you can walk over Pont Bonaparte, the bridge that crosses the River Saône and straight into the Old Town – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a place of medieval towers, renaissance mansions, cobbled streets, amazing restaurants and a fascinating history.
Culture Vulture
There are several museums including the huge, recently opened Musée des Confluences in the regenerated docklands area. Its radical design has raised eyebrows but the exhibition of the story of mankind shown through a collection of two million objects is very popular.
You’re bound to come across the word “traboules” in Lyon. These are a network of medieval covered alleyways and stairs in the Croix Rousse district linking courtyards and houses to the river. Lyon was famous for its silk weaving industry and the traboules enabled goods to be transported without getting wet.
LYON