LYON
it’s better than
P A R I S
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Contents THEATRES, TUNNELS AND TINY THINGS
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INTRODUCTION Lyon may be called ‘France’s Second City,’ yet in reality it trumps its capital counterpart in nearly every category. Paris has the Seine? That’s cute. Lyon offers a choice of rivers, the Rhône and Saône. Whereas Parisians often meet travellers with a scowl of resentment, the Lyonnais are keen to share a smile and a story. A night out on the town in Paris will have you scratching your head the next morning, wondering where all of your euros went. Nightlife in Lyon, on the other hand, will leave you with at least enough money to pay for a slice of pizza on your stumble home. Paris may be called ‘The City of Love,’ but Lyon is the city where you will actually feel the love.
As this guide will prove, there are many reasons why Lyon should be top of your travel bucket list. Take a wander through the pages and you will discover a whole new take on the city. From history to hangover cures, tourist gems to hipster trends and Français to Lyonnais, you’ll find everything you need right here. Book your flight and pack your bags – the true French capital awaits.
lyon
Rhône-Alpes France
BOOKS, BOBOS AND BARBER SHOPS
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UNUSUAL LYON ‘Live Like a Lyonnais’ ‘Tokens From Your Travels’ ‘The Hipster Trail’
STALLS, SIESTAS AND SPEEDOS
‘A Taste of Lyon’ ‘Allez, Allez L’OL’ ‘A-Live in Lyon’ ‘Eat, Drink and be Merry’ ‘Cocktails, Bars and Barges’ ‘Getting Over Your Hangover’
78 82 84 90 92 96
fêTES, FACTS AND FRENCHMEN 98 LEARN ABOUT LYON
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DAY TIME LEISURE ‘This Little Piggy Went To Market’ ‘All that Glitters is Gold’ ‘Lyon à la Mode’ ‘Testing the Water’
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NIGHT TIME LEISURE
CLASSIC LYON ‘Contrasts - Meet the Confluence’ ‘Les Traboules - A Trip Through Time’ ‘Only Lugdunum’ ‘Lyon: The Director’s Cut’ ‘Hidden Secrets’ ‘Walled Up’
BANDS, BOATS AND BOUCHONS
‘Lyon Will Make You Smile’ ‘Understand Les Lyonnais’ ‘International Events’
BEDS, BICYCLES AND BILLETS
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PRACTICAL INFORMATION 62 68 72 74
‘Getting Around the City’ ‘Vélo’v’ ‘All Travellers Need Their Beauty Sleep’
112 116 122
Abandoned Theatre Model Musée Miniature et Cinèma
THEATRES, TUNNELS AND TINY THINGS CLASSIC LYON
CONTRASTS - Meet the Confluence What to do with a derelict district in the heart of a historical city? Go on a walking tour through the two different sides of Lyon and find out. A no man’s land on the tip of the peninsula between the Saône and Rhône rivers with nothing but factories and the harbour - that’s what Confluence used to be just a few years ago. Now, times are changing: witness the development of a whole new district with life, shopping and culture.
Traboules Croix-Rousse
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the hardest part is over; just keep going straight. You know that you’re about to enter Confluence when huge construction sites appear on the left hand side (southeast) and the landscape starts to change into a rotten, neglected factory area. That’s how it used to look like before the construction work started. Surely still a good setting for a horror movie.
A trip from old to new Lyon will make you feel like entering another world. Start in the historical core between Place des Terreaux and Place Bellecour in a southerly direction, and relish the view over the historical places and buildings whilst walking along the pedestrian streets. Now and then, have a break and sit outside one of the numerous cafés, bars or restaurants tucked away within the small lanes: just watch the world go by and enjoy the sound of Frenchspeakers surrounding you. From typical Lyon specialities, such as crêpes and ice cream, to international cuisine, you will surely find the right meal for you. In particular, don’t miss a visit to Place des Jacobins with its imposing fountain. This is Lyon in its purest form. Go further southwards and you will continue to discover the historical and cultural centre of Lyon, with its small and original shops and bars and its huge variety of museums, theatres and old churches. A look inside the mosaic-lined chapels will leave you in awe.
Town Houses Vieux Lyon
Confluence has provided living space for people of every age and social background since 2008, as students and single parents live next door to yuppies and high-achievers, meaning that this face-lift represents just another example of the diversity of Lyon.
If you suddenly face a building that looks like an enormous spaceship behind Place Carnot, you have arrived at the station of Perrache, that stands above the freeway separating Confluence from the rest of Lyon.
More information can be found in the Confluence museum - another futuristic spaceship building, which is however not completed yet. According to the plans, it should be finished in 2014; for more information see the web page at www. lyon-confluence.fr.
In case you went along the water and just found the freeway: don’t worry, you have the same chance to reach Confluence as everyone else. Just search for a tunnel leading to the other side, or as highly recommended, avoid it and try to find the metro station of Perrache. Seeing these tunnels might be an experience, but struggling through the metro station is an adventure in itself, just without the typical, odious human stench found inside tunnels. After you have finally made your way through the labyrinth of this building,
In extreme contrast, you face this giant, hyper-modern residential area to the right (northwest) with a giant shopping mall right in the centre of the neighbourhood. Including 106 shops, 12 restaurants, a cinema, parking space for 1500 cars, a hotel and even a climbing wall, it represents a whole new life for Confluence. In addition, strolling through the newly built quarter around Place Nautique is worth the walk, even though it still gives you a feeling of sterility and artificiality.
Confluence Shopping Centre 112, Cours Charlemagne
Shops open daily 10.00 - 20.00 Restaurants open 10.00 - 23.00 (Monday - Thursday and Sunday) Restaurants open 10.00 - 00.30 (Friday and Saturday) Metro A - Perrache Tram T1 - Perrache
Apartments Confluence 8
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to hide from the Gestapo. This was particularly useful in the early days of occupation, when only the Lyonnais knew of their existence. If you only have time for one, make sure to visit La Traboule de la Tour Rose. One of Lyon’s most famous traboules, it is known for its warm terracotta interior. Or if you have a little more time, cross over to Rue St Jean in the city’s longest pathway, known as la longue traboule. Residents of the apartments surrounding the traboules have agreed to keep them open to the public between the hours of 8am and 7pm but some will nevertheless be closed. Your best bet is therefore to arrive as early as possible, but make sure to keep noise to a minimum – the residents can be a little wary of tourists.
La Traboule de la Tour Rose 22, Rue du Bœuf Metro D - Vieux Lyon
La Longue Traboule 54, Rue St Jean Metro D - Vieux Lyon
Les Traboules - a trip through time With a smile, our tour guide offers a welcome escape from the sweltering urban scrum. As an elaborately decorated door opens off the Rue St Jean, we are introduced to a city within the city – les traboules, a network of around 300 passageways and courtyards that run through the city.
foot on a main road. But not only is this network very useful, it is also endlessly interesting. These walkways offer glimpses at a hidden Lyon. You may find a tattoo artist working to the music of AC/DC, or dodge a band of rollerblading kids. These glimpses, brief as they may be, prompt wonder at the lives behind the walls.
With a working knowledge of this hidden network, essential for any vrai Lyonnais, it’s possible to traverse both Vieux Lyon and Croix-Rousse without setting
More intriguing still is the traboules’ rich history. Some of the earliest date back as far as the 4th century, but they are best known for their role in the silk trade – the 10
industry that made the city’s name. Les canuts – silk weavers – used the traboules of Croix-Rousse to transport their wares to market. By the 1830s, the area became a hotbed of revolutionary activity, as disaffected workers marched through the traboules and briefly took control of the city. In the 20th century, the traboules again became a focal point for conflict. Their capacity for stealth was put to good use during the Second World War, as the French Resistance used the passageways 11
Munipal Buildings
Fourvière Roman Site
The Gier Aqueduct Start on the Fouvière hill above St Just with the remains of one of Lugdunum’s four aqueducts. Once 85km, it is the longest on record. The Rue Roger Radisson is a good spot. Here sections of the aqueduct tower majestically on the right whilst other parts have been incorporated into later structures on the left. If you fancy a trek out of Lyon, however, a reconstructed segment is visible on the Route de Pins.
Gier Aqueduct
Rue Roger Radisson Funiculaire - St Just
Only Lugdunum Did you know Lyon was once a capital city? And not just of the area now called France, but of the whole region of Gaul?
native connection that has been maintained to this day through Lyon’s reputation as the ‘city of lights’. Despite these Celtic remnants, however, ancient Lugdunum aptly fulfilled its role as the central hub (de facto) of Roman activity in the region. It hosted the annual Council of the Three Gauls, rivalled Rome itself in commerce and was proud to be distinguished as the birthplace of two highly successful Emperors (Claudius and Caracalla).
Well, way back in 43BC the Roman General, Lucius Munatius Plancus, was tasked with founding a ‘colonia’ here by the Senate. The spot was considered important because of the two major rivers it overlooked, but it was really more of a ratification exercise since people from nearby Vienne (known as Vienna) had already started to settle here. Although the town’s official name was Colonia Copia Felix Munatia, after its founder, the inhabitants gave it the much catchier name of Lugdunum, after Lug, the Celtic God of Light. It is a
Although much of the Roman remains are now lost beneath ‘new’ buildings, the echoes of Lugdunum can still be found in Lyon if you know where to look. Simply follow this easy Roman guide to ensure that you don’t miss out. 12
Roman Baths Back down from Fouvière, on Rue des Farges, you’ll find one of Lugdunum’s public baths. Large apartment buildings completely hide the ruins from the road, but pass under their open orange arches and the stonework bursts out of the hillside before you. It’s difficult to identify any recognisable features without archaeological training, but the semi-secrecy of the site makes it worth the diversion.
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ROMAN BATHS
Rue des Farges Funiculaire - Minimes
Theatre and Odeon Further on up from the baths lies the jewel of Lyon’s Roman crown, the magnificent Theatre and Odeon Complex. Located at the very heart of the ancient city, this was where citizens from all walks of life would come to watch plays, music and poetry. The theatre could then seat 10,000 spectators, whilst the smaller Odeon had a capacity of 3,000. The ruins are enclosed by iron railings, but it is free to enter and open every day. The plaques placed periodically throughout the site explain in French and English the history of each construction, but beware, there is a lot more information en français. You will also see here the space where the Roman Forum (market square) once was, although during Lyon’s annual music festival, Les Nuits de Fouvière, this will be blocked off.
Theatre and Odeon
Rue des Farges Funiculaire - Minimes
Roman Bath Ruins Rue des Farges
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Gallo-Roman Museum On the same site, built into the hillside, is the world-renowned Gallo-Roman Museum. An architectural curiosity in itself – built by Bernard H. Zehrfuss out of Guggenheim-esque sculpted concrete – its portallike windows give panoramic views over the Theatre and Odeon ruins. The layout is clearly divided into different areas of Roman life in Lugdunum (and elsewhere in the Rhône area) and there is a handy English audio tour with amusing ‘scenes’ to guide you around. Like the Theatre ruins, there is more information in French, but the signboards throughout consistently offer something in both languages. There are perhaps too many stone epitaphs, but the museum also hosts some star attractions (like complete room-sized mosaics) to break the monotony. It is open daily between 10am and 6pm, except for Mondays and some public holidays. Entry is €7 (€4 concessions), but completely free on Thursdays.
Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls Now travel right across the city to the Jardin des Plantes in the Croix-Rousse district to discover Lugdunum’s Amphitheatre. Although these remains are far smaller than the ruins in Fourvière, the excavation is highly provocative to the imagination. As a plaque outside will tell you, it was here in 177AD that numerous Christian martyrs were tortured and killed, including, most famously, Saint Blandine. It is now half buried under the road and the whole area is fenced off so that you can’t go in, but it is worth a glance for any diehard Roman fans. Just imagine the clash of swords and roar of lions and you will easily bring the spectacle to life.
Gallo-Roman Museum 6, Rue de l’Antiquaille Funiculaire - Minimes
Ampitheatre of the Three Gauls Jardin des Plantes Metro C - Croix Paquet
Architecture
Gallo-Roman Museum 16
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