Lyon, France

Lyon

@andie

Here’s list of places that I visited, that you should too: 1. Théâtre Gallo Romain de Lyon-Fourvière 2. Parc de la Tête d'Or 3. Bartholdi Fountain 4. Vieux Lyon 5. La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière 6. Musée des Confluences 7. Gros Caillou

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To eat & drink:

A few places to take into consideration…I have to admit that I did not eat much healthy food while on this trip and resorted a few times to a kebab (a very popular and easy meal for on the go).

Arctic Juice & Cafe

@andie

Great place for a healthy meal, amazing juices and good coffee.

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Ninkasi Guillotière

@andie

The staff here were really nice (it helped that I speak French). Not a big variety of food, but my Pollo per Lei was delicious. They also have an amazing beer selection if you’re a beer lover. I don’t drink beer anymore, but I couldn’t resist ordering their summer ale and it was divine with my burger.

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The places I’ve visited:

Théâtre Gallo Romain de Lyon-Fourvière

@andie

The Ancient Theatre of Fourvière is a Roman theatre in Lyon, France. It was built on the hill of Fourvière, which is located in the center of the Roman city. The theatre is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site protecting the historic center of Lyon. There are two theaters to visit on the grounds and there’s also a museum. The entry fee to the museum was €4 on the day that I went (I went on a Sunday), but it’s possible that on other days it might be €7.

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Parc de la Tête d'Or

@andie

The Parc de la Tête d'or is a large urban park in Lyon, France, with an area of approximately 117 hectares (290 acres). Located in the northern part of the 6th arrondissement, it features the Jardin botanique de Lyon, as well as a lake on which boating takes place during the summer months. Due to the relatively small number of other parks in Lyon, it receives a huge number of visitors over summer; it is a frequent destination for joggers and cyclists. In the park's central part, there is a small zoo without charge, which includes giraffes, deer, reptiles, primates, along with other animals. There are also sports equipments, such as a velodrome, boules court, mini-golf and equestrian facility, in addition to a mini-train.

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Bartholdi Fountain

@andie

The Fontaine Bartholdi is a fountain sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and realised in 1889 by Gaget & Gautier. It was erected at the Place des Terreaux, in the 1st arrondissement of Lyon, in September 1892. If you are a lover of museums, right across from the fountain you have the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, which I didn’t get the chance to visit, but it’s worth visiting if you have time.

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Vieux Lyon

@andie

Vieux Lyon sits on the River Saône quayside, overlooked by Renaissance-era mansions with hidden courtyards and terracotta-tiled roofs. The medieval Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste is noted for its ornate astronomical clock, while the Movies & Miniature Museum showcases scale models by miniaturist Dan Ohlmann. Hilly, medieval streets lead to fine-dining restaurants and stylish bars selling Beaujolais wines. Things to do while in Vieux Lyon: 1. Movies & Miniature Museum 2. Traboules of Lyon 3. Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste

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A few things to do in Vieux Lyon:

Musée Cinéma et Miniature (OUVERT)

@andie

Two unique collections by the artist Dan Ohlmann: the 120 miniature scenes produced and more than 450 legendary film props give the visitor an insight into the special effects techniques of our leading film studios. Fun fact: Lumière brothers, French inventors and pioneer manufacturers of photographic equipment who devised an early motion-picture camera and projector called the Cinématographe (“cinema” is derived from this name). Auguste Lumière (b. October 19, 1862, Besançon, France—d. April 10, 1954, Lyon) and his brother Louis Lumière (b. October 5, 1864, Besançon—d. June 6, 1948, Bandol) created the film La Sortie des ouvriers de l’usine Lumière (1895; “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory”), which is considered the first motion picture.

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Les traboules du Vieux Lyon

@andie

Winding their way through buildings, courtyards, and up and down staircases, Lyon’s secret covered passageways, or traboules, are an ideal way of visiting the city’s hidden and colourful past. Every traboule is different though. Each has a unique pastel colour, a particular curve or spiral staircase, vaulted ceilings or Renaissance arches.

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Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste

@andie

Lyon Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located on Place Saint-Jean in central Lyon, France. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon. Begun in 1180 on the ruins of a 6th-century church, it was completed in 1476.

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You can go to Fourvière railway station which will take you up to see the Basilica via a funicular.

La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière

@andie

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is a minor basilica in Lyon. It was built with private funds between 1872 and 1896 in a dominant position overlooking the city. The site it occupies was once the Roman forum of Trajan, the forum vetus, thus its name.

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Beautiful museum where the Saône and the Rhône meet.

Musée des Confluences

@andie

The Musée des Confluences, a magnificent new museum both architecturally and in its content, which sets off to explain, well, the history of everything…or so it seems. Do not miss this stunning experience, but do allow a good few hours, including on-site lunch, to get the best from the experience. This huge square, all 62,000 square metres of it, is quite magnificent. Located at the very tip of Lyon’s Presqu’Île district, where, as the name suggests, the Saône and the Rhône meet, the Musée des Confluences received more than 150,000 visitors in the first few weeks of 2015, having opened just before Christmas. They have two temporary exhibits right now: Secrets from the Earth & Magic

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Great place to bring a lunch, sit and enjoy the view.

Gros Caillou

@andie

Gros Caillou is a landmark of the French city of Lyon in the neighborhood Croix-Rousse. The rock's mineralogical composition suggests it is a glacial erratic, and would have been transported from the nearby Alps by slowly moving glaciers.

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Rue de La République is a large shopping street which I enjoyed greatly and if you need more shopping, you also have the Westfield La Part-Dieu shopping mall. Keep in mind that these two places are really busy on weekends.

Westfield La Part-Dieu

@andie

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Here is where I stayed:

This hotel was in a decent area not too far from the train station and walking distance to most places that I’ve visited. It’s a small hotel and it was perfect for me as a solo traveler.

Hôtel de Noailles

@andie

Check Prices

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Lastly, I have used the metro a few of times. Luckily for me, I did have my cousin to show me around a few times so I didn’t have to always use Google maps, but if you plan on using the metro, it’s a simple and fast way to move around.

If you have your credit card linked to your phone or watch, you can simply use it to purchase your ticket. Just scan your phone/watch on the reader at the entrance and your ticket is valid for 1h. To reuse your ticket, if it’s still valid, just scan your phone again when entering…you will be charged at the end of the month.