The beautiful city of Lyon in Central Eastern France is the third largest urban area in the country after Paris and Marseille. Lyon is known amongst the French as the capital of Gastronomy and the city certainly has a continental grandeur to it as well. For travellers another big attraction of Lyon is that it doesn’t suffer from the kind of mass tourism that you get in Paris (and all the problems that come with it!)
Lyon has the advantage of being set on both the Saône and Rhone rivers and has long been a major banking, commercial and industrial centre. The city was actually founded by the Romans back in 43BC and was originally called Lugdunum – it served as the capital of the Roman Province of Gaul (any fellow Asterix & Obelix readers will have heard of it!)
When to visit Lyon
Lyon can be visited year round, but like a lot of places in inland France it can get pretty darn cold in Winter so you might consider visiting in Spring, Summer or Autumn instead. We travelled to Lyon in late September (and as you can see from the photos the weather was stunning!)
How to get to Lyon
From the UK it is cheapest & quickest to fly to Lyon. From London your best bet is to fly with Easy jet from London Gatwick Airport. The flight time is just 1h45 and flights can get crazy cheap – we picked up ours for just £26 per person one way!
NB: Flybe also fly to Lyon from Gatwick Airport but be a little wary if you are booking in advance because the airline has been facing financial difficulties recently.
Where to Stay in Lyon
I would recommend staying in Vieux Lyon (the old town) which is a beautiful area of the city with cobbled streets and lots of cafés & gift shops. It’s also a great place to be located as it will allow you easy access to most of the sights that are worth visiting. In terms of accommodation in Vieux Lyon we found a funky two bedroom Loft on Airbnb with views of a medieval church for £145 per night in total for four of us.
What to See & Do in Lyon
For great views of the city and the Presqu’ile in particular take the Funicular (line F2) from Vieux Lyon up to Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière. It’s worth having a look inside the church while you’re up there too.
From the Basilica you can walk across to the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière to learn more about Lyon’s history or simply walk though the impressive Ancient Roman Theatre and down to Saint Just where you can catch the other line of the Funicular (F1) back to Vieux Lyon.
While you’re in Lyon take the time to wander along the banks of the Saône and Rhone rivers to check out the houseboats and cross the pedestrian bridges between Vieux Lyon and the Presqu’ile (the thin sliver of land between the two rivers) to marvel at the stately and often colourful apartments that line the riverbanks.
Also on the Presqu’ile don’t miss one of the most impressive of Lyon’s many outdoor art displays the Fresque des Lyonnais – a massive mural that depicts famous residents of the city such as the Lumière Brothers who helped invent cinematography.
You’ll also want to head to the Place des Terreaux where you can see the town hall and the very impressive Bartholdi Fountain by the famous French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (of Statue of Liberty fame)
Food & Wine in Lyon
Restaurants
It wouldn’t be a trip to France if you didn’t consume your weight in good food right?! You’ll certainly want to try out a Bouchon Lyonnais, a traditional Lyon style restaurant that serves simple but delicious food. Don’t hesitate to order a glass or two of one of the local wine varieties to go with your meal – wines from Beaujolais & Coteaux du Lyonnais are mainly red varieties or there are the Côtes du Rhone wines which can be red, white or rose.
Pro Tip: Don’t do what I did on my first visit to a Bouchon Lyonnais and order Tripe by mistake!
Cafés & Eateries
There are some great wee places to eat in the old town. There is of course plenty of crepes on offer and personally I can’t go past a nutella crepe. If you’re travelling in summer there’s plenty of glace (ice cream) too but ordering a sirop à l’eau (i.e. cordial) is another great way to cool down & stay hydrated to beat. Grenadine is always my flavour of choice.
Markets
In terms of markets in Lyon there are a few open air ones that are open every day bar Mondays such as the Marché Saint Antoine and the Marché de la Croix-Rousse but my favourite is Les Halles– an indoor food market that has an amazing array of vendors selling cheese, bread, pastries, chocolates, seafood and pretty much anything else you can think of! You can either dine in at one of the little restaurants or if you’re a bit more budget conscious like us grab a few things and head to a local park or square for a picnic (i.e. an epic feast of French food!)
You can’t go past a fresh baguette, some olives, some saucisson and some local cheese (try some Saint Marcellin for example, but don’t hesitate to ask the store holders for recommendations or to try a little piece of a few different cheeses to work out what you like!) For dessert there’s macarons, pastries or mini cakes & tarts – or you may like to try another local speciality – a bright pink tarte aux pralines.
So voilà, that’s your mini-break guide to Lyon and it’s food. Enjoy and Bon Appétit!
Travelling elsewhere in Europe?