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Where is Lyon
Lyon is located in the east-central part of France at the confluence of Saone and the Rhone River. The third-largest city of France is the capital of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It is also the second-largest urban area of France and is the center for many industries like pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical, as well as a major banking hub. The area is located at about 470 km south of Paris and 320 km north of Marseille.
What is Lyon known for?
The beautiful city of Lyon France is known for its gastronomy and cuisine. Another significant feature is its architectural and historical marks with a major part of it is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is also known as Capital of Lights due to its world-famous light festival Fête des Lumières that is held every year for four days, starting from the 8th of December.
Historically, the city holds great significance for the weaving and production of silk. It also played a major role in the development of the cinema industry as this is the place where Louis Lumière and Auguste invented cinematograph.
Food in Lyon + Top 10 dishes
The gastronomical capital of France is the dream city for every food enthusiastic. The city is the birthplace of the legendary Monsieur Paul who was given the title of "Chef of the Century" twice by the Culinary Institute of America. He is known for popularizing the nouvelle cuisine. There are numerous catering and culinary schools that are serving as training grounds for young chefs from all around the world.
The place has more than 1500 eateries and various other places to experience the delicious food. You will never get tired of tasting the delicious dishes but tired of looking for something that tastes bad. Lyon France is the best place if you want to explore the real essence of French cuisine.
With so many eateries and a huge list of delicious dishes, you might get confused about what to and not try. To help you out here is a small list of dishes that are the most popular and most delicious and a must-try during your Lyon France trip.
1. Quenelles
These are ground fish football-shaped dumplings that are made from a mixture of minced and creamed fish but some also make it with chicken or meat. The fish is mixed with flour, butter, milk, breadcrumbs, and eggs, cooked in boiled water and then baked. They are served with the béchamel, tomato or the famous Nantua sauce.
2. Salade Lyonnaise
This light and tasty appetizer are found on almost every restaurant's menu. Every chef makes it with a little variation but the basic ingredients are the same. The salad bowl consists of fresh green lettuce, with strip or small pieces of bacon, croutons, and poached eggs with a vinaigrette or mustard dressing.
3. Cervelle de Canut
The literal meaning of the phrase is 'silk worker's brain' but don't worry as it does not contain any brain component. With a Fromage blanc base, the cheesy spread has a seasoning of chopped herbs, pepper, salt, shallots, vinegar, and olive oil. The dip is usually served with crusty bread.
4. Andouillette
Andouillette is a coarsely cut sausage you will almost on every restaurant's menu and in markets. It is made of pork intestines and stomachs, seasoned with onion, pepper, and wine. The sausage has a very sharp smell so be ready for that. It is served as boiled, barbecued or pan-fried but can also be eaten cold.
5. Saucisson de Lyon Brioché
This simple yet satisfying dish comprises of a cooked sausage that is stuffed into a perfectly soft and buttery brioche. You can never forget this combination of sweet and salt.
6. Bugnes
The thin and crunchy sweet pastry is the specialty that you will find only in Lyon. These are twisted stripes of dough flavored with lemon zest, orange water, rum or vanilla, deep-fried and dusted with icing sugar.
7. Pâté en Croûte
This cold served pie consists of pastry meats usually made of pork but other variations like a rabbit, chicken, veal, etc. can also be found. There is a filling of transparent jelly between the pastry crust and the meat layer that fills the top cavity.
8. Coq au Vin
This juicy meat dish is another traditional specialty of the region. To make this stew dish the chicken is seasoned with vegetables and herb and then braised slowly in Burgundy wine till it gets tender from inside.
9. Soupe aux Truffes Noires V.G.E.
Soupe aux Truffes Noires V.G.E. is one of the iconic dishes of Bocuse, named after Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the former French president. This is a black truffle soap that contains mushrooms, foie gras, and chicken broth kept held below a puff pastry dome.
10. Pralines
These pink hard sweets are found everywhere in the markets or on the streets in Lyon. Pralines are almonds that are wrapped in cooked sugar and pink food color. They are used as a base in many delicious desserts and cakes or can be eaten on their own.
Top 15 things to do in Lyon
The amazing city of Lyon France is full of various historical sites, cultural attractions, refine eateries and much more. You can spend a week exploring the vast urban town. Here is a list of top 15 things and places that are a must during a trip to Lyon and without which it will remain incomplete.
1. Vieux Lyon
Vieux Lyon is one of the oldest renaissance quarters of Europe and is believed to be the passageway dating back to the 4th century. The locals used this passage to go to the river avoiding the winding streets of the town. Later the silk traders used this route as their passage. This UNESCO World Heritage site was used by the resistance during World War II.
2. Musée des Beaux-Arts
Comprising of 70 rooms filled with Lyon's cultural heritage, this museum has one of the largest artwork collections of Europe. There are paintings, sculptures, antiques, decorative art dating back to Egyptian times, impressionist paintings as well as modern art. There is also a beautiful large garden along with the museum. You can spend hours exploring the museum but if you are in a hurry, choose two or three areas of interest to explore.
3. Presqu’île District
This stunning river island is situated between the Saone and Rhone rivers and is an excellent example of the historical architecture of the region. Visit the Place Bellecour square, Place Carnot square, Eglise Saint-Bonaventure church, Palais de la Bourse et du Commerce, Hôtel de Ville, and Place des Terreaux. The magnificent architecture of the monuments will take to another world.
4. Roman Theatre of Fourviére
Constructed in the 15th Century B.C., this is the oldest theater of France with rich historical value. It originally could accommodate about 10,000 people but now only the middle and lower terraces are intact. Rediscovered in the 19th century, the theater was restored in 40 years in its present incredible form. Have a flash of the ancient history in this national historical monument.
5. Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière
Built by Pierre Bossan in the late 19th century, the Basilica rises to 130 meters on the Fourviere hill. This is the oldest part of the Lyon region and is significantly famous for the Fête des Lumières, taking place every year at the start of December. Witness the fabulous interiors and also visit the Museum of Sacred Art.
6. Institut Lumière
Established by the Lumière brothers, the forefathers of the movie-making art, this cinema museum is a must-visit place for cinema lovers. Louis Lumière helped August in inventing the cinematograph, projector and the first motion picture camera. Many of their ingenious creations and movies can be found here that changed the meaning of entertainment.
7. Musée Gadagne
The city museum is located in the renaissance palace that was built by the Florentine brothers. Comprising of 30 rooms, the ancient museum has about 80,000 items from times between medieval to id-19th century. You will find antique maps showing you the changes that occurred in Lyon's geography over time.
8. Musée Miniature et Cinéma
You will find more than 300 movies related artifacts, props, and models from the past 50 years. The delightful museum is equally entertaining and informative for both young and adults. The 16th-century building will take you on a tour through the ancient history of cinema and cinematography.
9. Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse
This indoor food market is also known as the heaven of foodies. With more than 5 dozen beautifully presented food stalls and various restaurants and bars, you will get a huge variety of French cuisine. From vegetables to fruits, cheese to spices, flowers to truffles, everything is available here. Not only the stalls but also the architecture of the location is one of the most amazing pieces in Lyon.
10. Musée des Confluences
Founded in 2014, this natural history museum with imaginative and electric exhibits, have a spectacular architecture. The historical museum tells the world's story from its origin to eternity, from different culture’s view points with more than 2 million artifacts.
11. Lyon’s Murals
About 100 large paintings are exhibited on the walls of the entire city to take you to places that you otherwise will miss during your trip. There is an outdoor museum in États-Unis that contains 25 of these murals, a sample of Tony Garnier's architects. Fresque des Lyonnais exhibits about 30 murals of historical personalities relevant to the history of Lyon.
12. Lyon Cathedral
Constructed between the 12th and 15th centuries, the stunning cathedral has a gothic architecture. The old building still has many original stained glass windows from the 13th century, may be because they were packed away to save from destruction during World War II. Do witness the astrolabe under the clock-face that was added in the 16th century showing the position of the moon, Sun and Earth.
13. Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière
This modern museum was dug from the hillside, partly underground, next to the Roman theatre. The galleries of the museum are arranged along a spiral concrete ramp. It consists of various items from ancient history but some of them worth mentioning are the Circus Games Mosaic, Lyon Tablet with Claudis' speech from the 1st century, and the Gaulish Coligny Calendar.
14. La Maison des Canuts
The historical city of Lyon has a distinctive history of weaving and producing silk for more than five centuries. Unveil the history of the heart of the French textile trade at this 19th-century mansion that is dedicated to preserving this historical tale. The exhibits reveal the history of silk production, changes over the years and the lives of artisans in the industry.
15. Parc de la Tête d’Or
When tired of the bustling city crowd, take revenge in the largest park of Lyon. The park contains large paths that are lined with old trees dating back to about a hundred years. There is a lakeshore, zoological park, botanical gardens and a living plant museum containing more than 15,000 species of plants.
Weather in Lyon
Lyon France is one of the lucky places that experience all four seasons round the year. The summers are hot, winters are very cold but spring and autumn are as pleasant as you can expect. Overall it is cloudy all year with occasional rain but the weather remains pleasant even with the rain.
Summer is the peak time in Lyon when people from all around the world fly here to take in the warm sunlight while exploring the beautiful city. You will find huge crowds and should go for a booking for everything or you might be left out.
June to August brings high temperatures with July being the hottest of the three. You will find a lot of sunshine throughout the summer and hardly any discount deal.
Autumn might get you some offers is you are traveling on a budget. September and October still have sunshine but with comfortable temperatures so that you can hiking as well and explore the entire region conveniently.
Winters in Lyon are very harsh, starting from November till March, with the fewest sunshine but can get you various discount deals. If you don’t mind wrapping up into layers you can explore the region on a budget during winter.
April brings with it the colors of spring and pleasant temperature with more sunshine. No tourist crowds have yet arrived so you can enjoy on your own and explore the historical and architectural sites, enjoying the world-famous French cuisine.
Best time to visit Lyon
The best time to visit Lyon France is in autumn and spring, occurring during September and October and April and May, respectively. The autumn brings with its beautiful colors and you can witness the trees starting to change their colors.
Most of the tourist crowds have headed back to their home and you will have a crowd-less experience. Weather is going towards cold slowly but is still pleasant than the winter months.
After the winter farewell, spring brings a colorful hue to the atmosphere of Lyon with pleasant temperatures and vibrant feel. The tourist crowds have not yet arrived and you might enjoy some discount deals as well. You might find rain occasionally but that is not much of a problem as the weather is pleasant most of the time.
Day trips from Lyon
When you are done exploring the beautiful city, set out on day trips to explore the surrounding region. Some of the most popular destinations are:
1. Pérouges
This well-preserved historic town is located about 30 km from Lyon and is an ideal day trip destination. The medieval walled town with its old stone buildings, cobblestone streets, vibrant squares, and artisanal boutiques takes you back in time. Walk around the town and explore as much as you can and then have a delicious meal in one of the traditional restaurants of the town.
2. Vienne
The historic city with its Gallo-Roman ruins is a popular tourist destination, located at the left side of Rhone River. The most popular destinations in town are Temple d'Auguste et de Livie, Théâtre Antique, Musée Archéologique Saint-Pierre, Cloître de Saint-André-le-Bas and Cathédrale Saint-Maurice.
3. Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez
The beautiful village is found in the Mont Plat mountain range, in the foothills of the well-protected Parc Naturel Régional du Pilat. It was originally a Carthusian monastery with most of the houses and buildings being the part of once monastery property. You can visit the serene cloister, medieval church and original hermitage rooms through guided tours.
4. Maison d'Ampère (Electricity Museum)
Opened in 1931, this informative museum educates about the history of electricity and the concepts of electricity science in a simple manner. The museum is situated in the house of the French Physicist André-Marie Ampère who founded the base the science of electromagnetism.
5. Rochetaillée-Sur-Saône
Located at a distance of 11 km from Lyon, this beautiful village is famous for being home to the Château de Rochetaillée. The beautiful medieval chateau contains a unique Musée de l'Automobile Henri Malartre. The automobile museum has more than 130 bicycles, motorcycles and old cars on this display.
Lyon Reviews & Ratings
J
Wonderful France
Such interesting side trips. Moulin Rouge was terrific!
R
Wonderful France
Loved visiting Claude Monet's house.
P
Wonderful France
i think the tour could have had more days in Nice as explored the wonderful france trip
N
Wonderful France
Some optional experiences should have been included...
M
Wonderful France
Again, wish there was a trip to Versailles.
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