Lyon TravelTips
IT MAY BE FRANCE’S THIRD-LARGEST CITY, BUT MANY PARTS OF LYON FEEL QUAINT AND INTIMATE. HERE ARE SOME OF NATURALLY’S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXPLORING THE HISTORY-RICH CITY.
where to stay
We were booked at the Villa Florentine (villaflorentine.com), a converted 17th-century convent that’s now a five-star Relais & Châteaux property. As you might expect based on that description, the hotel combines Old-World charm (like restored frescoes and other period details) with modern-day luxuries like an impeccable breakfast buffet. The hotel is perched high on Fourvière Hill in Old Lyon, so it has sweeping views of the city. You have to climb hundreds of steps to reach it, but it’s a good way to burn off all those delicious pastries.
what to eat
This is the gastronomic capital of France, and three-star Michelin chef Paul Bocuse is the one who put Lyon on the culinary map beginning in the 1960s. There are several Bocuse-branded restaurants throughout the city as well as a bustling food hall named in his honor, Les Halles de Lyon
Paul Bocuse. Lyon is also known for its bouchons, traditional bistro-style restaurants that serve the city’s signature dishes, including salad Lyonnaise (frisée, bacon, poached egg, and mustard dressing), andouillette (tripe sausage), and, for dessert, pink praline tart. “The baked goods were insanely perfect and delicious, as were the cheeses and wine,” Amy says. “I can’t wait to go back!”
things to do
Lyon has a thriving shopping scene and a number of excellent museums, but you also don’t want to miss the Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière, a church with Byzantine and Romanesque architecture that was built in the late 1800s and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site (and a Lyon landmark). “It’s so detailed and gorgeous inside,” says Amy. “I was happily surprised to see many great females represented in there.” It overlooks the city from its prominent position on Fourvière Hill and is walking distance to the city’s two ancient Roman theaters, one of which dates back to 15 BCE. The
Old Lyon area is also where you can access the city’s network of secret passageways known as traboules, some of which were built as early as the 4th century. Merchants used these hidden corridors to keep delicate silks safe from the elements; later, during World War II, the French Resistance held secret meetings in them. The ones that are open to the public are marked with bronze plaques.