France It has many beautiful destinations and you should not be left alone with Paris. For example, another city with a lot of history is Lyon. In addition, it is the third most populated city in France and used to be the capital of Gaul in times of Roman rule.
Lyon has everything, history, landscapes, architecture, university vibes and a gastronomy that adds to its attractions with a lot of flavor. Let's see today what to visit in Lyon so that this city is absolutely unforgettable.
Lyon
It is east of France, right where the Saone and Rhone rivers meet, between mountains and plains. It was founded by the Romans in 43 BC, on an older Celtic fortification. Two Roman emperors, Claudius and Caracalla, were to be born here.
During the Middle Ages the proximity to Italy made it prosper, especially in more modern times with the help of the Florentine bankers, the commercial relations with Germany, the existence of several printing presses and fundamentally the silk trade. From the hand of silk, precisely, it would see a new splendor in the nineteenth century.
Occupied by the Germans in times of the Second War, the resistance also had a lot of action. After the end of the conflict and the recovery of France, Lyon began to modernize with the reconstruction of its bombed buildings and, for example, the construction of the metro in the 70s.
Lyon Tourism
With this long history it is impossible that the city does not have great and interesting tourist destinations. I would say that there is something for all tastes because it combines the Ancient Ages with the Middle Ages and the Modern very well.
Lyon has four historic neighborhoods, a total of 500 hectares, which UNESCO has declared World Heritage. To feel its ancient, Roman and even Celtic past, you have to go to the oldest hill in the city, which is where there are still vestiges of the old lugdunum, the Gallic capital.
Here there is ruins of two roman theaters old, one from the 10st century BC, enlarged in the XNUMXst century AD, with a capacity for XNUMX thousand people; and a smaller one, the Odeon, from the XNUMXst century AD, for public readings and recitals. All of this can be learned in the Lugdunum Museum, beside. You can also visit the Notre-Dame de Fourvière Basilica and the rose garden under the church hill.
Later, between the Saône river and the Fourvière hill, we find medieval and Renaissance remains. It reminds us of the Lyon fair, the incessant commercial exchange that existed here, the Flemish, German and Italian bankers and merchants who lived or passed through here. Its about Vieux-Leyon or Old Lyon, with its alleys, its passages, patios and its old buildings.
In this part of town, then, you have to visit the St-Jean Cathedral, with the astronomical clock, the Saint Georges Church, the Church of Saint Paul, the internal courtyards that are hidden in the Tourist Office, the traboules open to the general public, there are others closed, and some museums that may be interesting to you such as Cinema Museum and Miniature or Museum of the History of Lyon.
On the other hill of the city, Croix-Rousse, everything related to silk and its trade is located. Formerly there were 30 thousand silk workers here, spinning incessantly in their bistanclaques, causing the city to go down in history as the queen of silk in Europe. The buildings account for this activity in their own ways and some of them can be visited. In fact, did you know that Hermès manufactures its popular silk scarves here?
So, around here the visits to workshops, the patios, the Chartreux Garden overlooking the river and even here, Roman ruins, those of the Trois-Gaules amphitheater. On the other hand there is the Presq'île, the heart of Lyon, or at least your most luxurious heart. The neighborhood begins at Bellecour, a huge pedestrian square, and ends at the Town Hall and the Musee de Bellas Artes, in Plaça de Terreaux. The wealth of the city is in each building in this area.
here is the Lyon Opera, the Gothic-style Saint-Nizier Church, shopping streets with expensive shops, fountains, squares and the only Roman church in the city, the Basilica St. Martin de Ainay. All this in relation to what one should visit on a walk around here, But what activities can be done in Lyon?
We can visit the Botanical Garden of Lyon, the Parc de Hauteurs, the slopes of the Rhône, pamper yourself a little in the Lyon Plage Spa, enormous, ride a segway or an electric bikeThat's what the Lyon Bike Tour is for, either in a tuk-tuk or in a classic Volkswagen kombi.
And when night falls and we want to go out to dinner and walk a little more, well, you have to know that it is worth joining forces: Lyon has more than 300 emblematic buildings that are illuminated all year. In addition, depending on the season there are cultural events, dances, concerts, festivals. For example, in May there are the Sound Nights, of electronic music, or the Fourvière Nights in July, in the Gallo-Roman theater ...
And speaking of food, as we said at the beginning, Lyon's gastronomy is another of its charms. Since 1935 he has held the title of «World capital of gastronomy» so there are countless restaurants, it is estimated that more than four thousand and of all kinds. That is, from high-end restaurants to fast food or more still life. What do you eat? Beef, poultry, cheeses, lake fish, mountain fruits, game meat and a wine list of excellent and renowned quality.
Finally, How to get to Lyon? Easy: from Paris there is the train or the bus. The same from other European cities such as Barcelona, London, Milan, Geneva ... Once inside the city you can move by bus, taxi or bike. If you choose to move the car there are many parking lots. And of course, there is the Rhônexpress tram that connects Lyon Part-Dieu to Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport in half an hour.
If you are one of those who buy tourist cards in the city, you are in luck because here is one: the Lyon City Card which opens the doors to the 22 most important museums in the city, offers other discounts and free use of the bus, metro, funicular and tram. There are 1, 2, 3 and 4 days of validity.
And what about Internet WIFI? Well, if you have the tourist card, you get a 50% discount on the connection to the hippocketwifi which can be found at the Tourism Pavilion at Place Bellecour. As you see, Lyon is waiting for you to discover her.