An amazing city which for a long time was a place I passed
though on route to the South of France so only seen as a pit stop for food and
drinks or a place to get through before rush hour – but now I have discovered
the wonders of this amazing place and can say it has become a favourite.
Lyon is situated in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes
region, situated between Paris and Marseille. The city is known for its
historical and architectural landmarks and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lyon was historically known as an
important area for the production and weaving of silk and in modern times has
developed a reputation as the capital of gastronomy in France. It has a
significant role in the history of cinema due to Auguste and Louis Lumière who invented the cinematographe in Lyon.
The city is also known for its famous light festival 'Fete des Lumieres' which occurs every 8 December and lasts for
four days, that earned Lyon the title of Capital of Lights (not to be mixed up
with Paris the city of light). The legend says that the Virgin Mary saved the
city from the plague, and to thank her a statue was built and on the day it was
erected the whole city was lit by candles that its citizens put at their
windows.
I love Lyon for the wide river which travels through the city
and the amazing architecture, plus it’s a city you can do lots by foot which
makes it easy to see lots I visited two quite distinct areas Croix-Rousse and
then Bellecourt, the town square on the peninsula.
I highly recommend
the following places:
Galerie le Réverbère
www.galerielereverbere.com
This seems apt considering the history of Lyon- this
contemporary photography gallery is on rue Burdeau it is located at the bottom
of the slopes of La Croix-Rousse– rue Burdeau is home to art galleries of all
description, specialising in anything from painting to illustration and
sculpture. The artist workshops based in the street have come together to form their
own artistic association.
Librairie
Grand-Guignol librairie-grandguignol.blogspot.co.uk
One of the other things about Lyon is it has a great
selection of independent book shops – this is a book and record shop. The
eclectic mix on offer includes Swiss punk, poetry and science fiction, American
and European literature, magazines and vinyl. The place hosts readings as well
as concerts and dance shows, in keeping with its hybrid nature.
Chokola www.chocolatier-bouillet.com
If you have a deep love of chocolate or a sweet tooth then
this a place to visit, a wall of liquid chocolate greets you as you enter, and
a truly encyclopaedic range of chocolate bars are stacked like books in a
library. The shop is owned by Sébastien Bouille, Bouillet's famous pâtisserie
is only a short distance away on the Croix-Rousse plateau – just pure heaven
for me.
Café de la Cloche
www.cafe-de-la-cloche.org
Is the perfect place to eat – though having said that all
the restaurants are excellent – this is located in Bellecourt – it has a real
old fashioned French café appeal which drew me in and was founded by a retired
professor of philosophy at the nearby Lyon 3 university.
I highly recommend Eurostar www.eurostar.com
for the journey as you can go from
London through Paris and on the high speed train – the whole journey is
approximately 6 hours with one change in Paris – you pass through some
breath-taking scenery and of course with Eurostar you can pick which type of
ticket you want – plus they have great
guide section on the site packed with ideas for shopping etc uk.eurostar.com
I stayed at the Grand
Hotel de la Paix www.hotel-lyon-france.com
– which is very centrally located for the shops, sites and it’s lovely hotel it
has 41 rooms and all the rooms have flat-screen TVs and free wireless, plus all
the usual amenities – there is a breakfast room but to be honest as the city is
packed with fabulous café’s and restaurant’s it is easier to just dress and hit
the pavement and do some people watching.
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