Lyon is the third largest city in France and the capital city in France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Lyon's centre reflects 2,000 years of history from the Roman Amphithéâtre des Trois Gaules, medieval and Renaissance architecture in Vieux Lyon, to the modern Confluence district on Presqu'île peninsula. I visited Lyon to simply visit a friend, but I didn't expect that I would enjoy it so much.
5 Hidden Gems In Lyon
1. Mur Des Canuts (Canuts Mural)
This is a gigantic mural depicting ordinary life in the La Croix-Rousse, it is painted on a huge wall and it was created in 1987. This can take as long as you want, you can stay at a cafe or a restaurant near and enjoy a meal or a drink.
2. Musée Cinéma Et Miniature (Museum Of Cinema Miniature)
This is the Museum of hyper-realistic, miniature everyday scenes, plus movie props & special effects exhibits. This is one of my favourite places in Lyon, I enjoyed it so much and I feel like not many people know about it, I have a friend who lived in Lyon and didn't know about this museum, so this is a must when visiting Lyon. This should take between 1 and 2 hours.
3. Astronomical Clock Of Lyon
If you went to Prague, Czech before, then you would have seen the astronomical clock there, and this one is similar to it but on a smaller scale. The Astronomical clock indicates the date and position of the Moon, Sun, and Earth, as well as the stars. The first evidence of an astronomical clock in this cathedral dates back to 1383; but unfortunately it was destroyed in 1562.
The Astronomical Clock of Lyon is located in Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste, or more known as Lyon Cathedral. Lyon Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church that is located on Place Saint-Jean in central Lyon. This church is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and is the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon, and the construction of this church was completed in 1476. The church is open on weekdays from 08:15 until 19:45, and on Saturday from 08:15 until 19:00, and on Sunday from 08:00 until 19:45. This should take you about 15 minutes.
4. Jardin Rosa Mir
Jardin Rosa Mir is a garden located in the centre of La Croix-Rousse, which is a quarter in the 4th arrondissement of Lyon, which was created by Jules Senis. The Jardin Rosa Mir is housed in a courtyard of the building at no. 83 Grande Rue de la Croix-Rousse, which can be accessed through a path located at no. 87 in the same street. The story of the garden is that it was made by Jules Senis who recovered from cancer, and he had made a promise to build a garden if he recover, and he did. He basically dedicated 25 years of his life after his recovery building this spectacular garden.
5. Traboules Secret Passages
Traboules Secret Passages are secret covered passageways primarily associated with Lyon, but they can also be found in other cities in France. These hidden passages were once used by silk workers to get their wares to and from the market unmarred. These passages are now open to the public and you can walk through them. This is such a great way to discover Lyon in a completely new light.
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How To Get To Lyon
It is easy to get to Lyon by plane at the Lyon Saint Exupéry Airport, there are flights from all over Europe nearly everyday, so depending on where you are, it might be easy to get there. You can find cheap flights on WayAway. Also, if you are in Europe, you can easily find train and buses through Omio, FlixBus, and Kiwi.com. My favourite app to use whenever I am in Europe is Omio!
How To Move Around Lyon
Once you reach Lyon, the airport is connected to a train station so it easy to get into the city from there. When moving around the city you can get the metro or the tram, you can buy tickets from any metro station or from a tram stop, you will find ticket machines at each stop. Also be aware that you need to validate your ticket once you get on your mode of transport of choice, this is important to not forget.
Best Time To Visit Lyon
You can visit Lyon all year long, during the summer it is hot and you can go canoeing or go on a boat rides. During winter it is also nice since the Alps are nearby as well as the attractions within the city, and also during winter you can witness the Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumière) in December.
The best time to visit Lyon is in September & October. At this time, all the summer tourists would have left the city and it won't be as crowded as it normally would be, and also the weather would be nice, not too hot and not too cold. If you are looking for the best prices, then you would have to visit between November & April, but be aware that it would be cold during that time.
Accommodations In Lyon
The best area for tourists to stay in is Presqu'île, this area occupies the land between the Rhône and Saône rivers and comprises the 1st, 2nd and 4th arrondissements. You can find hotels and Airbnbs in that area easily.
You can book your accommodation through Booking.com, which is the one I use the most, or if you wan to stay in a hostel you can book through HostelWorld. You can also use Agoda, Trivago, or Vrbo to book your accommodations. I know most people have a favourite website or app to use, so just choose what you prefer best.
Best Cafes & Restaurants In Lyon
Slake (Gluten-free options, vegan friendly, French cuisine)
Diploid (Gluten-free options, vegan friendly, French cuisine)
Akle - Le Comptoir A Mezzes (Vegan friendly, Lebanese cuisine)
Sabai Sabai (Gluten-freen options, vegan friendly, Asian)
Le Roi Falafel (Vegan friendly, Lebanese cuisine)
If you wan to find more cafes & restaurants to try, then you can do so through TripAdvisor.
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