Travel: Lyon, France’s most underrated city

Lyon, France Visitors to Paris usually don’t have to stop, and can then continue on to Cannes, Versailles and Provence. But it should be.

Lyon, a two-hour train ride from Paris and close to the Alps and the Swiss border, ranks as France’s third-largest city (after Paris and Marseilles) and is “quieter” than Paris, noted 4-year Lyon resident Catherine Torres. , in her interview with me Photovox TV Cont. “It’s very small…. and you can do some wonderful walking.”

She speaks my language!

Brommer’s visit to Lyon will give you “a real taste of what French life is really like”.

Yes, the 2,000-year-old city has a new side, it’s cosmopolitan, and full of big buildings and big plazas, and it’s cool.

and Old Town, or Old Leon, called as? It will show you what French life was like once upon a time.

With its small alleyways, secret walkways and secluded streets, Catherine spoke of Lyon as a walking paradise. See for yourself in the latest PhotowalksTV episode shot on iPhone 14 Pro Max and Insta360 X3 cameras.

No map or directions required to play. Cross the river from the new part of the city to “Vieux Lyon” which is like stepping into a time machine full of wonderful French cafes, bistros, gelato parlors and lots of eye candy.

How to get there? Cross the street on a bridge from the old town. If you take the Tobacconist Bridge, it will take you straight to history (everything here). St. Jean’s CathedralIt will guide you Rue St. JeanAn old street full of fun shops, those secret alleys, a toy museum and all those poochs.

The Cork: A homey restaurant serving local fare where you get to know your neighbours.

My wife Ruth (please subscribe to her newsletter) describes the fare this way: “Meat-centric restaurants serving traditional dishes of the city like salade Lyonnaise, foie gras and bread tripe (Supper armor) I didn’t try the tripe, but I did try the dinner with creamy potatoes in a red wine sauce and it was very good, especially the potatoes and the dessert, a regional specialty which is a rose-tinted praline tart.

Vieux Lyon highlights begin with the Cathedral of St. Jean, begun in 1180 and completed in 1476. It is a large Gothic church in a plaza.

As you walk down rue St. John, you pass all kinds of shops and houses. Many houses lead to alleys or “trapools”. They are said to have been rebuilt when merchants traveled around Lyon invisibly. About 40 trails are open to the public and are clearly marked with a small signpost.

Inside the lane you will find houses, courtyards, gardens and a fun escape from the huge crowds that can descend on rue Saint-Jean.

There are two ways to explore the area. In the middle of the day with tourists, or early in the morning, when you have the main streets and side streets. I think you know which method I prefer.

Another is to stop at Vieux Lyon, climbing to the top of the hill to see another magnificent church that dominates the skyline.

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere Construction began in 1872, so it’s relatively new, but a stunner, and it leads to an amazing mountain view of the city.

If you don’t fancy climbing the steep steps, you can hop on the metro Funicular to Fourier Hill. Rue St. In Jean you catch it and it’s a fun ride.

Check out Lyon on your next visit to France and let me know how you enjoyed it.

For more photos, check out my Leon gallery on my website.

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out my five-part video series from Paris on the FotovacTV channel.