February 2025


identifying seal or by bronze shields with a lion’s head. They wind their way through the narrow streets and buildings, up staircases and into courtyards passing from one street to another. During World War Two the passageways were used by members of the Resistance for secret meetings to prevent the Nazis occupying all of the city. The best time to explore the traboules is in the morning when more of them are open to the public. It is a pleasure to spend an hour sneaking about this


neighbourhood, the former


stomping ground of bankers and wealthy Italian traders. Part of the fun in exploring it is to push open a large, historic and carved wooden door to see what it reveals or to find that there is no access and you must try another one.


On a walk around the city your eyes will inevitably be drawn to Fourvière Hill which guards the memory of Lugdunum, the original Roman settlement. To reach this part of Lyon you can take the short journey by funicular or, for the bravest tackle the stairs and head for an area that is known by the locals as ‘the hill that prays’. From the summit, panoramic views open out over the rooftops of Lyon and beyond to the countryside. You can also make out the tall houses of Croix-Rousse hill, an area of Lyon developed in the 19th


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THE CAPITAL OF FRENCH GASTRONOMY | 15


mask created for Michael Jackson. There are numerous reproductions with realistic micro-sets and special effects and costumes from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, and the Harry Potter series. As well as being a Unesco World Heritage


site, Lyon is also a city of lights, a living history book with a succession of music, theatre and film festivals and every two years (from 20 to 23 November in 2025) a festival celebrating silk making. It is one of France’s epicurean heavyweights where they rhapsodise over food. But the city is also saturated with history, culture, and appealing architecture. A place to sample some of the country’s finest food where you can let yourself be carried away by its bon vivant character. It was my first visit to Lyon


and was clearly love at first bite. FACT BOX


century as the workshop of Lyon’s important silk weaving industry and where the former workers lived.


The Basilica of Notre-Dame on Fourvière is a landmark building standing proudly above the peaceful green haven of the Jardins du Rossaire. The golden statue of the Virgin Mary was built by a local sculptor in 1852 and erected on the spires to commemorate Lyon’s liberation from the plague epidemic in 1643. Inside, the cathedral the stained-glass windows, and ceilings are adorned with golden stars and chandeliers. Back at ground level,


the streets are filled with tantalising patisseries, chichi boutiques,


and alongside the


wonderful architecture. Settle down with a coffee at La Place des Jacobins – created in the 1550s – and watch the passing show


around the square and the mighty marble water fountain at its centre. Close by, keep an eye out for the elegant Passage of the Argue, a covered gallery stocked with speciality shops such as hat makers, a watchmaker and cutlery shops.


If time permits, there are several museums worth visiting including the Musée des Confluences which recounts the development of human history combining elements of geography, cultural history and science. This museum is sited at the meeting of the city’s two major river, the Rhône and the Saône. It is also well worth seeking out the quirky Cinema and Miniature Museum housed in a magnificent Renaissance building in the heart of the old town. This museum explores the world of cinema through a trail of miniature film sets such as an alien from Close Encounters of the Third Kind or a robotic


Flights: Aer Lingus from Dublin to Lyon-Saint Exupèy Airport, from €90 per person return


Globe & Cecil Hotel, 21 Rue Gasparin, www.globeetcecilhotel.com Food Hall, www.halles-de-lyon- paulbocuse.com Café Comptoir Abel, 25 Rue Guynemer, 69002, Lyon, www.maisonabel.fr Le


Marion, 69005, Lyon, www.tetedoie,fr/ bistrot-tetedoie Confluence Museum,


museedesconfluences.fr/en Cinema and Miniature Museum, Vieux Lyon Lyon City Card for three days (£42) gives access to main attractions and museums, and covers travel around the city centre and guided bus tours. www.lyoncitycard.com Lyon Tourist Office, Place Bellecour – 69022 Lyon www.visiterlyon.com Tel : 0033 6 35 23 15 13


Instagram: @onlylyon & @ a.la. lyonnaise


www. Bistrot Têtedoie, 4 Rue Pierre


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