Parks and the outdoors in Lyon

Parks and the outdoors in Lyon

1. See

   Hôtel-Dieu

   The majestic Hôtel-Dieu was the oldest hospital in Lyon and is one of the largest buildings in Presqu'île. The façade along the river Rhône is over 300 m (984 ft) long. The first hospital was built in 1184-1185; it was modified several times before Soufflot designed the current building, built from 1741 to 1761. The large dome was completed in 1765. The newly built Grange Blanche hospital (today Edouard Herriot) became the main medical centre in the city in the 1930s. Hôtel-Dieu doctors were pioneers in numerous specialities, including radiology (Etienne Destot), oncology (Léon Bérard), surgery (Joseph Gensoul, Matthieu Jaboulay) and orthopedics (Louis Léopold Ollier); they contributed in making Lyon the second medical centre in the country after Paris. The building no longer fit the needs of modern medicine, and the hospital was closed in 2010. It was converted into a shopping mall and the Intercontinental Hotel.

   Courtyard and gardens: daily 09:00-19:00; shops Mon-Sat 10:30-19:00; cafes Mon-Sat 09:00-19:00

2. See

   Ile Barbe

   This charming island on the river Saône is the only inhabited island in Lyon. In the 5th century, one of the first monasteries in Gaul was founded there. It became a powerful Benedictine abbey (from the 9th century) but was finally ruined in 1526 by Protestants, during the religious wars. Of the three churches that existed on the island, only the Romanesque Notre-Dame remains. The island also has other old buildings in a quiet and green environment. The suspension bridge was built in 1827.

3. See

   Jardin Rosa Mir

   This amazing garden was built by a Spanish refugee, Jules Senis, and dedicated to his mother. Senis had cancer and had made the vow of building this garden if he ever came out of the hospital; fortunately, he did. The garden is a fine mixture of mineral and vegetal elements, in a style influenced by Gaudi's works in Barcelona.

   1 Apr-30 Nov, Sat 15:00-18:00·Free

4. See

   Jardin des Curiosités

   Garden of Curiosities

   Small garden hidden in the bottom of a street/car park, behind a metallic door. It was designed by Canadian artists in a surrealistic spirit (recalls Magritte or Dali). Also a very nice viewpoint over the southern part of Lyon.

5. Eat

   L'Ouest

   A brasserie owned by Paul Bocuse, near the river Saône. The specialities are fish and cuisine of the Caribbean.

6. See

   Montée du Gourguillon

   This picturesque montée (sloping street on hillside) starts behind Vieux Lyon metro station and ends quite close to the Roman theatres of Fourvière. It was the main link between the river Saône and the top of Fourvière throughout the Roman era, Middle Ages and Renaissance. Nowadays it keeps a medieval spirit. Around numbers 5-7 is Impasse Turquet, a small cul-de-sac named after Etienne Turquet, an Italian who is said to have founded the silk industry in Lyon in 1536. In this small passageway are the oldest houses of the city, dating back to the 13th or 14th century, with wooden balconies.

7. See

   Musées Gadagne: Historical museum of Lyon and International puppet museum

   These museums dedicated to the history of the city and to puppets (like the famous Guignol from Lyon). The building is a magnificent Renaissance palace that is worth a visit. A nice garden and cafe have also been created at the top of the building (free access). Unfortunately there is no view, however. Temporary exhibitions are shown. The puppet museum is mostly for kids and is skippable if you don't read French and don't have a fascination for either the local puppet tradition or seeing a small number of typical pieces from the most known and easily collected traditions (Turkey, Java, Japan, Siam). Wheelchair or pram access is possible to the historical museum through a labyrinthine series of lifts, though only to portions of the puppet museum.

   Wed-Sun 11:00-18:30 except public holidays·1 museum: €6 including audioguide, 2 museums: €8, 2 museums + temporary exhibition: €10. Under 26 and disabled: free

8. See

   Parc Sergent Blandan

   A park built on the grounds of former military barracks. It includes a large skatepark and many sports playgrounds. Still under development, it should cover 17 hectares when completed.

9. See

   Parc de Gerland

   The Rhône banks promenade ends here. This park does not have the majesty of Parc de la Tête d'Or but it is far less crowded and boasts some nice examples of modern landscaping. Still under development, it should cover 80 hectares when completed.

10. See

    Parc de la Tête d'or

    Completed in 1862, this English-style garden is one of the largest and arguably one of the most beautiful urban parks in France. It is a popular place for families as well as joggers. The highlights of the park include the large greenhouses, the botanical garden, the rose garden and the "African plain" in which animals wander in a natural-style environment, perfect for children.

    15 Oct–14 Apr: 06:30–20:30, 15 Apr–14 Oct: 06:30–22:30·free of charge

11. See

    Parc des Hauteurs

    This park between the metal tower of Fourvière and the Loyasse cemetery is a promenade with a nice footbridge offering great views towards the Monts d'Or and Beaujolais. There is an aerial adventure course and a skiing and mountain bike slope.

12. See

    Place Bellecour

    The largest clear square in Europe. In the centre stands the equestrian statue of Louis XIV ("under the horse's tail" is a usual meeting point for locals). Apart from this, it is rather empty, windy and not so pleasant. A renovation project is under way. Between the southeast corner of Place Bellecour and the river Rhône is Place Antonin Poncet. There was a hospital there (Hôpital de la Charité), built in 1622 and demolished in 1934. The only remain is the bell tower (Clocher de la Charité) built in 1667.

13. See

    Rue St Jean

    This cobblestone pedestrian street is the main axis of the area. It is full of souvenir shops and restaurants mainly intended for tourists. Local people are aware that real good bouchons are extremely rare here. On a sunny Sunday afternoon, it may be hard to walk because of the crowd of both locals and tourists. You can also check out the more quiet rue des Trois Maries which runs parallel to rue St Jean, between place de la Baleine and rue du Palais de Justice.

14. See

    St Jean archaeological garden

    Jardin archéologique

    Next to St Jean cathedral (on the northern side), this small garden shows the remains of the religious buildings which occupied the site before the cathedral was erected. The oldest remains date back to the 4th century (baptistery of the former St Etienne church).

    Free

15. See

    Théâtre des Célestins

    Designed by Gaspard André and opened in 1877, the building has a beautiful Italian-style façade. In the middle of the quiet plaza outside the theatre stands a strange periscope in which you can see rotating geometric shapes, like a kaleidoscope. Those were actually painted in the car park beneath the plaza by the famous artist Daniel Buren and they are reflected by a rotating mirror. To enter the car park and see the other side, take the stairway on your right when looking at the theatre.

16. See Not mapped

    Rhône banks

    The right bank of the river Rhône has been turned from an ugly car park into a 5-km promenade with various landscapes and great views over the Croix-Rousse and Presqu'Ile areas. The place had immediate success among locals. A bicycle is perfect to enjoy it.

17. See Not mapped

    Saône banks

    Following the success of the Rhône banks operation, the municipality decided to do renew the operation, this time with the Saône river. The aim is to create a 22km-long promenade between along the Saône banks, separated into two parts (for now): between Confluence and île Barbe, and between the neighboring cities of Fontaines-sur-Saône and Rochetaillée-sur-Saône (north of Lyon). Work is still ongoing but some portions are already open. The promenade extends largely into suburban territory and is much greener than the Rhône banks. The portion near Rochetaillée features many waterside restaurants (guinguettes) serving fresh fish.

18. Do Not mapped

    Véritable Guignol du Vieux Lyon et du Parc

    Especially intended for children, this outdoor theatre is in the park, near the lake and the zoo.

    Wed Sat Sun, bank and school holidays 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Lyon (CC BY-SA 4.0).