Lyon by Maxine Jones

Lyon is France’s biggest city after Paris, but you would never think so. The city centre, crossed by the rivers Saone and Rhone, is backed by two hills complete with Roman ruins - this was, after all, once Lugdunum, the capital of Gaul. Its streets and squares are made up of immaculately preserved Renaissance mansions and such is the general appeal that the whole central area of Lyon has been declared a World Heritage Site.

Beyond lies the vast urban and industrial sprawl that gives Lyon its contemporary clout, but which is unlikely to entice you away from the centre’s riverside walks, hillside panoramas and intricate passageways, not to mention the ubiquitous ‘bouchons’, small bistrots serving memorable dishes which have gained Lyon its reputation as the gastronomic capital of France.

The best way to get your bearings is to walk to the top of Fourviere hill, on the left bank of the Saone. The climb is steep, one route taking in over 200 steps, but will put you in the mood for a good lunch or dinner later. In front of the ornate Basilica is an esplanade looking over the ochre-tiled roofs of the Saint-Jean area; modern Lyon, with the distinctive tower called ‘Le Crayon’ in the Part-Dieu district (Europe’s largest shopping precint), and beyond that, on a clear day, the Alps. A long diagram picks out the major sites. If you want an even higher vantage point and a bigger appetite, you can climb the 300 steps to the top of the Basilica.

The remains of two Roman theatres are on the hill. The Grand Theatre, the oldest in France, was built in 15BC to seat 30,000 spectators and is still used for open-air spectacles in the summer. The Musee de la Civilisation Gallo-Romaine is nearby. If you want to avoid the climb, take the funiculaire from the metro stop Vieux Lyon near Cathedrale St Jean. (Go in and look at the tall medieval clock to the left of the altar. Made in 1598, it is still in perfect working order.) The walk back down is pleasant, taking in the Parc des Hauteurs and the Jardins du Rosaire.

Between Fourviere hill and the Saone, the Saint Jean, Saint Paul and Saint Georges quarters form Vieux Lyon, which in 1964 became the first protected sector in France and makes up one of the largest Renaissance districts in Europe (60 acres). Like the slopes of Croix-Rousse hill, this quarter is crisscrossed with traboule passageways, allowing pedestrians to go from one street to another via the inner courtyards of buildings. These passageway often hide marvels of Renaissance architecture and decoration, such as vaulted ceilings, Italianate galleries piled one on top of the other, towers and spiral staircases. Originally built to protect rolls of silk being transported through the town, the traboules served more recently to enable Resistance members to thwart the Nazis. The Saint Jean quarter has been mostly given over to pedestrians, which encourages the many cafes and restaurants to spill out onto the cobblestone streets and squares. In mid-September, Saint Jean celebrates the centuries-old Tupiniers Fair, the largest fair in Europe for pottery artisans.

Croix-Rousse hill is a world apart, though it descends almost into Place des Terreaux, one of the most vibrant hubs of the city. The early 19th-century silk-weavers’ quarters is now home to a large number of socially-oriented associations, designer and artist studios. At 12 rue d’Ivry a silk workers’ house (Maison des Canuts) is laid out as it would have been at the height of the industry. The charm of its steep winding streets and views of the city, together with renovations of most of the old buildings, have begun to attract a more affluent population to an area that was once the scene of violent revolts against bourgeois masters. The Sunday outdoor market is a big draw and there are over 20 small, friendly restaurants nearby. If you want to follow up the silk theme, you can visit the Musee des Tissus at des Arts decoratifs at 34, rue de la Charite, Lyon 2, metro Bellecour.

Place des Terreaux, with its centrepiece fountain and statues by Bartholdi (of Statue of Liberty fame), is flanked by the opulent Hotel de Ville. Behind the town hall is the contrasting high glass dome of the Opera National. Originally built in the 19th century, its redesign in 1992 by Jean Nouvel raised a few eyebrows. Here also is the Musee des Beaux-Arts, second only to the Louvre in scope, with a restful inner courtyard. Ancient Greece and Egypt are well represented and painters from the Middle Ages to the present day include Rubens, Rembrandt, Delacroix, Monet, Gaugin and Picasso.

The other main square is the vast Place Bellecour, which can be reached by the pedestrianised Rue de la Republique, or any number of intriguing side streets. On your right run the quays of the Saone and on your left those of the Rhone, so you can’t get lost. The whole of this area is called the ‘Presqu’ile’. During the day the Florentine facades of the quayside mansions are reflected in the rivers. At night Lyon’s bridges and buildings are imaginatively lit up. Night or day, you may come across ‘murs peints’, walls covered in ‘trompe l’oeil’ painting. There are over 150 across Lyon and while you may stumble across one or two, you need to know where to find them and a guided tour booked at the tourist office may be your best bet

Guignol puppets and the invention of cinema are two of Lyon’s claims to fame. Guignol was created by Laurent Mourguet, a former silk worker, in 1808. Performances can be seen at Le Gignol de Lyon, Compagnie des Zonzons, 2 rue Louis Carrand, Lyon 5. Tel: 04 78 28 92 57. The Musee Lumiere, 25 rue du 1er Film, Lyon 8 is a new museum installed in the family home of the brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere. Here you can see the world’s first cinema film projection and first colour photographs.

If you want a change from strolling round the streets, you could follow the 10km cycle path along the Rhone to the nature park of Miribel Jonage, with its lake and beaches. Along the way you could take in the city park of Feyssine (with its orchid fields) and the flea market by the canal (1 rue du Canal, Villeurbanne, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 8am-1pm). Tete d’Or Park, with a free-admission zoo and botanical gardens, is at the north end of Lyon. It has a Guignol puppet theatre and a boating lake.

When your wanderings are over, you’ll be spoilt for choice for restaurants. Historic Lyon has more per square metre than anywhere else in the world. You won’t be disappointed at Le Passage, 8, rue du Platre, Lyon 69001, tel 04 78 28 11 16, with it cosy red decor, warm welcome and dishes which are at the same time traditional and imaginative. Bon apetit!



LYON’S CITY LIGHTS

Festive lights on winter nights have a cheering effect. Add to this the communal experience of wonder as they are turned on - something akin to that felt at a firework display - and you have two of the ingredients which make Lyon’s annual ‘Festival of Lights’ such a success. What started out as a long-held tradition in honour of the Virgin Mary, when candles were set in jars along window ledges, has developed over the past four years into a major event, with whole buildings becoming screens for innovative projected images.

Being French, the festival is above all an artistic venture. The lighting engineers and designers are all called ‘artistes’ and there is room for the avant-garde in this annual reinterpretation and reevaluation of the city’s architecture. Surprise is a big element.in the four-day festival held around the 8th December every year. During the last festival Lyonnais metro-riders found their carriages bathed in red, green, yellow or blue light - ‘a collective sensory experience’ according to the festival programme. But its in getting people out into the streets at night time, wandering around from one installation or ‘son et lumiere’ spectacle to the next, that the festival scores its biggest hit.

Throughout the year, walking at night in Lyon is pleasant, with over 300 sites permanently lit up. Many of the lighting displays are spin-offs from the Festival of Lights. Some areas refused to part with them once the festival was over.

The City of Lyon has taken the initiative in creating an international network of cities of light. Towns and experts from all over the world are able to exchange information and experiences in the area of urban lighting and promote light as an integral feature of urban life, architecture and town planning. The network currently has some 30 member cities who have joined the LUCI Association (Lighting Urban Community International), presided over by the City of Lyon.