I just returned from my 10-day vacation in Lyon, France. I have been to France quite a few times, but I particularly enjoy Lyon. Situated between Paris and Marseille, Lyon is the second largest city in France and, if you haven't ever thought of it that way, this is because for some reason Lyon has not been publicized as much as it deserves. The plus side of this is that there is a large metropolitan area of France to explore without ever having to be pushed and stepped on by tourists, as is often the case in Paris.
With so many independently owned restaurants, shops, cafes, one could easily live in Lyon without ever indulging into the mass-consumer lifestyle. Moreover, the city's architecture - from the 15th century Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon, in English) to the old silk weavers' district of Croix Rousse, rich markets and narrow streets have offered me a break from life in Belgrade, which is increasingly starting to resemble that of some wild capitalist city, overwhelmed with honking cars, pollution, hypermarkets, chain bakeries and take away coffee.
Aside from the usual sites that you will read about on the city's official site or Lonely Planet like the Fourvière hill and Place de Terraux (a spacious square with a 19th century fountain sculpted by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, famous for having sculpted the Statue of Liberty), I would like to suggest a couple of things to authenticate your visit:
With so many independently owned restaurants, shops, cafes, one could easily live in Lyon without ever indulging into the mass-consumer lifestyle. Moreover, the city's architecture - from the 15th century Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon, in English) to the old silk weavers' district of Croix Rousse, rich markets and narrow streets have offered me a break from life in Belgrade, which is increasingly starting to resemble that of some wild capitalist city, overwhelmed with honking cars, pollution, hypermarkets, chain bakeries and take away coffee.
Aside from the usual sites that you will read about on the city's official site or Lonely Planet like the Fourvière hill and Place de Terraux (a spacious square with a 19th century fountain sculpted by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, famous for having sculpted the Statue of Liberty), I would like to suggest a couple of things to authenticate your visit:
- Montee de la Grande Cote: a strip connecting Croix Rousse and the Presqu'ile peninsula. This colorful UNESCO World Heritage Site hosts everything from 18th century homes to homes more recently built as social housing projects. The street also offers many artisan shops with hand made jewelry and clothing, classic pastry shops, tiny galleries and facades hectically stained with graffiti and stencil art. Tip: go to the Croix Rousse Market (take the yellow metro line C to Croix Rousse) to get the season's finest produce, do some "people-watching", maybe even be a tourist and taste some cheese, then stroll down Montee de la Grande Cote and finish up with a rest at a tea salon in one of the intersecting streets towards the bottom of Grande Cote.
- Guillotière quarter: explore the mixture of university student and immigrant life. This is also a great place to try delicious Arab pastries and hit the affordable Asian restaurants.
- If the weather permits, rent out a Velo'v bike, which can be picked up and returned at any of the many Velo'v stations throughout the city. Don't miss driving by the 2 riversides! You can even stop at one of the ships and have a refreshment before heading to Parc de la Tete for a ride through the Botanical Gardens.Wander around and let me know how it went!
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