Although I have lived in Lyon for two years now, with my husband and our dog, and we have seen the major sites, we mostly keep to our own residential quartier. That's how it goes when you settle in, you run your errands, go to cafes and restaurants, and shops, close to home. Before the pandemic we went out of town to other regions of France at least once a month, and although during the "deconfinement' we are free to travel, we have chosen to stay in Lyon this summer.
We are not complaining - Lyon is a wonderful town to live in, and we have not seen most of it yet. The public transportation can take you to the farthest corners, and a lot can be done on foot as well. This summer we will explore our adoptive city a bit more.
Recently we have taken an afternoon to take another look around the area of Place Bellecour. Centrally located on La Presquille, it is the kilometer 0 of Lyon: all distances are counted from this point. With the Rhone to the east, the Saone to the west, one of the oldest districts of Lyon, Ainay, to the south, and the Croix Rousse to the north. In pre-pandemic times when we had visitors who never had the pleasure to see Lyon before, Place Bellecour was the first thing we showed them.
Now you are our virtual guests - follow us on this stroll! We can start with the tourist office which is housed in this stylish pavilion. There are two identical ones in the square, its twin houses an art gallery.
La Place Bellecour is one of the largest public squares in Europe. The equestrian statue you see in the middle of the square is of King Louis XIV. The basilica you see above on a hill is the famous Fourvière. The tower next to it looks like a replica of the Eiffel Tower, and is simply called La Tour métallique.
When you get tired looking around, here is a perfect spot to catch your breath! In summer months this is the place in the south part of the square to rest your feet.
Place Bellecour is surrounded by rows of old buildings, each one different, each one with beautiful details.
From the Place I like heading over to Ainay, a quartier just south of the square, to get lost in the gauntlet of little street, full of bookstores, art galleries, and cafes. It's has a Parisian feel to it, a little bit like Saint Germain.
Or one can walk just a few steps toward the Saone, and across a bridge (there a many, you can pick and choose!), and suddenly we are in Vieux Lyon - but that's another "chapter"of our virtual trip.
Thank you for strolling around with us - till next time - À bientôt!
- by Joanna