9 Fun Ways to See Lyon Like a Local

Look for the places in Lyon only locals know by setting off on a search for surprising and secret places to give your trip that authentic note you’ll remember for a long time to come. Alone or with a guide, on foot or by bike, explore the traboules, walkways, courtyards and gardens scattered around the city. Spend hours indulging in the pleasures of the south on an island only accessible by boat and admire unique works of art in the heart of the city.

Once you’ve finished the tour of the medieval and Renaissance districts and you’ve wandered around the Presqu’île and climbed the slopes of the Croix-Rousse, you’ll want to find some of the hidden gems listed below.

1. Rosa Mir Garden

Lyon’s version of Park Güell

Categorías: Parejas, Fotos, Asequible, Poco común

Listed by the French Historic Monument Society and made entirely from rocks, Rosa Mir Garden is the work of Spanish mason and tiler, Jules Senis. Well hidden in the interior courtyard of a building on Grande Rue de la Croix-Rousse, it’s a little gem of irresistible elegance.

The artist, who spent the last 20 years of his life working on this project, designed it in honour of his mother, Rosa Mir Mercader. Colourful flowers and plants mix with a multitude of stones, pebbles and shells to form geometric shapes and columns like a life-sized daydream. This profoundly Mediterranean masterpiece is a great excuse for a pleasant walk. Enjoy free access and paid guided tours for visitors aged 12 and above.

Dirección: 87 Grande rue de la Croix-Rousse, 69004 Lyon, France

Horario: April–October: Saturday from 2 pm to 5.30 pm (closed Sunday–Friday)

Teléfono: +33 (0)4 72 69 47 78

2. Lyon Bike Tour

The wind in your hair as you discover the city

Categorías: Aventuras, Poco común

Jump on an electric bike from Lyon Bike Tour and follow your passionate local guide through the streets of Lyon. Discover the city’s iconic monuments and neighbourhoods, secret alleyways, little-known nooks and crannies and fascinating stories about the places you are visiting.

Choose a 2, 3 or 4-hour loop and your preferred theme: Lyon essentials, the unusual hill of Croix-Rousse, the neighbourhood of Confluence between the Saône and the Rhône rivers or a complete city tour. Peppered with stops for food and drinks at partner establishments, the small group circuits are a friendly place to share happiness.

Dirección: 23 Quai Romain Rolland, 69005 Lyon, France

Horario: Daily from 9.30 am to 8 pm   

Teléfono: +33 (0)6 51 36 33 47

3. Perrache hanging gardens

A timeless spot on the roof of a train station

Categorías: Poco común

On the roof of the exchange centre at the Lyon-Perrache train station, these hanging gardens bring nature into the city. Thanks to the initiative of a team of gardeners, this cultivable green area is a haven of peace in the middle of urban chaos. Daisies and courgette flowers, ivy and tomatoes and roses and bamboo intertwine against stark concrete decoration to give a delightful contrast.

Come and enjoy a moment of calm and soak up the charm of these seemingly abandoned gardens. Apart from the shared garden, individual plots have been created thanks to the project’s success and gardening classes are also available. Bring your camera with you because there’s an unobstructed view over Lyon.

Dirección: Cours de Verdun Perrache, 69002 Lyon, France

Horario: Daily from 6.30 am to 9 pm   

4. Voraces square

The city’s industrial past

Categorías: Historia, Fotos, Poco común

If you aren’t in the know, Voraces square is a block of buildings with a characteristic courtyard that hides a whole chunk of Lyon’s working history. It’s also listed by the French Historic Monument Society. Les Voraces refers to a group of canuts (silk workers in the neighbourhood) at the beginning of the rise of the industry in 1848.

Their workshops and silk looms were set up in this group of 8-floor buildings. Arranged around a courtyard with a staircase that’s very recognisable thanks to its concrete diagonals, emblematic of the architecture of the Croix-Rousse neighbourhood. Alleyways, cul-de-sacs and passageways cross the complex, creating a traboule, which is a type of passageway typical of Lyon.

Dirección: 9 Place Colbert, 69001 Lyon, France

Horario: Daily from 7 am to 7 pm (8 pm during summer)

5. Mount Cindre Hermitage rock garden

A unique masterpiece deep in the Monts d’Or mountains to the north-west of Lyon

Categorías: Historia, Fotos, Poco común

The jardin de rocailles de l’Ermitage du mont Cindre (Mount Cindre Hermitage rock garden), 5 km outside of Lyon, is the fruit of a monk’s imagination and is made of stones and pebbles collected in the surrounding areas and assembled over the course of 30 years, begun in 1878. The final magical and unique result is 5 small chapels around a pre-existing church from the Middle Ages, ponds, caves, underground passages, sculptures and statues, all swallowed up by vegetation and surrounded by a vegetable garden.

This visit is both captivating and spellbinding. What’s more, the views over the tops of the Alps and Fourvière are definitely worth the detour.

Dirección: Mont Cindre, 69 450 Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d’Or, France

Horario: First Sunday of May and June, every Sunday from July to mid-September and 15 August from 3 pm to 6 pm

6. Parc de la Feyssine

An urban park rich with wildlife

Categorías: Asequible, Familias

Over 110 acres of lush woodlands make up the beautiful, and award-winning, Park de la Feyssine on the banks of the Rhône River. Despite being the area’s largest green space, it has a secluded feel that attracts locals and visitors looking for peace within nature.

Bike or wander along one of the many trails and marvel at the park’s vast biodiversity. From sage and oregano to orchids and hawthorn to wild rabbits and green woodpeckers, the wildlife here is abundant. Why not pack a picnic with supplies from a local deli and enjoy it from the midst of nature?

Dirección: 69100 Villeurbanne, France

Horario: October – March: Daily from 8 am to 7 pm, April – September: Daily from 8 am to 10 pm

7. Canut’s Fresco

The story of La Croix-Rousse

Categorías: Historia, Fotos, Poco común

The Fresque des Lyonnais is the city’s most famous painted wall, but have you heard of Canut’s Fresco? This enormous trompe-l’oeil, stretched over a 1,200-m2 blind frontage, draws its originality from its changing nature. Transformations in the neighbourhood are integrated over time and the characters get older, with a view to depicting La Croix-Rousse as realistically as possible.

The buildings shown have high windows and ceilings, just like the ones in the neighbourhood, because they had to home the silk weavers’ looms in the 19th century, giving a name to this fresco today. There are also self-service Lyon bikes, for a more modern touch, and a small Guignol puppet theatre reflecting the culture of the city.

Dirección: 36 Boulevard des Canuts, 69004 Lyon, France

8. The Quatre Vents gateway

A peaceful climb and a calming walk

Categorías: Parejas, Poco común

At 600 m long, The Quatre Vents gateway connects the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière to Loyasse Cemetery in the heart of Parc des Hauteurs. In the past, coffins were taken to the cemetery via a railway opened in 1900, the shortest in France. Nowadays, it’s the astonishing panorama and green surroundings that attract walkers.

The view over the Saône, Croix-Rousse and Fourvière is amazing and the basilica makes for a magnificent backdrop for photos that are slightly more out of the ordinary. To stay off the beaten track, follow the path to Montée de Sarra, an old ski slope. And, while you’re there, why not stop off at Jardin des Pivoines or the Parc de la Visitation?

Dirección: Chemin du Viaduc, 69005 Lyon, France

9. Roy Island

A bubble of freshness in a traditional open-air café

Categorías: Parejas, Familias, Poco común

Roy Island is unexpected. 3 minutes by boat from the jetty on the right bank of the Saône, it’s a haven of freshness, peace and greenery. It houses Le Crusoé, a delightfully vintage open-air cafe that has been there since the 50s. Deckchairs, bowling, badminton and table tennis table will help you idle away the hours below the rustle of the trees, far from the noise of the city.

If you get a little hungry, try the fried fish, buttered frogs’ legs, beef tartare and other French specialities. The island is often deserted at lunchtime, but the entertainment is in full swing on karaoke evenings and when the dance floor beneath the Chinese lanterns is open.

Dirección: Île Roy, 69660 Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or, France

Horario: Daily during summer from 12 pm to 2.30 pm and 7 pm to 10 pm. Closed from mid-October

En este artículo se incluyen las opiniones del equipo editorial de Go Guides. Los autores de este tipo de artículos reciben una compensación por parte de Hoteles.com, que puede abarcar desde viajes hasta cualquier otro tipo de costes.