Forget Paris, Go to Lyon Instead

Forget Paris, Go to Lyon Instead

when people plan a trip to France their minds go straight to one place Paris but they’re missing the city that many French people consider the true heart of the country the gastronomic capital of the world this is Lyon a city of secret passageways incredible food and 2,000 years of history we narrow down the absolute best things in Lyon you must do to experience it all this is your ultimate guide Lyon is located at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers just a two hour train ride from Paris in this video we’re taking you through an itinerary of Lyon to help you plan your trip the first funicular of Lyon was built in 1862 to link the town to the Basilica Notre Dame de fourvière this is a perfect place to start as it brings you to the UNESCO designated basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary 2.5 million pilgrims visit the site each year which has become the symbol of Lyon it is truly a masterpiece of Romanesque and Byzantine architecture built between 1872 and 1896 and Lyon even has its own Eiffel Tower they were jealous of the one in Paris so they made one here no there’s a longer story this is actually the tallest building in that the Republicans made to counter the tall cathedral that is up here the views up here are some of the best in the city and just a short walk from here is the ancient theater of Forvia I love this Roman theater you can just walk through it it’s free to enter there’s people there’s kids playing soccer here there’s people just walking through it it’s just incredible to have this right in the city wow these Roman ruins date back to 15 BC when Lyon was part of the Roman Empire it is free to walk within this UNESCO World Heritage Site and if you want you can visit the museum that is built right into the slopes of Fourviere Hill we have the Petite Theater where musical performances take place incredible what makes the experience so special is how it is utilized in everyday life of Lyon concerts and events regularly take place at both the Theatre Antique de Lyon and the odéon of Lyon during the summer months of June July and August Les Nuits de fourvière takes place with musical performances circus acts and plays if you happen to be in Lyon in the summertime don’t miss booking a ticket to one of these events when you are all done on Fourvier Hill it is an easy walk down to Via Leon when wandering through Vieux Lyon you must explore their traboules dating back to the Renaissance traboules are pass throughs linking streets that allowed craftsmen to carry their silk and textiles protected from the elements they are privately owned and people live within them but some have opened their courtyards to the public during the day to allow tourists a glimpse of these city treasures while wandering through the Old Town make sure to stop at the astronomical clock dating back to 1562 located in place de Petit College you can enjoy the show every 15 minutes the chimes of the bells and little characters springing into action is free to watch Paris may be the artistic capital of France but Lyon is most certainly the gastronomic capital we had the pleasure of being served by Michelin star chef Christian tétu who is also the president of Maitre Cuisine the world’s most exclusive association of chefs we sampled his menu at Le Bistro which has the most magnificent view of Lyon perched on the Fuvrier hill overlooking the city visiting Lyon is all about the food and besides its 20 Michelin star restaurants a meal at any authentic Bouchon is not to be missed they are famous for serving their regional dishes such as sausages coq au Vin and salade Lyonnaise the food of Lyon is truly the heart of the experience as the gastronomical capital of France make sure to book a table at one of its many top rated restaurants such as Tete a LA Bistro café Terroir Bouchon palégrié and La Grande réfectoire in hôtel Dieu we ate at all these restaurants and they not only had fantastic food but paired it with an incredible ambience and great service with Lyon being the gastronomical capital of France no trip to Lyon would be complete without visiting the cité Internationale de LA Gastronomie this is a gathering place where people can come together to learn about all of the people that work in the areas of gastronomy farming food and health located in the same complex as Hotel Dieu one display we found fascinating was the apothecary display Hotel Dieu was originally a hospital and this is a fitting exhibit we are in Lyon and we are going on a cycling tour yeah best way to see the city get on an electric bike it’s no secret that one of our favorite ways to explore any city is by e bike and a tour with comic was an excellent way to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time we took a guided tour from place de LA Cour which is the largest pedestrian square in Europe after a quick stop to say hello to the statue of Louis the 14th who was doing his best Roman emperor imitation we set off for the Parc de LA tête d’or which is one of the largest urban parks in the country okay we are cycling along the Rhone there are two rivers here in Lyon which makes it the perfect cycling city there’s lots of trails here well if you get a chance go cycling in the park when you come to Lyon it’s beautiful it’s huge there’s lots of scenic points and you’ll even see a few animals with English gardens a huge lake botanical gardens and a zoo it’s one of the best places to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city cycling in Lyon we stayed at Le Royal Lyon m gallery right in the middle of the city at Place Bellecour this boutique 5 star hotel was the perfect location situated between the Rhone and the Saone rivers it made for an easy walk to all the Lyon attractions and this was a wonderful way to make the most of our stay and that was the perfect Leon itinerary if you enjoyed this video make sure to like subscribe and click that bell for notifications because we put up new travel videos every week and you don’t 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Planning a trip to France? Forget Paris! We’re showing you why Lyon is the city you should visit instead. In this 2025 guide, we break down the best things to do in the gastronomic capital of France.

From exploring secret passageways (traboules) in Vieux Lyon to tasting authentic cuisine in a traditional Bouchon, this is your ultimate checklist for an unforgettable adventure.

⬇️ **THE ULTIMATE LYON CHECKLIST** ⬇️
00:00 – France’s Gastronomic Capital
00:53 – #1: Funicular to Fourvière Hill
01:05 – #2: Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière
01:56 – #3: Ancient Roman Theatre
03:07 – #4: Explore the Traboules (Secret Passageways)
04:05 – #5: Experience Lyon’s Gastronomy
05:22 – #6: Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie
06:01 – #7: Cycling Tour of the City
07:21 – Where to Stay in Lyonides immense value to the viewer.]

#lyon #france #travelguide #lyonfrance #foodtravel #frenchfood #vieuxlyon #francetravel
Read more at The Planet D.com – The Best Things to do in Guimarães https://theplanetd.com/best-things-to-do-in-guimaraes-portugal/
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Read more: Best things to do in Lyon – https://theplanetd.com/things-to-do-in-france/

0:00 – Forget Paris, This is Lyon!
00:53 – #1: Ride the Funicular to Fourvière Hill
01:05 – #2: Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière
01:43 – #3: Panoramic Views of Lyon
01:56 – #4: Ancient Roman Theatre
03:07 – #5: Explore the Traboules (Secret Passageways)
03:43 – #6: The Astronomical Clock
04:05 – #7: Experience Gastronomy (Michelin Stars & Bouchons)
05:22 – #8: Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie
06:01 – #9: Cycling Tour of the City
07:21 – Where to Stay in Lyon

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