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Sightseeing Sightseeing Overview Touring the city of Lyon can easily keep even the most enthusiastic sightseer busy for a long weekend. Any sightseeing trip should begin with Fourvière Hill, now at the heart of Lyon’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. Access to the summit is on a funicular railway, known as la ficelle (the string), from the station in avenue Adolphe Max. This leads to the foot of the Basilica of Fourvière. Coming down from Fourvière Hill, the heritage area extends to include Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon), Croix-Rousse and the Presqu’île area. Old Lyon is the largest Renaissance quarter in France. It is also notable for the St-Jean Cathedral and the famous traboules – the covered walkways linking entire blocks of houses. The area of Croix-Rousse is the quarter where the canuts (or silk-weavers) worked. At the centre of place de la Croix-Rousse is a memorial to Joseph-Marie Jacquard, who developed a new type of silk loom at the beginning of the 19th century, which cemented Lyon’s place as a centre for the silk trade. The Presqu’île area is home to the Museum of Fine Arts, as well as luxurious boutiques, such as Cartier and Hermès, which can be found on rue du Président Herriot. Lyon also boasts a large number of restaurants, some of them among the finest in France to display the Michelin stars. Probably the most famous restaurant in Lyon is chef Paul Bocuse’s Restaurant Paul Bocuse, 40 rue de la Plage, Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or (tel: (04) 7242 9090; fax: (04) 7227 8587; website: www.bocuse.fr). If budgets do not stretch that far, a ‘must’ for any tourist is to enjoy some of Lyon’s specialities, such as quenelles (a seasoned ball or dumpling, usually made of meat), in a bouchon or traditional restaurant. Four museums (the Natural History Museum, Saint Roimain en Gal, the Gallo Romain Museum at Fourvière, and the Doll Museum now offer free admission on Thursday (website: www.rhone.fr). Tourist Information Office du Tourisme Place Bellecour Tel: (04) 7277 6969. Fax: (04) 7842 0432. E-mail: lyoncvb@lyon-france.com Website: www.lyon-france.com Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1900, Sun 1000-1800. There are also tourist information offices at Avenue Adolphe Max, in Old Lyon, and at 3 avenue Aristide Briand, in Villeurbanne. Passes The Lyon City Card is valid for one, two or three days at a cost of €15, €25 and €30 respectively. This card allows free and unlimited use of city transport, free access to 19 museums, guided tours and river cruises. A ‘junior’ version for those up until the age of 18 years is now available at a cost of €7.50, €12.50 and €15. The Lyon City Card also includes short noon concerts at the Lyon National Opera (‘comptoir’) or at the Auditorium de Lyon (‘expresso’). Cards are sold at the Tourist Office (see above) and at several other locations in the city, notably the Lyon TCL (public transport offices) agencies at Part Dieu, Bellecour, Perrache, Vieux Lyon and Republique, as well as at the reception desks of many hotels. |
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