PRESS KIT 2015
LYON TOURISM AND CONVENTION
Press contact:
Aïmée Reategui Tel.: +33 (0)4 72 77 72 31 Email : areategui@lyon-france.com Twitter : @LyonTourism
LIST OF CONTENTS
Introduction (page 4)
2000 years of History (page 5)
Gastronomy (page 11)
Culture in evidence (page 13)
A city of lights (page 17)
Silk, creation & shopping (page 19)
The birthplace of Cinema (page 21)
Design/Creation (page 22)
Hosting venues (page 24)
Greater Lyon Convention Bureau Initiatives (page 29)
Lyon’s large scale projets (page 30)
Leisure (page 33)
Unusual Lyon (page 34)
A city in harmony with sustainable development (page 36)
Events 2015 (page 37)
How to get around and visit (page 38)
Getting to Lyon (page 39)
Contacts (page 41)
2
INTRODUCTION
Lyon, France's second biggest city and capital of the Rhône-Alpes region, is situated at the crossroads of Europe's major lines of transport, at the heart of France between Paris and the French Riviera. This city is constantly on the move and today has the most beautiful and attractive urban destinations in Europe. Combining an exceptional historic heritage with a natural liking for good food, Lyon is the ideal city for discovering all the charm of the French way of life.
Lyon has been the ultimate gastronomic city for centuries, reputed around the world thanks to Chef Paul Bocuse. It now boasts more than 2 000 restaurants, including the famous bouchons (typical local eateries) to Michelin star-awarded establishments. From traditional Mères Lyonnaises (19th century cooks for the bourgeoisie) to inspired and innovative young chefs, Lyon is a place for culinary experimentation with new tastes and concepts to be savoured.
A stage for more than 2000 years of history, the city has a remarkable architectural heritage. Expanding towards the east throughout the centuries, without destroying the existing areas, 500 hectares of its city centre became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1998. Wandering around Lyon is like embarking on a fascinating journey through time. In each district Lyon displays an astonishing variety of architecture, from the ancient Fourvière cathedral to the traboules (passageways from the Renaissance in Old Lyon), via the elegant peninsula situated between the Rhône and the Saone, to the new and contemporary district of Confluence.
As for culture, Lyon celebrated the opening of its brand new Museum of Confluences in December 2014. With a very modern architecture, this museum presents the story of the earth itself from its earliest days and humanity through its history and geography. The National Opera, one of the twenty most prestigious ballets in the world, and the Célestins Theatre offer an ambitious programme all year round. Furthermore, the city has museums that exist nowhere else in the world, such as the Lumière Institute - in Lyon – on the invention of cinematography and the Fabric Museum tracing two thousand years of the history of textile and silk weaving. Within this wonderful Renaissance building, the Lyon History Museum and the Puppets of the World Museum have formed the Gadagne Museums in the Old district of Lyon. As for the Fine Arts Museum, one of the biggest museums in France and Europe, its collections spread out over 70 rooms giving visitors an exceptional journey from Antiquity to Modern Art.
It's good to stroll around Lyon… to admire its heritage of course, but also to discover its many boutiques. In addition to French and international luxury brands, the Presqu’île (peninsula) is full of trendy boutiques that have seen the rise of a number of fashion designers who have gone on to become famous. As for the hilly district of the Croix-Rousse it groups together a number of young designers, passionate heirs of a glorious past at a time when Lyon was on the Silk Road. Museums as well as weaving and silk printing workshops today bear witness to this quite unique know-how.
Lyon is vibrant all year round thanks to a number of events it hosts. Among the most appealing are the Festival of Lights in December with millions of visitors, the contemporary art biennial event, the dance biennial event, the Nuits Sonores (music and sound festival) in May, the Nuits de Fourvière (cultural festival) during summer, Quais du Polar (Thriller festival) in March or the Grand Lyon Film Festival, all attracting millions of visitors every year.
Key figures 479.803 inhabitants Tourists from more than 70 different countries identified in 2013 A satisfaction rating of 99% (visitors) 16 800 hotel/residence rooms (in the Great Lyon) An average length of stay of 3.7 days 2 000 restaurants 14 starred restaurants in the 2015 Michelin Guide in the Great Lyon
3
2000 YEARS OF HISTORY
Whether you are high atop Fourvière, meandering in ‘Vieux-Lyon’, the city’s most historic district, or climbing the slopes of the Croix-Rousse, you are in an area of nearly 500 hectares where Lyon has played out its history over the last 2,000 years. This site has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1998. According to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, ‘Lyon, an eminent example of human habitation, bears exceptional testimony to the continuity of urban settlement over more than two millennia.’
In most European cities, neighbourhoods developed by rebuilding on a single site. In Lyon, however, the topography allowed them gradually to extend eastwards over the course of the centuries, leaving a remarkable physical continuity in the locations favoured by each historical period.
FOURVIÈRE: A HILL INHABITED SINCE ANTIQUITY
The Fourvière hill was first used by the inhabitants of Gaul as a meeting place, and this is where they held their legendary banquets. In the year 43 BC, Munatius Plancus, one of Caesar’s former lieutenants, founded the colony of Lugdunum, which became the ‘capital of the Three Gauls’. ‘Lug’ was probably the name of a Gaulish god, whilst ‘dunum’ was a Gaulish word meaning fortress.
The archaeological park: The park contains a large Roman theatre, built around 15 BC, which seated more than 10,000 spectators. Nearby is the second-century Odéon, dedicated at that time to music and public readings. Today, these amphitheatres are the setting for the annual performances of ‘Les Nuits de Fourvière’. Well- preserved Roman roads lined with the vestiges of shops and imposing public and private buildings lead up to them. The Gallo-Roman museum, designed by the architect Bernard Zehrfuss, was completed in 1975.
Saint Mary’s chapel and the Notre Dame de Fourvière basilica: ‘Fourvière’ derives from the Latin foro vetere, which means ‘old forum’, and it was on the ruins thereof that a sanctuary was built starting in the 12th century. The sanctuary had two chapels, one dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the other to St. Thomas of Canterbury. Three dates stand out in the history of this site, which in the 19th century became known as the ‘hill of prayer’. In 1643, following a plague epidemic, the city was placed under the protection of the Virgin. The city fathers vowed to pay homage to her, and representatives of the City Council still do so every year on 8 September.
On 8 December 1852, a gold-plated bronze statue of the Virgin was placed in the steeple of the little chapel. Its inauguration was a big event and was the origin of the city’s ‘Festival of Lights’ (see below).
On 8 October 1870, the citizens of Lyon promised to build a new sanctuary if the Prussians were turned away. Designed by the architect Pierre Bossan, the new basilica was begun in 1872 and consecrated in 1896. Citadel on the outside and palace on the inside, its unusual architecture does not fit into any category, but the result is more than a mere mixture of styles. Inspired by the churches of Sicily, Bossan created a veritable symbol, an ode to the Virgin.
> Lyon Tourism and Conventions organises guided tours of the Fourvière Basilica and the Gallo-Roman site. > The Fourvière Foundation offers and unforgettable tour of the roof of the Fourvière Basilica.
4
THE RENAISSANCE DISTRICT OF ‘VIEUX-LYON’
In 1954, ‘Vieux-Lyon’, the city’s oldest district, became the first site in France to be protected under the Malraux law. Covering an area of 24 hectares at the foot of the Fourvière hill, it is one of Europe’s most extensive Renaissance neighbourhoods.
The Saint Jean section: in the Middle Ages, this was the focus of political and religious power. The Saint Jean Cathedral, seat of the Primate of Gaul, a title still conferred upon the archbishop of Lyon, is a good example of Gothic architecture. The ‘Manécanterie’ adjoining the cathedral is one of Lyon’s few extant Romanesque buildings. Formerly a choir school, it now houses the museum of the cathedral’s treasures. Saint Jean is also home to the Museum of Miniatures and Film Sets, located in a building that was the Golden Cross Inn in the 15th century.
The Saint Paul section: in the 15th and 16th centuries predominately Italian banker-merchants moved into sumptuous urban residences here called ‘hôtels particuliers’. The Hôtel Bullioud and the Hôtel de Gadagne are two magnificent examples and the latter now houses the Lyon Historical Museum and the International Puppet Museum. The Loge du Change stands as testimony to the period when trade fairs made the city wealthy. The Saint Paul church with its Romanesque lantern tower and its spectacular spire mark the section’s northern extremity.
The Saint Georges section: silk weavers settled here beginning in the 16th century before moving to the Croix Rousse hill in the 19th century. In 1844, the architect Pierre Bossan rebuilt the Saint Georges church on the banks of the Saône in a neo-Gothic style.
In the Middle Ages, when there were only a few parallel streets between the hill and the Saône, the first ‘traboules’ were built. Derived from the Latin trans-mabulare, meaning to pass through, traboules are corridors through buildings and their courtyards, connecting one street directly with another. Visitors are delighted to discover an architectural heritage of galleries and spiral staircases in these secret passageways, as unexpected as they are unique.
> All traboules and courtyards are marked on the Lyon Tourism and Conventions’ free map and guidebook. > The Lyon Tourism and Conventions Bureau organises guided tours of ‘Vieux-Lyon’. > Visitors can also visit traboules with the new Iphone application of Lyon Tourism and Conventions ("Traboules"available on iTunes)
5
THE ‘PRESQU’ÎLE’
The ‘Presqu’île’, literally the ‘peninsula’, extending from the foot of the Croix Rousse hill to the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône rivers, is Lyon’s modern city centre, with its cafés, restaurants, luxury shops, department stores, banks and cultural institutions.
The spires of the Saint Nizier church, reconstructed starting in the 14th century, are a neighbourhood landmark, at the foot of the former Saône river bridge. This district was an important counterpoint to the ‘Vieux Lyon’ in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Many picturesque streets still exist. Among these is the rue Mercière, where printers and booksellers gravitated in the 15th and 16th centuries and which still has some superb buildings. The Museum of Printing, housed in the former Hôtel de la Couronne, explains how Lyon’s first books were printed. Squares, in many cases decorated with fountains, and churches sprinkled throughout evoke the presence of numerous convents, including those of the Dominicans (‘Jacobins’), the Celestines and the Conventual Franciscans (‘Cordeliers’), whose Saint Bonaventure church was rebuilt in the 14th century. Further south, the Saint Martin d’Ainay church was located in the confines of a large Benedictine abbey, and is a jewel of Romanesque art in Lyon.
The place des Terreaux was created in the 17th century, owing to the construction of two prestigious structures: - the Hôtel de Ville, or City Hall, was built between 1646 and 1655 by the architect Simon Maupin and decorated by the painter Thomas Blanchet. In 1674 the Great Hall was ravaged by fire, and the façade facing the square was redesigned in the early 18th century by Jules- Hardouin Mansart. - The Saint Pierre palace, formerly a royal Benedictine abbey, was built starting in 1659 by the Avignon architect François Royers de la Valfenière. It now houses the Museum of Fine Arts. The public garden in the former cloister is decorated with the work of famous sculptors and is a quiet, urban oasis.
In the 17th and 18th centuries the place Bellecour was created in honour of King Louis XIV. Today a statue of the Sun King on horseback dominates the centre of the square, accompanied by two low reliefs carved by the Coustou brothers, representing the Rhône and the Saône. Germain Soufflot expanded the hospital located near the old Rhône bridge, building the Hôtel-Dieu along the banks of the river. Still a functioning hospital, the Hôtel-Dieu now also houses the Musée des Hospices Civils de Lyon, tracing the history of hospital care in Lyon. Numerous hôtels particuliers were built in the vicinity of the place Bellecour. The Hôtel du Gouverneur, built in 1730, now houses the Musée des Tissus (Museum of Fabric) and the Hôtel de Lacroix Laval, designed by Soufflot, is now the Museum of Decorative Arts.
In 1855, during France’s Second Empire period, Claude-Marius Vaïsse, Prefect of the Rhône département, created the rue de la République and the rue Edouard Herriot as part of a series of large construction projects. The Stock Exchange, built in 1860, is an example of the Napoleon III style and is in the heart of the banking district. In the 19th century, two theatres were built: the Célestins Theatre and the Grand Theatre, the latter of which is now the opera house, rebuilt in 1993 by Jean Nouvel. These are two of the city’s major cultural centres. > The Lyon Tourism and Conventions Bureau organises guided tours of the Opera, the Célestins Theatre, the hôtels particuliers around the place Bellecour. 6
THE CROIX-ROUSSE AND THE SILK TRADE
The Croix Rousse, ‘the workers’ hill’, as French historian Jules Michelet called it in 1853, actually incorporates two neighbourhoods: the Croix Rousse ‘plateau’ and its slopes. The Croix Rousse is the extension of the city-centre peninsula and is part of the area inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Romans occupied the Gaulish site of Condate on the slopes of the Croix Rousse, where they built a sanctuary to ‘Rome and Augustus’ and the Three Gauls Amphitheatre. It was on this site, excavated in the 1950s, that Christian martyrs were persecuted in the year 177, including Pothin, the first bishop of Lyon, and the slave Blandine. The ‘Montée de la Grande Côte’, a street lined with recently-renovated 15th and 16th century houses, has been an important thoroughfare since Medieval times. Numerous religious congregations arrived beginning in the 17th century. The dome of the Saint Bruno des Chartreux church, which boasts an extraordinary Baroque baldachin, has dominated the skyline since the 18th century. On the banks of the Saône, the former Sainte Marie des Chaînes convent is now the Subsistances, a space for artistic creation and home to the School of Fine Arts.
In the 19th century, the silk weavers settled in the Croix Rousse. On the slopes and on the plateau, many live-in workshops were constructed, where new Jacquard-type looms could be installed. These workshops have since been converted into flats are now very much in demand. There is a small-town feeling in the Croix Rousse, with its numerous shops, market, funfair and authentic bistros.
The Maison des Canuts (‘silk weavers’ house’) and the Association Soierie Vivante (‘living silk association’) are open to the public, perpetuating traditional silk weaving techniques and transmitting their expertise to future generations. The ‘Mur des Canuts’ or silk weavers’ wall, the most spectacular of Lyon’s ‘trompe l’oeil’ painted walls, gives the visitor a peek into the collective memory and identity of the neighbourhood.
Many ‘traboules’ or passageways thread their way through the slopes of the Croix Rousse. These were used to transport silk yarn and bolts of cloth and were also social gathering places for silk workers of all stripes. They connected the weavers’ neighbourhood with that of the silk traders. The most spectacular traboule, the ‘Cour des Voraces’, with its monumental staircase, figured prominently in the silk weavers’ revolts of 1831 and 1834 and in the Resistance movement during the Second World War. Nearby, Résidence Villemanzy, once the Ladies of Saint Elisabeth convent, offers a commanding view of the Rhône and its left bank.
Down near the place des Terreaux, the ‘passage Thiaffait’ with its designers’ village, the silk workshop, plus numerous art galleries and nightclubs have all breathed new life into the neighbourhood.
The slopes of Croix-Rousse district have in recent years become a hotspot for young creators, as well as contemporary and alternative culture. This rapidly-developing area of Lyon is a breeding ground for young artistic talent and new concepts. It’s studded with vintage stores, second-hand clothes shops, contemporary and street art galleries, and funky cafés. It makes a great alternative to the mainstream shopping district, if you’re looking for something different.
> All traboules and courtyards are marked on the Lyon Tourism and Conventions’ free map and guidebook. > Lyon Tourism and Conventions organises guided tours of the Croix-Rousse slopes, traboules, courtyards, silk workshops and the Saint-Bruno des Chartreux church.
7
MODERN ARCHITECTURE: THE EAST OF THE CITY
The architect Tony Garnier has marked the East of Lyon with his touch: amongst many other creations, he was responsible for designing the Halle Tony Garnier (the old city slaughterhouses and now an auditorium for shows and exhibitions), the Gerland stadium, the Edouard Herriot Hospital at Grange Blanche (Lyon 3e), etc. The Tony Garnier Urban Museum pays honour to him in the form of mural paintings.
The Part-Dieu district was created in the 1970’s. It is the second biggest business district after La Défense in Paris. The 42-floor Part- Dieu tower, symbol of the district, is now accompanied by two new towers: Tour Oxygène and Tour InCity (see “Great Projects” section).
At the beginning of the 1990’s, Renzo Plano began building the Cité Internationale, with its imposing Convention Centre. Located between the river Rhone and the Parc de la Tête d’Or, this is a new neighbourhood within the city. Besides the Convention Centre and its 3,000 seat amphitheatre (inaugurated in June 2006), a multitude of services are to be found: cinemas, restaurants, hotels, the Modern Art Museum, a casino, etc.
During the same period, in 1990’s, Calatrava designed the high-speed rail station at the Saint-Exupery airport, a magnificent bird with glass, metal and concrete wings, whilst Buren redeveloped the Place des Terreaux and drew the convolutions for the Celestins car park. Mario Botta planned the Maison du Livre de l’Image et du Son (The House of books, images and sounds) in Villeurbanne.
The new Confluence distric takes up the whole of the south of the Peninsula between the Place Carnot and its point, where the rivers Rhône and Saône meet. Half of the 350 or so acres were formerly taken up by industrial and logistic activity. This urban project is a model of contemporary urbanism, where development has been thought as a whole: housing, shops and services, leisure, transport modes and environmental preservation. Stroll along buildings with bold architecture, such as orange or Darse Cube, and discover places where creativity and entrepreneurship are key to the success of the area! Famous architects (Jean- Michel Willmotte, Rudy Ricciotti, Jean-Paul Viguier, Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron) work on this Halle Tony Garnier Train Station at Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport urban project.
Lyon Tourism and Conventions organizes guided tours of the Confluence district and the Cité Internationale.
8
GASTRONOMY
Succumb to the charm of our city’s atmosphere, where everything is gourmandise, sometimes for the eyes and at other times for the taste buds. For amongst all the arts, the art of fine living is the pride of Lyon and the reason for its renown throughout the world.
You will find 2 000 restaurants in Lyon!
> The ‘Mères Lyonnaises’
The gastronomic delights of Lyon have been known for centuries and owe much of their fame to a group of women known as the ‘Mères Lyonnaises’, or Lyon mothers. Their story begins in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when prominent bourgeois families had to let go their cooks. Some of these former domestic employees went to work in restaurants or into business for themselves. They offered family-style cooking, in particular for the silk weavers. Service was often gruff and the menu limited, but what was on it was cooked to perfection. This is the origin of the very special character of Lyon gastronomy: a combination of grand bourgeois cuisine and the more humble fare offered in the ‘bouchons’.
‘Mère Filloux’ became famous by adding dishes to the menu of her husband’s café, which later became a prestigious restaurant in the rue Duquesne. In this way, vegetable velouté with truffles, pike quenelles casserole with crayfish butter, artichoke hearts with foie gras and the celebrated pullet hen with black truffles became standards of Lyon gastronomy. Mère Filloux’s success attracted like-minded talents, and other cooks tried their luck opening a restaurant.
Mère Brazier carved a place for herself in Lyon’s culinary history by becoming the first woman to receive three Michelin stars. Her career started in Mère Filloux’s restaurant, but it was not easy for these two strong-willed women to collaborate. In 1921 she opened her own eatery in the rue Royale, then another at the col de la Luère in the verdant hills outside Lyon. Frequented by celebrities of the period, the restaurant inspired Lyon Mayor Edouard Herriot to say that Eugénie Brazier, the ‘other mayor’, did more than he did to promote their city. It was at Mère Brazier that Paul Bocuse did his apprenticeship before becoming one of the greatest chefs of the century.
> The « bouchons »
The origin of the term “bouchon”, as the traditional little Lyon restaurants are called, goes back to the days when inns that served wine outside mealtimes did their advertising by hanging a truss of straw on their signboards. This sign was associated with the normal stopping points for mail and stagecoaches in front of the inns. So whilst the horses were being rubbed down with straw, coach drivers could go in for a drink.
In certain “bouchons” in Lyon, you can still taste the traditional "mâchon", a snack taken outside normal eating hours. In days gone by, silk-workers ate their “mâchon” - mainly charcuterie washed down by Beaujolais wine (to be consumed with moderation) - in a convivial moment spent together with silk manufacturers or merchants.
9
> Lyon’s stars of gastronomy
14 Lyon restaurants have been given stars in the 2015 Michelin guide.
1 three-star restaurant in the 2015 Michelin Guide : Paul Bocuse In 1994, a visionary, Paul Bocuse decided to create brasseries for democratizing cuisine and creating a new sort of restaurant. So, the Nord – North - (1994), the Sud – South - (1995), the Est – East - (1997) and then the Ouest – West- (2003) were successively born, each one proposing its own specific theme. In 2008 and 2009, the world’s guru of cuisine opened two rapid service restaurants, the Ouest Express in the Pathé Cinema multiplex in Vaise and in Part-Dieu commercial center. On the menu: sandwiches, salads, vegetable soups, fresh fruit juices, pancakes, waffles, desserts and ice creams… New! The chef open in October 2013 the new Marguerite Brasserie near the Institut Lumière!
3 two-star restaurants in the 2015 Michelin Guide: In Lyon : La Mère Brazier (Mathieu Viannay) and Le Neuvième Art (Christophe Roure) In the Metropole : Guy Lassausaie
12 one-star restaurants in the 2015 Michelin Guide: Pierre Orsi, Les Trois Dômes, Les Terrasses de Lyon (Davy Tissot), Le Gourmet de Sèze (Bernard Mariller), Les Loges (Anthony Bonnet), Christian Têtedoie, la Maison Clovis (Clovis Khory), Au 14 Février (Tsuyoshi Arai), La Rémanence (Fabien Blanc) Takao Takano, l’Alexandrin (Laurent Rigal) and l’Auberge de l’Ile (Jean-Christophe Ansanay-Alex).
> Gastronomic Rendez-vous
Halles de Lyon - Paul Bocuse (102 cours Lafayette, 3e arr.) Since their creation in 1859, the “Halles” have been an emblematic centre of Lyon gastronomy. To begin with, they were at the Place des Cordeliers, but, as time went by, the covered market progressively turned into a real market hall. This in turn fell into disrepair to the point where, in 1971, the new Halles de Lyon were built at their present location in the Part-Dieu neighborhood. In December 2006, the “Halles” went through yet another major turning point in their existence: after months of work, they received a complete face-lift (with a large glass canopy) and are now called the “Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse”, in homage to the great Lyon chef, who regularly does his shopping there. Fifty-six merchants and artisans share the market: amongst them the renowned “Mère Richard” (cheeses), Sibilia cooked meats, etc. You can find all sorts of regional products here, all of exceptional quality, together with a number of restaurants and seafood bars. > Opening time: every day except Mondays and bank holidays from 7 am to 7 pm (shops close between midday and 3 pm).
Saint-Antoine food market (quai Saint-Antoine, 2e arr.) The Quai Saint Antoine food market is held on the banks of the Saone close to the Place Bellecour, every day of the week, except Mondays. > Opening times: 6 am - 12.30 pm Tues., Wed. and Thurs, and 6 am - 1.30 pm Fri., Sat. and Sun.
Croix Rousse food market (Place de la Croix Rousse, 4e arr.) The Croix Rousse is a real village inside the city and its market takes place in the friendliest of atmospheres and offers an extremely wide range of products. > Opening times: 6 am - 12.30 pm Tues., Wed. and Thurs, and 6 am - 1.30 pm Fri., Sat. and Sun.
10
CULTURE IN EVIDENCE
Lyon, whose reputation is based on five centuries of commercial and cultural activity and exchange, possesses a number of remarkable museums. From the Gallo-Roman civilization to the adventures of textile and silk, from the invention of cinematography to the history of the French Resistance, the city’s places of memory always find refuge in the most splendid buildings.
> The new Confluence Museum
With the Musée des Confluences, the Confluence district has a superb combined museum site focusing on science, art and societies.
Located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, this building designed by the Austrian agency Coop Himmelb(l)au, is divided between the “Nuage” and “Cristal” areas, representing the “here and now” and the “what could be”.
Located in two hectares of landscaped grounds, the musée des Confluences is easily accessible from the city centre. As the fitting heir to Lyon’s Natural History Museum, the Musée des Confluences aims to describe and to raise awareness of the development, hopes and concerns of human societies from different times and different places. The Museum presents the story of the earth itself from its earliest days and humanity through its history and geography, a source of curiosity, emotion and joy as we seek to fully understand and appreciate the infinite richness of the planet’s countries and civilisations. With a total surface area of 22,000 m² (236 800 square feet), this institution proposes four permanent exhibition areas covering 3,300 m² (35 520 square feet), special areas devoted to temporary exhibitions and workshops in addition to digital and experimental areas, plus its two auditoriums not forgetting the various on-site services including: a self-service restaurant, a restaurant with terrace (Guy Lassausaie Restaurant) and a bookshop.
> Other Museums
The Hôtel de Gadagne, a superbly renovated Renaissance building, houses two museums, the Lyon Historical Museum and the International Puppet Museum, inaugurated in June 2009, after 10 years of restoration work:
. The International Puppet Museum is the only museum in France dedicated to this living art balanced on the frontiers of theatre, dance, and the visual arts. Through the puppet character of Guignol, the visitor discovers a world of theatre, childhood and fascination and one of the finest collections of puppets, sets and scripts from around the world. . The Lyon Historical Museum is a resource for understanding the city and all its components: urbanistic, economic, social, political, cultural, etc. After a visual and auditory immersion in the 21st century city, the visitor embarks on a voyage to the capital of Gaul, to Lyon during the French Revolution, to the city of silk weavers and to the workplace of the Lumière brothers, inventors of the movie camera.
The Benedictine abbey of Our Ladies of Saint-Pierre, located on the Place des Terreaux accommodates the Fine Arts Museum, which possesses the largest collection of impressionist works in France after the Musée d’Orsay.
The Textiles and Decorative Arts Museum is housed in a remarkably attractive townhouse. It possesses the most important collection of textiles in the world. You can see the progress made over the years in making and decorating textiles. It goes without saying that Lyon’s silk-work from the 17th to 20th centuries is extensively represented, but the museum also possesses an exceptional collection of documents on textile made up of drawings, patterns and colours for Lyon-made 11
fabrics created for the royal courts of Europe over the last four centuries and which today provide inspiration to fashion creators the world over.
Under the impetus given by Thierry Frémaux, the Musée Lumière opened its doors for the first time in June 2003, on the occasion of the 20th birthday of the Lumière Institute. Hometown of the Lumière brothers, Lyon practises the 7th art with assiduousness and enthusiasm. The museography underlines the two facets of the two brothers’ invention, which was the work of men who were both engineers and artists. In the building where the first-ever film was made, located on the family property and wonderfully restored, a cinema welcomes a public of cinema-lovers, fascinated by the Lumière Institute programmes shown throughout the year. A local curiosity: the filmmakers’ wall with the names of actors and directors shows the international honours that have been paid to Lyon (see the heading “Lyon, birthplace of cinema”).
The Lyon-Fourvière site and Museum occupy the slopes of the Fourvière hill, the centre of Lugdunum in Antiquity, where two major structures were built: the amphitheatre and the Odéon, now on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This superb park, ideal for strolling or meditating, comes to life in the summer during the performances of the ‘Nuits de Fourvière’ festival, a high point in the Rhône département’s cultural calendar. Perfectly integrated into the archaeological site, the Museum presents collections of mosaics, bronzes, scale models and everyday objects, enabling the visitor to trace the history of Lyon from the end of pre-historic times to the early Christian period.
The Tony Garnier Urban Museum is a surprising example of an open-air museum, the fruit of a community initiative. This unique cultural experience associates the 4,000 inhabitants of the neighborhood with a monumental artistic creation (designed by the artists from the “Cité de la Création”). Twenty-five murals pay homage to the Lyon architect Tony Garnier, faithfully reproducing the different phases in the city’s urban development planned under Edouard Herriot. In 1991, UNESCO rewarded this initiative by attributing it with the World Decade for Cultural Development label.
The Model and Cinema Décor Museum takes place in a splendid Vieux Lyon building, the Maison des Avocats. Its mission is to collect, exhibit and promote the work of miniaturists the world over, offering visitors an instant of fantasy and emotion when they discover famous works brought to life with a breath of poetry and inspiration. You will find various collections, such as Dan OHLMANN’s “Reals”, faithful reproductions of surprising and hidden places in Lyon (the dance room at the opera, the Brasserie Georges, etc.).
The Modern Art museum, located in the heart of the Cité Internationale, constitutes a permanent reflection on present-day society. The façade on the side of the Parc de la Tête d’Or is the only remaining part of what used to be Lyon’s Exhibition Centre. Its exhibitions attract world-famous plastic artists and they are a natural extension to the Biennial Modern Art Festival (next edition in 2015)
On a more serious level, the Centre for the History of the French Resistance and Deportation just re- opened in November 2012 with a new museography. Symbolically installed in the very place where the Gestapo had its headquarters and gaols, it is a place of reflection and study, encounters and conferences.
Musée Africain: With 750 m2 of exhibition space, the African Museum of Lyon has a collection of 2000 objects that offer an insight into West African civilizations. Ritual masks, cloths and fabrics, statues and musical instruments take you on a journey to the heart of the cultures of sub-Saharan Africa.
The Confluence Museum
12
> Places of exception
The Lyon National Opera was for many years the first of its kind outside Paris, endowed with a National Symphony Orchestra and a ballet company. A centre of creation, of production of lyrical, musical and choreographic shows of national and international standing, it is considered to be one of the most dynamic operas due to its worldwide creations and the number of international tours it makes. It was initially built by the architects, Chenavard and Pollet who designed the imposing neo-classical building in 1830. A century later, in 1993, Jean Nouvel refurbished the whole building, keeping just the original outside walls and the entrance hall, and capping it all with a huge dome covering the dancers’ training rooms. As a result, Lyon has been able to keep its opera right in the middle of the city, just opposite the City Hall, unlike most of the larger European cities who have to build their new opera houses on their outskirts in order to meet today’s requirements. The dome on top of the opera, which glows red at night time depending on what is happening below in the auditorium, shelters vast dance rooms.
The Lyon Auditorium also has its own National Orchestra. Its inventive and varied programmes not only attract real music-lovers, but also the general public. Lunchtime “expresso” concerts, initiation sessions for children, as well as the cine-concerts in partnership with the Lumière Institute are all as many original initiatives that add to the auditorium’s cultural wealth.
Another emblematic Lyon institution, the “Maison de la Danse” – the house of dancing - and the Biennial Dance gives a good overall view of today’s main tendencies in choreography.
Entirely refurbished, “Les Celestins”, Lyon’s city-centre theatre, mixes tradition and modernity. The building, included in the “extra list” of historic monuments in March 1997, has kept all the majesty of its original architecture, whilst offering today’s comfort and technical qualities at the same time; it is a magnificent example of the Italian or proscenium style theatre.
La Sucrière: built in the 1930s on the docks of Lyon's Confluence district, this former warehouse on the banks of the Saône was given a second lease of life in 2003 with the arrival of one of Europe's biggest Contemporary Art Biennials, after 80 years of history.
Les Subsistances: an old barracks located on the banks of the river Saone, the “Subsistances” has been refurbished to become a laboratory for artistic creativity.
> Lyon Tourism and Conventions organizes guided tours of the Opera House and Celestins Theatre.
> One hundred mural paintings in Lyon !
The “Cité de la Création” and numerous other artists have added colour and lustre to the city with their talents as fresco painters. Besides the 25 murals that make up the Tony Garnier Urban Museum, the city has “trompe l’oeil” murals in every district: the “Mur des Canuts” – the silk-workers wall – in the Croix-Rousse, the Mur des Lyonnais – the famous Lyon people’s wall - and the Bibliothèque de la Cité – the City Library – in the Presqu’île, the Wall of the Cour des Loges in Vieux- Lyon, etc.
Website : www.cite-creation.com
> Lyon Tourism and Conventions organizes guided tours to discover the main mural painting of the city (by bus). > Visitors can also discover the Mural paintings with the new Iphone application of Lyon Tourism and Conventions ( "Murs Peints" available on iTunes)
13
> Guignol
Laurent Mourguet, a silk weaver, went through a difficult period at the dawn of the 19th century. Silk weavers did not have enough work, and unemployment was rife. To make ends meet, Mourguet became an itinerant salesman, even pulling teeth in the market square. After frequenting fairs and markets and rubbing shoulders with all manner of smooth talkers, he let his inner artist express himself and acquired a puppet theatre, where the character Punch helped him attract customers. Then, abandoning Punch, in fashion at the time, he created Guignol. Ever since then, the likeable character with a wooden head has taken the side of the simple folk, denouncing social injustice and needling the wealthy, the local authorities and the government alike with his irrepressible verve. His delicious accent, his rebellious spirit, his impertinence and his impetuous but good-natured side have made Guignol an endearing and very popular puppet.
Over the years, travel and export have made Guignol a living, universal symbol of the city of Lyon and an excellent ambassador thereof. Today, the Guignol theatre tradition is perpetuated in his native city at three permanent theatres:
. ‘Guignol de Lyon’, Compagnie des Zonzons (Vieux-Lyon) . The ‘Maison de Guignol’ (Vieux-Lyon) . The ‘Véritable Guignol du Vieux-Lyon’, Yvonne Moritz company (Tête d’Or park)
Guignol’s historical origins are preciously guarded in the International Puppet Museum, one of the Gadagne Museums in ‘Vieux-Lyon’, reopen since June 2009.
Source: amisdeguignol.free.fr
The Guignol Theatre Museum in the town of Brindas (30 minutes from Lyon) is also worth a visit. It was created in January 2008 by a descendant of Laurent Mourguet : www.museetheatreguignol.fr
© Elina Sirparanta/Lyon Tourisme et Congrès.
14
CITY OF LIGHTS
Lyon is a city of light: every evening stroller will notice the illuminations that show up the contours of the rivers and create haloes around the monumental facades of the Hôtel Dieu, the Lyon Stock Exchange, the Fine Arts Museum and the City Hall.
Lighting is an essential element in Lyon’s urban design, which “brings out the best in architecture without distorting it". The city’s geographical situation is well suited to illuminations, with its two hills (Fourvière and Croix Rousse) that offer so many points of view and its two rivers, the Rhone and the Saone, that never stop shimmering.
In Lyon, 325 sites and monuments are illuminated every night.
> The Lighting Plan
In 1989, Lyon was one of the first towns in France to set up a “lighting plan”, which brought recognition to a real “Lyon school” of public lighting.
Initially, illuminations were mainly concentrated on the rivers and the city’s most “visible” sites (universities, churches, cathedrals, main thoroughfares and bridges), before transforming the Lyon National Opera, just refurbished by Jean Nouvel, in the most original of ways. In association with Jean Nouvel, Yann Kersalé principally worked on the colour red, the symbol of life, contrasting with black, omnipresent inside the building. The glow coming from the dome, imagined to be the heart and lungs of the city, varies depending on the activities taking place inside the building.
Lyon is justifiably a city of light as it has been fostering special links with illuminations and public traditions since December 8th 1852, the date on which the people of Lyon spontaneously celebrated the Virgin Mary for the first time. For the last eight years, the city has pushed the event to the forefront of the international stage by making the Festival of Lights last for 4 days. Recognised as an art and a technology in its own right, municipal public lighting is now exported to sites of exception throughout the world: The Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, the Castillo del Moro in Havana and the Ho Chi Minh Ville Museum.
In 2002, Lyon took the initiative of creating a “cities of light” network, LUCI (Lighting Urban Community International) which now includes about sixty cities from Europe and the world over: Turin, Glasgow, Liege, Montreal, Shanghai, and Jericho to name but a few. At the heart of the network’s reflections, lighting for safety and how to enhance historic buildings, but also how to use light as a vector for rehabilitating neighbourhoods and for social integration.
> Lyon Tourism and Conventions organizes guided tours to discover Lyon by night (by bus).
15
> The Festival of Lights
The Festival of Lights is the major annual event in the city of Lyon, and every year, tourists and Lyon residents alike look forward to it. The event attracts several million visitors to Lyon’s illuminated streets. In 2008, projection equipment was set up in 70 different locations, using all sorts of new technology and new processes to give the city’s historic buildings, streets and even hills a new dimension. It is a moment of pure joy for young and old, and an unparalleled spectacle on a city- wide scale.
The December 8th tradition
In 1852, the old square bell-tower of the then-demolished Chapel of Fourvière was rebuilt and a decision was taken to crown it with a statue of the Virgin Mary. The job of making the statue was entrusted to the sculptor FABISCH, director of the Fine Arts School. The date for its inauguration had been set for September 8th, the Feast of the Nativity, but the masterpiece was not finished in time…
So, the Cardinal de Bonald decided to postpone the ceremony until December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (the dogma of which was to be announced two years later). In the morning, to the sound of bells and salvoes of artillery fire, the bell-tower and the statue received their solemn blessing from the hands of the Archbishop of Lyon and the program of festivities was for the town to be lit up during the evening. But it rained heavily on the city all day long and the religious authorities thought it wiser to cancel the evening’s celebrations. However, the sky cleared at the beginning of the evening and, for the very first time, the people of Lyon spontaneously made the same gesture that they still make over a century later on every December 8th: they lined up thousands of small candles on their windowsills and balconies. At Fourvière, the expression of so much enthusiasm swept away any remaining hesitation and soon afterwards, the bell-tower and the Virgin Mary shined out in the night sky.
Since that time, the inhabitants of Lyon have spontaneously continued to light up their candles and put them on their windowsills at nightfall every December 8th.
> Lyon Tourism and Conventions organizes guided tours of the Festival of Lights.> Website of the Festival (available in English): www.lumieres.lyon.fr 16
SILK, CREATION & SHOPPING
> Silk of the past
In 1536, King Francis I granted a monopoly in the silk trade to the city of Lyon. Lyon silk workers were skilled in all aspects of silk production, from silkworm breeding to spinning and weaving. Little by little, the industry became organised, with solidarity playing an important role in the formation of ‘La Fabrique’, which included silk traders, weavers and their apprentices and journeymen. Nevertheless, as early as 1744, weavers were prohibited from direct sale of the silk they produced. But silk weaving was not a trade that could be learnt quickly. The looms were very complex and required inventiveness and ingenuity. Hundreds of thousands of people earned their living from silk, and many died from it too, in the revolts of 1831 and 1834. By the end of the 18th century, few business sectors generated as much innovation-driven competition, technical revolution and changes in required skills (Jacquard loom) as the silk industry did. By the 19th century, Lyon, its inhabitants and its neighbourhoods (especially the Croix Rousse) were steeped in a silk trade that had been raised to a fine art and in the socio-professional system that accompanied it. In the middle of the century, silk’s golden age, there were 100,000 silk looms in operation in Lyon, representing three-quarters of the economic activity of the city.
> Silk of the present
Over the years, a wide range of activities had to be carefully interwoven to organise industrial production of a luxury product, exported throughout the world. Heir to this industrial tradition requiring human skills, Lyon is eminently prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century, even if other countries such as China and Italy have since joined in. On the strength of its assets and its local expertise, Lyon has naturally positioned itself in new materials – Kevlar©, carbon fibre, fibreglass and optical fibre to name a few – in high value-added products such as technical fabrics for the aerospace industry, national defence, telecommunications and in research into the silkworm genome. With 25,000 direct jobs, the region has become Europe’s largest producer of these new products. Lastly, Lyon silk still predominates in haute couture, furniture and furnishings. Lyon’s renowned textile tradition and its jealously guarded heritage, presented to thousands of tourists every year, have reaffirmed the city’s position combining tradition and innovation.
Visitors can learn about Lyon’s past and present savoir-faire in several locations:
Atelier de Soierie Soieries Saint-Georges Maison des canuts Association Soierie Vivante 33, rue Romarin 11 rue Mourguet 10-12 rue d'Ivry 21 rue Richan 69001 Lyon 69005 Lyon 69004 Lyon 69004 Lyon Tel: +33 (0)4 72 07 97 83 Tel: +33 (0)4 78 28 62 04 Tel: +33 (0)4 78 27 17 13 One of the last Silk printing workshop and remaining weavers; Guided tours, Trimmings workshop. boutique. demonstration and sale demonstrations of traditional of fabric by the metre. hand looms, boutique.
Today, numerous fashion designers have set up their workshops and boutiques on the slopes of the Croix Rousse, more especially in the Passage Thiaffait, which is the home of the Village of Creators. Lyon’s dynamic atmosphere has inspired creators recognized for their talent throughout the world: Nathalie Chaize, Millésia-Nina Ricci, Max Chaoul, Sophie Guyot.
Hermès scarves are still made in Lyon agglomeration!
Labelsoie Festival (November each year) This festival's rich and lively program gives visitors a chance to discover or revisit the history and cultural richness of silk-making and the canuts in Lyon, with exhibitions, guided visits, workshops, conferences, shows and events. It also features a silk market where Lyon's silk-makers sell their wares to lovers of beautiful fabrics – an exceptional opportunity that was previously reserved for major fashion houses.
17
> Shopping: an easy-to-find pleasure in Lyon that is a part of our art of living!
Shopping areas
In the Carré d’Or – the Square of Gold -, you can find over 70 luxury brand names, in an area, ideal for a stroll, between the Place Bellecour and the Place des Cordeliers. Built in the 19th century, the Passage de l’Argue (between the Rue de la République and the Rue Edouard Herriot), is a shopping area covered by a glass canopy, where today you can still find shops full of old-fashioned charm: hatters, cutlers, etc. One of the most extensive pedestrian thoroughfares in Europe, crossing the whole Presqu’île from South to North, from the Rue Victor Hugo to the Rue de la République, it contains most of the franchised boutiques. Not far away, south of the Place Bellecour, the Rue Auguste Comte is the home of antique dealers and art and decor shops with about 100 boutiques, which all go to confirm the dynamics of artistic professions in Lyon. On the left bank of the Rhone, the large shopping centre at the Part-Dieu gives you the opportunity of enjoying a visit shops, or entertaining yourselves in one of the cinemas and having something to eat or drink between two purchases. The new Confluence shopping centre opened in April 2012, is also part of the project’s first phase.
Useful link for shopping in the centre of Lyon: www.tendancepresquile.org
Creations: the Village of Creators (located at the Passage Thiaffait)
For shoppers who love surprises, the village of creators in the Passage Thiaffait, on the slopes of the Croix Rousse, in the historic area of the silk-workers has become the meeting point for young creators or brand names who want to attest to their originality. They attract clientele looking for “one-off” clothes, delighted to escape from the standardisation of today’s clothing! www.passagethiaffait.fr
Antiques There are almost 650 antique dealers in greater Lyon, most of whom are to be found around the Rue Auguste Comte or in the “Cité des Antiquaires”. The Quartier Auguste Comte is an association that has brought together the boutiques located in the Rue Auguste Comte and the Rue de la Charité, which are frequented by both private antique lovers and professionals. Every year, two major evening events are organised - the “Red Carpet” operation in winter and the “Green Carpet” in the spring, when antique dealers open up their shops for late night shopping along streets carpeted in red or green. The Cité des Antiquaires (in Villeurbanne) is a place of contrast. Installed in a modern building, it presents antiques going from 17th, 18th and 19th century furniture to 1925 - 1950 applied arts, and of course jewellery, crockery, artefacts and paintings. www.cite-antiquaires.fr
Les Puces du Canal Les Puces du Canal are France’s second largest flea markets, with over 400 traders turning up on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sunday mornings. www.pucesducanal.com
18
THE BIRTHPLACE OF CINEMA
The Lumière Brothers In the 19th century, Antoine Lumière was a well-known photographer in Lyon and the surrounding area. His two sons were brought up in an atmosphere of research and development. So, it was only natural that Auguste and Louis Lumière devoted themselves to research and experimenting. Initially concentrating their efforts on their father’s works, they discovered a number of new photographic processes. In this way, they considerably stimulated development of the family business. Their research led them to work in the very different fields from medicine to physics not forgetting acoustics. In 1894, Antoine asked his sons to look more closely at animated pictures, a field in which foreign scientists such as Thomas Edison were already working… And in 1895, the Lumière brothers registered their patent for the cinematograph. Using this first-ever camera, they filmed “Leaving the Lumière factory”. The film was shown the same year in Paris, and, as a result, the Lyon brothers’ invention of cinema became recognised throughout the world.
The Museum Lumière Le Hangar Since its inauguration in June 2002, the Lumière museum has been offering visitors an aesthetic, scientific and historic trip around the invention of the cinematograph by Louis Lumière in 1895. The City of Lyon’s collection of old apparatus, acquired in 2003, contains a number of important technical masterpieces. Amongst them, the so- called “N°1” Cinematograph, the one that showed the first ten films on the evening of December 28th 1895 in the Grand Café in Paris in front of 33 inquisitive people, who were to become the world’s first cinema-goers.
Festival Lumière First established in October 2009, this festival is dedicated to the Cinema‘s history, for the general public. It is stretching across all the greater Lyon districts and is attended by numerous artists and key figures. Once a year the birthplace of the Lumière Cinematograph will invite the world of cinema to a festival in honour of its vitality and its memory. This event will look at our international heritage, reaffirming the love of cinema engrained in our collective memory, in a novel way. The Lumière Prize is a central part of the festival and is awarded to a key figure of cinema for both his or her work as a whole and the special relationship that he or she has maintained with the history of cinema. In 2009 it was presented to Clint Eastwood, in 2010 to Milos Forman, in 2011 to Gérard Depardieu in 2012 to Ken Loach and in 2013 to Quentin Tarantino! The next festival will take place from 12th to 18th of October 2015. www.festival-lumiere.org
The visual arts in Villeurbanne ‘Cinecitta’ Lyon style is taking shape. On the former Moulins-de-Strasbourg industrial site, near the ‘Gare de Villeurbanne’ tramway stop, now stands the Pixel audio-visual centre, which inaugurated two new studios in February 2009: Lumière 1 and Lumière 2. These will complement Studio 24, which has been offering its technical platform to film-makers and TV stations since 2002.
Open-air cinema: a real tradition From June to September, open-air cinemas invade the city, the Gallo-Roman theatres and the public parks. For its part, the Lumière Institute organises shows on the Place Ambroise Courtois (Lyon 8è).
19
DESIGN AND CREATION
When it comes to creative industries, there's plenty going on in Lyon. Lyon has always been a hotbed for young creative talent and has seen the birth of a number of big names in fashion (Nicolas Fafiotte, Max Chaoul, Morgan Kirch and Boris Fuchy) and design (Lisa Lejeune, Benjamen Faure and Amaury Poudray).
The highlights of Lyon's creative industries:
- Lyon Shop and Design Created by the Lyon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Lyon Shop & Design competition gives awards to the five best design businesses in the urban area every two years. www.lyon-shop-design.com
- On cartoon dans le Grand Lyon – a festival that presents the best animated films during the Toussaint Autumn half-term holiday www.oncartoonedanslegrandlyon.fr
- Lyon City Design – a week of exhibitions, visits and conferences on the theme of design www.lyoncitydesign.com
- Le Design Tour – Lyon is one of the five stages of the Design Tour, which brings together centres of design, designers and architects in France www.designtour.fr
- Le Marché de la Mode Vintage – a market for lovers of vintage fashion and design www.marchemodevintage.com
- Lyon BD festival – an international comic-strip festival www.lyonbd.com
The biennial dance and contemporary art festivals are two events that transform the Lyon urban area into a theatre for art exhibitions and dance www.biennaledelyon.com
INDUSTRIAL TOURISM
An increasingly popular trend, industrial and economic tourism, which gives visitors an insight into the technology and know-how of the past and present, has started to take hold in Lyon. Since the 19th century, the prosperity of the Lyon urban area has been driven by a number of business sectors: silk, at first, followed by the textile and chemical industries and, more recently, the film, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Including remnants of past industrial activities and factories still in operation, several sites can be visited within Lyon and the surrounding area:
The Docks in the Confluence district
When the Perrache railway station was constructed, the Confluence district, formerly known as le "quartier de derrière les voûtes" (a reference to its seedy reputation), was home to Saint-Paul prison, the Marché Gare wholesale market, a gas plant and all of the Lyon urban area's docks. Gradually abandoned by Lyon's industrial and commercial businesses, the Confluence district largely remained a brownfield site until the 2000's. Today, the district's former warehouses are being renovated. The former docks on Quai Rambaud, where sugar, salt and other products were once stored after being shipped to Lyon by river, have made way for offices, design and architecture firms, restaurants and art galleries, as part of the Confluence urban regeneration scheme.
> Things to see: La Sucrière: This 1930's building, which previously belonged to the company Générale Sucrière, was converted into an exhibition and show venue in 2003. Port Rambaud - 49/50 quai Rambaud – Lyon 69002 www.lasucriere-lyon.com
20
Lyon's silk-making industry
Established by Francis I of France, silk-related trade in Lyon began around the middle of the 16th century. Lyon's silk weavers (known as canuts) first operated in the Vieux-Lyon and Presqu'île districts before migrating to Croix-Rousse hill in the 19th century. A few silk workshops are still running today.
L'Atelier de Soierie 33 rue Romarin - 69001 Lyon - Tel: +33 (0)4 72 07 97 83 [email protected] - www.atelierdesoierie.com
La Maison des Canuts 10/12 rue d’Ivry – 69004 Lyon – Tel: +33 (0)4 78 28 62 04 [email protected] – www.maisondescanuts.com
Soierie Vivante 21 rue Richan - 69004 Lyon - Tel: +33 (0)4 78 27 17 13 [email protected] - www.soierie-vivante.asso.fr This association offers visitors the chance to see two workshops: - L'Atelier Municipal de Passementerie, 21 rue Richan, Lyon 69004: this workshop gives demonstrations on a loom used to make gold and silver-thread trimmings, in a workshop-apartment on the first floor of a canut building. - L’Atelier de Tissage, on the corner of Montée J. Godart and Rue Lebrun, Lyon 69004: demonstrations are given on a Jacquard hand-loom and mechanical looms in a 19th century family-run workshop.
The Corbas wholesale market
This is France's largest private fruit and vegetable wholesale market and handles more than 300,000 tonnes of goods each year. Marché de Gros de Lyon-Corbas serves more than 2500 wholesale customers, mainly from the Rhône-Alpes region.
Visit the Corbas wholesale market on the first Thursday of each month. 69 rue Marcel Mérieux - 69960 Corbas - Tel: +33 (0)4 72 50 69 53 [email protected] - www.marchedegros-lyoncorbas.com
The Caluire-et-Cuire waterworks Built in 1854 by engineer Aristide Dumont for Compagnie Générale des Eaux, to which the town of Lyon had granted a monopoly for the distribution of water, the waterworks are still home to an amazing subterranean reservoir, as well as a Cornish steam pump that's listed as a historic monument. Guided visits are organised by the tourist office.
21
HOSTING VENUES
All seminar, congress and exhibition venues are listed at www.lyon-france.com and in the Meeting and Event Planner.
> The Lyon Convention Centre at Cité Internationale
Address: 50, quai Charles de Gaulle - 69463 Lyon cedex 06 Website: www.ccc-lyon.com
Construction of this exceptional centre, designed by famous Italian architect Renzo Piano, was completed in 2006. It is devoted to business tourism, conventions, international conferences and shows. Extension projects have tripled the Lyon Convention Centre's surface area, which now covers more than 25,000 sq. m.
The centre's main feature is a 3,000-seat semi-circular amphitheater, inspired by Gallo-Roman architecture, which opens out onto the stage and access points. There are no divisions between the different areas (room, stage, access points, etc.), creating an atmosphere more reminiscent of a stadium, or circus even, than an Italian-style theatre.
Nestling between Tête d'Or Park and the river Rhône, the Convention Centre boasts exceptional surroundings and is only 12 minutes from Part-Dieu station (new C1 trolleybus line) and 25 minutes from Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport. It is located in the Cité Internationale district with its 500 hotel rooms on site (1,000 nearby), restaurants, museum, casino, cinemas, three car parks, and more. The Convention Centre is adjacent to the four-star Hilton Hotel, 3-star Hôtel Concorde Cité and the Temporim hotel complex.
Lyon's Convention Centre is taking on an increasingly European role, and the organizers of major conventions, who are extremely demanding, see it as a major venue. They hold the center in even higher regard since the extension project, which was designed specifically for hosting major conventions. There are three amphitheaters with capacities of 300, 900 and 3,000 people for plenary sessions, six forums with a total surface area of 8,400 sq. m for exhibitions, and 26 fully- equipped breakout rooms.
22
> Eurexpo: Lyon's exhibition and convention centre
Address: BP 190 – 69686 Chassieu Cedex Website: www.eurexpo.com
As France's biggest exhibition centre after Paris, Eurexpo offers a covered area of 120,000 sq. m, divided into eight halls, for holding events with the desired layout. It boasts an excellent location in a 270-acre park, just 10 minutes from Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport and 20 minutes from the city centre. Near to the Bron airport, France's second largest business airport, and the Chassieu golf range, Eurexpo is a superb venue to hold all kinds of events: exhibitions, conventions, seminars, gala dinners, product demonstrations, conferences, etc. The exhibition halls and meeting rooms can be adapted for events of any size.
A new reception hall was opened in 2010. With a 2,000 sq. m surface area and an airy and well-lit interior, it is perfectly suited to welcome visitors to trade shows and big events. This welcoming, pleasant and modern reception area offers a full range of services for visitors: Lyon Tourist Office information point, cloakrooms, shops, and restaurants that proudly promote Lyon's gastronomic reputation. Six bars and six restaurants have been totally redesigned to provide visitors and exhibitors with innovative, high-quality catering services.
Espace Paul Bocuse
This 10,000 sq. m area was initially intended to cater to the increased space requirements of Eurexpo's leading trade shows (SIRHA and POLLUTEC), but moved towards a multi-purpose function to better serve the needs of the market and to make sure Eurexpo can host any type of event. It now features a retractable auditorium (the 2,400-4,200 seated capacity can be extended to 6,000 with standing and seated places). Hall Paul Bocuse is a flexible area that can be used with different layouts, making it suitable for exhibitions, conventions or shows.
Eurexpo is expanding!
Following the redesign of the reception hall, which is now named after famous chef Paul Bocuse, Lyon-Eurexpo is continuing its policy of expansion and modernization. Since last January, Hall 2 has been extended to increase available floor space by nearly 9,000 m2. The extension has an independent entrance near the T5 tramway stop and a car park reserved for visitors and exhibitors. This new construction increases Eurexpo's total indoor floor space by almost 130,000 m2 and enables Eurexpo Lyon to match the growth of major trade shows, such as Sirha (next edition scheduled for 2015), Equitaʼ Lyon and Pollutec, and host new events during peak periods.
Since 2012, the T2 and T5 tramway lines link Perrache railway station with Eurexpo.
23
> Halle Tony Garnier
Address: 20 pl. Charles et Christophe Mérieux 69363 Lyon cedex O7 Website: www.halle-tony-garnier.com
Halle Tony Garnier served as Lyon's international exhibition venue in 1914, an arms manufacturing plant during the First World War, and it wasn't until 1928 that it resumed its original function as a cattle market.
In 2000, Halle Tony Garnier, a major historic monument of the 20th century, was renovated in a remarkable way, enabling it to host European-scale events in unique surroundings.
Halle Tony Garnier is a totally modular and multi-purpose venue. It offers event organizers a wide range of technical possibilities and the avant-garde design retains the historical origins of the site.
The building has 17,000 sq. m of continuous floor space, on a single level, and offers excellent conditions for hosting prestigious events such as concerts, shows, trade shows, conventions and exhibitions.
> Espace Tête d’Or, Convention Centre
Address: 103 boulevard de Stalingrad 69100 Villeurbanne Website: www.espacetetedor.com
With a 10 to 3,000-person capacity, Espace Tête d'Or offers many services to help organizers manage their events and an area that can be adapted to suit the required layout.
Its 2,400 sq. m single-level floor space is entirely modular and multi-purpose, making it suitable for hosting conferences, exhibitions and catering events. The first floor has an additional four rooms for meetings, breakouts, demonstration workshops and press conferences.
Espace Tête d'Or is accessible by public transport, only 10 minutes from Part-Dieu station and near to major road and motorway connections (the north-section of the ring road in particular).
24
> Double Mixte
Address: 19 avenue Gaston Berger 69625 Lyon-Villeurbanne Cedex Website: www.doublemixte.com
With 10,000 sq. m of floor space and a 500 to 4,000-person capacity, Double Mixte is located in the center of the Lyon urban area. The building has four floors and two main exhibition rooms, which are modular and cover 4,000 sq. m each, for hosting shows, exhibitions, seminars, conferences, competitions and other cultural, scientific and sporting events.
The second floor is divided into two sections, one of which has a sports floor covering. Double Mixte also has 500 sq. m of shops, 3,300 sq. m of office space and meeting rooms.
This is the Lyon urban area's new cost-competitive venue. The four main rooms are called "Passeurs d’Espoirs", "Le Monde en courant", "Ici et Ailleurs" and "Africa Trek". Beyond their originality, they demonstrate the arrival of a completely new kind of event venue in the Lyon urban area. Double Mixte has chosen to innovate and offers its clients an original and socially-responsible approach: each time an event is held in one of the venue's rooms, named after a social cause, the organizer makes a donation to one of the five causes of its choice, instead of receiving a commercial discount.
25
> La Sucrière
Address: 49-50 Quai Rambaud 69002 Lyon Website: www.lasucriere-lyon.com
Built in the 1930s on the docks of Lyon's Confluence district, this former warehouse on the banks of the Saône was given a second lease of life in 2003 with the arrival of one of Europe's biggest Contemporary Art Biennials, after 80 years of history.
Located in Lyon's new Confluence district, La Sucrière is now totally renovated and provides an original venue for all kinds of events. La Sucrière has four floors and was designed to simultaneously host art exhibitions and public or private events with:
. Two event areas:
- L’Espace 1930: A large 1,700 sq. m room on the ground floor overlooked by a 1,100 sq. m mezzanine - L’Espace 1960: A 600 sq. m room on the ground floor
. A 1,700 sq. m exhibition area on the second floor, which is entirely devoted to artistic events.
26
GREATER LYON CONVENTION BUREAU INITIATIVES
EXPOBOOSTER: THE TRADE SHOW INCUBATOR Designed for entrepreneurs looking to create a trade show in Lyon, the ExpoBooster tool was introduced as an aid for project owners.
PACK 1,500: FOR ASSOCIATION CONFERENCES INVOLVING MORE THAN 1,500 PEOPLE The Lyon Convention and Exhibition Bureau welcomes and supports bids to hold association conventions involving more than 1,500 participants. It enables major event organisers to significantly reduce their outlay and to provide a better hosting service for visitors and participants.
CHARTE HOTELS: MAKING SURE LYON REMAINS COMPETITIVE This charter applies to all forthcoming events organized in Lyon for non-profit-making organizations generating a minimum 1,000 overnight bookings a day. It aims to help Lyon remain competitive by standardizing the offers of hotels and hotel complexes to enhance Lyon's power of attraction as a destination and facilitate purchasing by event organizers. The charter applies to any new event organized for the benefit of non-profit-making organizations (learned societies, professional associations, federations, etc.) that generates a minimum of 1,000 overnight bookings a day and concerns bookings made in several hotels throughout Lyon's urban area. All signatory hotel owners promise to observe the terms of the charter during three consecutive years. The obligations set out by the charter aim to standardize Lyon's hotel offers and therefore facilitate negotiations for deciders. These concern in particular: the size of room allotments, general terms and conditions of sale (standardized release dates and cancellation terms) and price presentations.
THE COACH AND BUS CHARTER Along the same lines as the Hotel Charter, the Coach and Bus Charter has been created to harmonise the service offering of coach and bus companies for organisers of trade events. Organisers benefit in particular from consistent sales and cancellation conditions and a certain number of competitive advantages. It applies to all conventions organised by associations and all corporate events involving more than 500 participants, provided that the event is confirmed more than six months before it is held.
THE ONLYLYON+ LABEL FOR A PRIVILEGED WELCOME This label, created by the Greater Lyon Conference and Trade Show Bureau gives conference participants, trade show exhibitors and visitors advantages and discounts throughout the 200 establishments taking part in the initiative (restaurants, nightlife venues, etc.) and is aimed at events involving more than 500 participants. It comes in the shape of a sticker to be affixed on the event badge and is given out with a map showing the location of the partners. Further information is available at www.lyon-france.com (business space)
27
LYON’S LARGE SCALE PROJETS
For many years the city of Lyon has heavily invested in ways to invigorate its urban quality and lifestyle. As a result, the start of the new millennium marked the beginning of a range of large scale projects. The objectives of these projects is to increase Lyon’s economic activities, business and innovation, strengthen new technology networks and assure efficient transport methods within or beyond the inner city area. These developments corresponds to the wish of balance and stability, destined to maintain the current good quality of life in the metropolitan area, notably thanks to the city’s lavish natural environments and culture and recreational facilities.
> La Confluence, the new district
La Confluence, an artificial peninsula, was created at the end of the 18th century to expand Lyon’s urban area, and has been much-coveted ever since. It instantly extends the centre of this city of over a million inhabitants, adding rare green and open spaces. In the 19th century the issues the district had to face were largely economical and industrial. Then in the 20th century the creation of the port, and later of the wholesale market of national importance brought with it logistical concerns. The port ceasing operations in 1994, and the departure of the wholesale market in 2008 provided new, undreamed-of land potential for a city seeking to extend its centre. A major factor in the development of the city, La Confluence brings together the overall objectives connected with expanding the essential functions of this European metropolis. An ambitious and varied programme is underway, combining housing, offices, and activities along with generous and welcoming public spaces.
The area of La Confluence takes up the whole of the south of the Peninsula between the Place Carnot and its point, where the rivers Rhône and Saône meet. Half of the 350 or so acres were formerly taken up by industrial and logistic activity. The area has many benefits: situated in the city centre, beautifully landscaped, with the gentle banks of the Saône, against a backdrop of rolling hills, 5 kilometres of quayside, the unique appeal of the joining of two mighty rivers, a district that has been inhabited since the 19th century, and extremely easy access.
Phase one of the Lyon Confluence urban project, launched in 2003, saw the building of the tramway that has served the district since the autumn of 2005; more than a thousand new homes have been built, there are four thousand new workers, and every day more and more people are to be seen strolling through the district, discovering the public spaces and the walk alongside the Saône, the restaurants and events such as ‘Nuits Sonores’ and the Contemporary Art Biennials. Since May 2011 there has also been a jetty on the Saône for small boats, with twenty or so spaces for vessels under twelve metres. The construction of some 1,700 dwellings and 3,500 new residents is anticipated for this first phase.
The Confluence Leisure and Business Centre, opened in April 2012, is also part of the project’s first phase. The centre occupies some ten acres over three levels, set around leisure spaces - including a 14-screen multiplex cinema, fitness centre, climbing wall, the Ludopole play centre, and restaurants - and a hundred or so shops including several of medium-size. It also incorporates an ultra-modern 150-room 4-star Novotel hotel.
A river-shuttle, le Vaporetto, also launched last April, enables access to La Confluence from the centre of Lyon, via the Saône: holding seventy passengers, leaving hourly, it takes under thirty minutes, and runs every day non-stop from 10 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. It is a gentle and novel way to step from the historic heart of Lyon to the new and fashionable district of La Confluence; a single ticket costs just one euro fifty. Phase two, made up of some 85 acres, started in 2012: included will be the new Quartier du marché or Market District, designed by Swiss urban architects Herzog & de Meuron. This is to be a new district of the town-centre, with housing, offices and businesses; there will also be pedestrian walkways through garden courtyards, areas planted with trees, terraces and play areas. The ‘champ’ or ‘field’, which is to occupy the southern corner of La Confluence, will be especially dedicated to greenery and water. Cultural, creative and original activities will also take root there. The building of the new Raymond Barre Bridge enables now the T1 tramway to be extended right through to the heart of the Gerland district. www.lyon-confluence.fr 28
> Urban planning in the Part-Dieu district
In addition to the construction of new buildings, the development of the Part-Dieu district includes sustainable development actions that improve the daily lives of people who live and work there. The project includes: - the creation of new rest areas and green spaces to improve the quality of life of residents and employees; -the creation of a denser network of public transport services, green transport modes and pedestrian links; -the strengthening of the cultural offering and events in venues such as Halles Paul Bocuse, the Auditorium, municipal library, etc. -the renovation of existing buildings with major projects in order to reveal the district's urban and architectural heritage; -the creation of a skyline with the construction of several high-rise buildings.
Part-Dieu station will also be restructured and expanded in order to provide capacity for the 223,000 passengers per day expected by 2030 (compared with 120,000 today). The station will be upgraded with a new façade, a new entrance and a shopping arcade linked up with the Two Lyon project.
> Tour Incity (End of 2015)
On the corner of Rue Garibaldi and Cours Lafayette, Tour Incity will reach a height of 200 m and will contribute to Lyon's skyline alongside high-rise buildings of different heights: Tour du Crédit Lyonnais (165 m) and Tour Oxygène (115 m). Providing 40,000 m2 of office space, it will provide a solid response to Lyon's growing demand for offices
>Two Lyon An exceptional project in the heart of Lyon's Part-Dieu district, designed by architect Dominique Perrault, which will create 95,000 m2 of floor space. Two Lyon will include two four-star business hotels, with a capacity of 460 rooms, a 170 m office building and a shopping arcade linked to the new station. The foot of the building will open out onto the square, Boulevard Vivier Merle and Avenue Georges Pompidou. Completion is planned for 2018.
>The Rives de Saône Project
The Rives de Saône project is a continuation of Greater Lyon's river bank redevelopment scheme launched in 2002 with the Berges du Rhône (banks of the Rhône) project. This ambitious urban planning and public art project, which covers 14 towns within the Lyon urban area, including five of Lyon's arrondissements, aims to give the river Saône back to residents. Stretching along 50 km of river bank, this unusual project will encourage a green, peaceful and close relationship between residents and their environment, in keeping with the spirit of the river. The path along the banks will be divided into sequences that make up a "river journey film", enabling you to take a stroll through the story of Lyon and the river Saône. Here you can enjoy an outing that combines natural, historical and cultural heritage in an environmentally friendly way. It will increase the attractiveness of the Saône and encourage various uses of the river and its banks.
29
> Hotels projects
The Hôtel-Dieu renovation scheme The Hôtel-Dieu hospital, right in the centre of Lyon, will be converted into a luxury hotel. With a strategic location on the peninsula (Presqu’Ile), Lyon's oldest hospital is a reflection of the city's architectural heritage. By 2017, the building, whose history dates back to the 7th century, will house a 5-star luxury Intercontinental hotel with 13,500 sq. m of floor space and 138 rooms (including 28 duplex rooms with a view over the river Rhône and two suites). The lobby-bar will be located in the building's magnificent dome. The interior design will harmoniously blend contemporary design with the site's architectural heritage. Pedestrian walkways will also be created to pass through buildings, making them ideal for a stroll. Work will begin at the end of 2013. The offices are planned to be completed in 2016 and the rest of the site in summer 2017.
The Part-Dieu cluster In Lyon Part-Dieu, France first business center right after Paris Defense, a large scale building operation and an international consultation process conducted by international architects will be launched soon. This consultation refers to an operation of 95,00m2 facing Lyon Part-Dieu train station. This hotel-office cluster made of 455 4-star-rooms and 55,000m2 of offices will be the biggest hotel project ever undertaken in France, Paris excluded. Delivery in 2017
Enlarge hotel accommodation offer Many different projects are in progress in the area.
>Okko Hotel in Lyon Hotel OKKO has opened on 1st December 2014. Located in the entirely renovated former prefecture, this hotel is just a few steps from the busy Presqu’île area. Attractive, functional and accessible, the hotel has 85 rooms with a contemporary and minimalist design, and services with a “home-from-home” feel.
>Groupe Métropole continues its expansion in Lyon For over 35 years, Groupe Métropole has been creating a network of 3- to 5-star establishments throughout the Lyon area. Ever since the Hôtel des Congrès was created in 1979, this family-owned group has designed its hotels as places capable of welcoming professionals and families alike. As the owner and operator of 4 hotels, Groupe Métropole is continuing its development with the opening of Hotel Parkest in July 2015, located in Genas, within close proximity of Eurexpo Lyon, the exhibitions and conventions centre. The hotel will have 100 rooms and 300 m² of seminar rooms.
>Fourvière Hotel, a new luxury convent Once known as Visitandines Convent, Fourvière Hotel, located on the slopes of Fourvière hill, is scheduled to open in June 2015. As soon as guests enter this hotel built in a former 19th century chapel, they will be immersed in two centuries of history thanks to the work of Pierre Bossan, the architect who designed Fourvière Basilica. In addition to its 78 rooms distributed over 3 levels, the hotel will also boast a 750 m² garden enclosed by the cloister and its 36 arches. All around, a lounge bar, tea room and restaurant have been created in the Chapter of Visitandines Convent, where key issues were once discussed. And the promise is just as grand when it comes to reception events: a large room leading out onto a veranda on the same level and overlooking a 1,500 m² garden will be the hotel's main feature.
30
LEISURE
Tête d’Or Park
The Tête d'Or Park is one of France's largest and most beautiful urban parks. Located on the banks of the Rhône, it stretches out over 105 hectares. Its vast romantic lawns are interspersed with groves of trees more than a century old. The park's flower beds and peony and rose hedges bring a touch of colour and fragrance throughout the seasons. Inaugurated in 1964, the International Rosery covers five hectares, has 5,000,000 roses and is lit up every evening. The African Plain – a zoological park that is home to around 130 animals (including giraffes, zebras, antelopes, ostriches and other inhabitants of the "Savannah" biotope) – adds an exotic touch to Tête d'Or Park. It forms a fascinating living representation of animal life in the African Savannah. www.lyon.fr / www.zoo.lyon.fr
Fourvière Aventures
In the heart of the city, just a few minutes away from the Place Bellecour, this adventure park gives its visitors the opportunity of travelling from tree to tree using various different means of crossing: rope and monkey bridges, gangways, tunnels, etc. The crossings are organised in courses corresponding to different levels of capability, to be used by children from 4 years old upwards, sportsmen looking for sensations and families who want to take a trip together through the trees.
See also the heading « A city in harmony with sustainable development ». www.fourviere-aventures.com
> Reduction offered with the Lyon City Card
City Aventure
Less than 10 minutes from the Place Bellecour, the City Aventure acrobatic treetop trail enables you to go from tree to tree in a mountaineering atmosphere in the heart of a hundred year old forest. City Aventure offers 7 trails accessible to all. Progressive difficulties for all tastes and a City Aventure exclusivity: a trail totally made up of rope bridges! www.cityaventure.com
Other Parks:
Gerland Lacroix-Laval Parilly Miribel Jonage Les Hauteurs et Jardins du Rosaire www.lyon.fr 31
UNUSUAL LYON
Take the ‘ficelle’ A city with two hills, Lyon embraced funicular railway technology early on, nicknaming it ‘ficelles’. Of the five lines that were built in the 19th century, only two are still in operation today. They start in the Saint-Jean neighbourhood and climb the Fourvière hill. Five minutes is all you need to reach the top and the majestic Fourvière basilica with its commanding view of Lyon.
Saint-Jean metro station. Tickets: €1.70 one-way - €2.80 return (within 2 hours). Website: www.tcl.fr
Lyon’s Eiffel tower? The metallic tower next to the Fourvière basilica was not built by Gustave Eiffel but by an engineer named Jacques Buffaud in 1894, at the request of a certain Mr Gay, who had a panoramic restaurant just to the north of the basilica. Wishing to attract the numerous visitors expected at the World’s Fair in the Tête d’Or park, Mr Gay decided to build an 80-meter metallic tower on the hill and put his restaurant on the first storey. The restaurant later closed and the tower was purchased by the French radio and TV authority in 1953 for use as a radio tower and later, for TV transmission.
Tours not available. Address: 43 rue du Cardinal-Gellier, Lyon 5th arrondissement.
The ONLYLYON monumental sculpture In 2010, Lyon inaugurated a travelling monumental sculpture that highlights its global brand: ONLYLYON. Installed on the initiative of the ONLYLYON tourist office, this fun and original urban sculpture is displayed in various emblematic locations around Lyon. This "new urban object" is gradually becoming a part of Lyon's contemporary urban heritage and is finding its way into the hearts of the people of Lyon and visitors. Visitors are welcome to post photos taken with the sculpture on the gallery on the ONLYLYON tourist office website: www.lyon-france.com
La Maison aux 365 Fenêtres Built in around 1810 by the architect M. Brunet, this building has 365 windows for each day of the year, four main entrances for the seasons, two times six floors for the months, 52 apartments with fireplace for the weeks and two staircases with 164 steps for the sun's ascent to and descent from the zenith. The revolt of the canuts (silk-weavers) in the Croix-Rousse district in November 1831 gave this building another name – Forteresse du Peuple (the people's fortress). This site cannot be visited. Address: Place Rouville – Lyon 69001
Jardin de Rosa Mir Jardin Rosa Mir is a small garden located in the heart of the Croix-Rousse district, listed as a historical monument since1987. The garden, which is in the inner courtyard of a building, was 32
created by Jules Senis (1913-1983), a mason and tiler, and refugee of the Spanish Civil War, who devoted the last twenty years of his life to the creation of an "extraordinary" garden in honour of his mother Rosa Mir Mercader. It is made up of a set of columns and crossbeams decorated with thousands of cleverly arranged sea shells and stones that cover all of the surfaces. Address: 87, grande rue de la Croix-Rousse, Lyon 69004
The Saint Jean Cathedral’s astronomical clock Guided tour available from Lyon Tourism and Conventions Lyon’s astronomical clock is one of the oldest in the world. It is thought to have been installed in the Saint Jean Cathedral in 1383 and has been reconfigured several times since then. It is presented today as it was after its restoration in 1660. Located in the back of the church on the left, in the north transept, the clock’s various dials indicate the date, the positions of the moon, sun and the earth and the rising times of stars in the Lyon sky. At noon, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm, visitors young and old can watch with glee as it comes to life, accompanied by a curious tune called ‘Ode to Saint Jean’.
Guided tour by Lyon Tourism and Conventions (as part of the Vieux-Lyon tour – Duration: 2 hours) Information at www.lyon-france.com
The Loyasse cemetery, an out-of-the-ordinary, open-air museum... Guided tour by Lyon Tourism and Conventions In former times, Lyon had no public cemetery. Each parish had its own, where people were buried in common graves. In 1804, an imperial decree organised cemeteries and graves throughout the country. In Lyon, Loyasse was the first city cemetery, intended to preserve the memory of each family rather than to proclaim individual glory. The visitor might find a moment to reflect in the shadow of a neo-classical temple, a pyramid or a walled family tomb. Long-term residents are as varied as Edouard Herriot, former mayor of Lyon, Nizier Anthelme Philippe, a 19th century healer, a group of jugglers and many renowned doctors.
Guided tour by Lyon Tourism and Conventions (Duration: 2 hours) Information at www.lyon-france.com
The Subsistances The Subsistances, composed of several remarkably beautiful buildings, now constitute a palette for contemporary artistic creation. The project to transform these former military barracks into an alternative cultural site was launched in 1997. This 22,000 sq. m. site, pleasantly located along the banks of the Saône, has been rehabilitated, in accordance with the buildings’ initial architecture, and is now the setting for artistic creation and expression.
Address: 8 bis quai Saint-Vincent, Lyon 1st arrondissement. Website: www.les-subs.com
The Saint-Bruno des Chartreux church baldachin Guided tour by Lyon Tourism and Conventions (on request)
First built at the end of the 16th century then expanded in the 18th century, the Saint-Bruno church belonged to the vast Chartreuse du Lys Saint-Esprit convent, which occupied a large portion of the southwest side of the hill. Under its octagonal dome, which dominates that same slope, stands a remarkable baldachin, made of four marble columns supporting a plaster-hardened fabric drapery. The imposing altar in polychromatic marble, designed by Soufflot, gives the décor its Baroque dimension.
Tours on request (Tel: 04 72 10 30 30) Address: 58 Rue Pierre Dupont, Lyon 1st arrondissement.
33
LYON, A CITY IN HARMONY WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
> Alternative transport
Vélo’V: self-service bicycle stations . 4,000 bicycles available throughout the city, . 346 stations, . Bike paths along the new tramway lines,
Cyclopolitains: ecological taxis Ecological and affordable (€1 per person and per kilometre), the cyclopolitain is a unique and pleasant way to get around in Lyon.
> The banks of the Rhône
The newly improved banks of the Rhône offer a new perspective on the city along their five- kilometre length, from the Tête d'Or park in the north to the Gerland district in the south.
These improvements also bring out what Gérard Collomb, Mayor of Lyon and Senator, has called ‘a new urban philosophy, a peaceful, family atmosphere’. Pedestrians and alternative transport modes such as bicycles and skates have taken over a space previously devoted entirely to cars.
The left bank of the Rhône is the first phase of a network of sites that will put alternative transport first. The objective is to offer a real alternative to motorised transport by developing bike (and skate) paths and pedestrian zones.
The parking spaces that this new leisure area has supplanted have been partially replaced by a new underground car park with 1,100 spaces.
34
2015 CALENDAR January Print’Or - The jewellers’ and clock-makers’ exhibition (26-28th January)
February Communiquer Textile - Communiquer Objet exhibition (3-5th February) Mahana - Tourism exhibition (27th February – 01 March) « On cartoon dans le Grand Lyon » (7th February - 6th March) - Festival of animation movies www.oncartoondanslegrandlyon.fr
March Primevère – Ecology Exhibition (14-16th March) Lyon International Fair (20th-30th March) Vintage Fashion Market (21-22th March) The vintage clothing fashion is essentially French, even though the French fashion of the 1970's and 80's is a mixture of elements from international fashions www.marchemodevintage.com Festival Quais du Polar (27-29th March) - The Detective Story Festival For its 10th year and over 3 days, Grand Lyon heads back into the shadows with more than a hundred events in the streets, museums, cultural institutions, cafés and theatres… www.quaisdupolar.com/en/the-festival
April Vieux-Lyon Renaissance Festival – Les Pennons (25th April) 500th anniversary of the royal entrance of King François 1er in Lyon - Entertainment and parade through the Old Town. http://www.fetes-lyon.com/comite-des-fetes/evenements.html
May Nuits Sonores – Electronic Music Festival (13-17th May) France's flagship electronic music festival, this event features international DJs in unusual settings. www.nuits-sonores.com
Festival of Rose (30th – 31st May) After Japan, Canada and South Africa, the World Federation of Rose Societies chose France and Lyon to host its 17th congress. The main part of the Festival will take place at the Parc de la Tête d'Or in the three renovated rose gardens. The program features various activities and workshops on the theme of the rose, including floral art, a painting contest, a gardening workshop, a special rose fashion show, French rose grower information booths, and exhibitions… Saturday 30st of May will end with a fireworks which will be visible from the banks of the Rhône http://www.lyon-roses-2015.org/en/festival-of-roses.htm
June National Music Festival (21st June) “Fête de la Musique” showcases amateur music practices and acts as a springboard for emerging talents. Different musical breaks are available throughout the day. A neighborhood festival animated by the enthusiasm of residents and amateur or professional musicians. Les Invites Festival in Villeurbanne (17th -21st June) 4 days of free concerts, creations and shows staged to thrill, share and exchange in the streets, squares and residential areas, in every sense. www.invites.villeurbanne.fr
The Fourvière Nights Festival (2nd June -31st July 2015)
35
A series of magical concerts and shows under the stars will be held at Fourvière's ancient Roman theatres. You can choose between a total of about 60 music, theatre, circus and dance shows,10 new creations and 5 firsts in France. Well-established and budding artists from around the world are making an appearance at Nuits de Fourvière, so ready for some stunning performances! http://www.nuitsdefourviere.com/en/ « Tout l’monde dehors » Festival charge (from June to September 2015) Everybody out! - Outdoor arts events taking place - 80 parks and gardens in Lyon host shows, games and art events. Entirely free of charge
July / August
The Fourvière Nights Festival (3th June- 30th July) - Concerts, plays in the Gallic-Roman Theatres « Tout l’monde dehors » Festival charge (from July to September 2015) Everybody out! - Outdoor arts events taking place - 80 parks and gardens in Lyon host shows, games and art events. Entirely free of charge
August World Athletics Championship veterans (4-16th August 2015) 114 countries will be represented, 8,000 athletes will walk the trails, 7,000 coaches, 800 volunteers and members of the jury, 12 veterans categories 35 to + 90, 12 days of competition.
September Docks Art Fair - Solo Show Art contemporain (10th September - 4th October) Unique, because DocksArtFair is attached to the Biennial of Contemporary Art of Lyon, by date as well as geographical situation in the Confluence, a newly developed district in Lyon, and a symbol for the 21st century. www.docksartfair.com Les Tupiniers du Vieux Lyon (Old Town) (12-13th September) Since 1986, 140 potters from all over France and abroad, expose on one of the largest markets in France. A wide range of ceramics to discover in the Old Lyon during the pottery exhibition held every 2nd weekend of September in the magnificent setting of the Vieux-Lyon district around the cathedral. www.tupiniersduvieuxlyon.com Journées Européennes du Patrimoine : (19-20th September) Every year you are invited to visit public buildings, museums, chateaux or private homes free of charge. 2 days where often unknown or little known venues open their doors to the public. It is the opportunity to discover the wealth of our heritage. Biennial of Modern Art (30th September 2015 - 3rd January 2016) For this edition of the Biennale "Modern Life» Ralph Rugoff, director of the Hayward Gallery in London, is the curator and so begins a new trilogy about the modern word. Lyon city center
October Lyon Marathon “Run in Lyon” (4th October) Lyon Festival of Cinema (12-18th October) This festival is dedicated to the Cinema‘s history, for the general public. It is stretching across all the greater Lyon districts and is attended by numerous artists and key figures. Once a year the birthplace of the Lumière Cinematograph will invite the world of cinema to a festival in honor of its vitality and its memory. www.festival-lumiere.org/en/
November Festival Label Soie (19-22th November) A homage to Lyon’s proud Silk tradition with exhibitions, visits, fashion shows and events and a silk market. The silk festival brings together all those involved in promoting silk-making, its past, present and future.
36
Beaujolais Nouveau Day (18th November) When 450 liters of new wine is offered to Lyon from midnight with a barrel piercing spectacular!
Salon du Chocolat - Chocolate exhibition (6th - 8th November) Artisans of taste and gastronomic traditions in the spotlight at the Salon du Chocolat in Lyon Some 80 participants celebrate chocolate in all its shapes at the Cité Internationale.
December Christmas Market on Place (from 25th November to 24th December at Carnot)
The Lyon Festival of Lights (5th – 8th December) The Festival of Lights is one of Lyon's most famous Festivals to date. The Festival is spread over 4 days of pure magic. The city definitely lives up to its title as the city of lights and will not disappoint. The program promises four nights of enchantment, each night brings a different theme, color scheme and vibe. www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/en
All these events (and more) are detailed on www.lyon-france.com
37
GETTING AROUND AND VISITING THE CITY
> Public Transport
With 4 metro lines, 2 funiculars (The “ficelle”), 5 tramway lines, over 120 bus lines, Lyon public transport criss-crosses all the different city-centre neighbourhoods as well as most of the Greater Lyon suburbs.
1 hour Ticket (for all): 1,70€ (trips on the whole network for one hour, cannot be used for return journeys) 2 hour Liberty Ticket (for all): 2,80€ (trips on the whole network for one hour, can be used for return journeys) 1 day Liberty Ticket (for all): 5,20€ Le Hangar Relay car parks are provided for leaving your car free of charge and then using the public transport network.
www.tcl.fr
> Vélo’V
Since May 19th 2005, Greater Lyon has made a fleet of self-service bicycles available to its inhabitants, called Vélo'v. Today, there is a fleet of 4,000 bicycles spread out over 345 pick-up and drop-off points in Lyon and Villeurbanne. Free of charge from 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the type of rental you choose, everyone can take a bike to go from one place to another, or keep it for a bit longer, for a modest sum. Simple, original and practical, it’s a marvellous encouragement for using non-motorised forms of transport.
www.velov.grandlyon.com
> Lyon Grand Tour
Discover Lyon in a double-decker open-top bus that stops at all the city’s strategic and tourist attractions. Use an audio-guide offering commentaries in 6 different languages throughout the trip. This is the Grand Tour of Lyon! The bus lets you get on and off at every stop just as you want, to have time to visit museums and monuments.
> Reduction offered with the Lyon City Card > Tickets available at the Tourist Office and on www.lyon-france.com (Lyon Resa, Visits and Excursions, Pack LyonCityBus)
www.lyonlegrandtour.com
> The Cyclopolitains: green cabs !
Climb aboard and be driven where you want! Cyclopolitain, is a taxi for the price of a bus! Cyclopolitain is the first new generation cycle company in France. These new types of electric tricycle are driven by young drivers, Cyclonauts. In principle, they use the cycle tracks, pedestrian streets (at low speed), but travel on normal streets as well. Cyclotours: you would like to do a round trip or (re)discover Lyon from an original point of view? Cyclotours give you the possibility of going through the city in a calm but unusual way in about twenty minutes.
www.cyclopolitain.com
38
GETTING TO LYON
By road
In the centre of a motorway network over 1,000 km long, Lyon is less than one hour away from all the major towns in the region. Geneva can be reached in 1h30, Clermont-Ferrand or the Alps in 2h, Turin or Marseille in 3h, Paris in 4h or Barcelona in 6h.
From Paris (461 km), by the A6 motorway (via Mâcon and Villefranche) or the N6 or N7 From Nice (472 km) or Marseille (314 km), by the A7 motorway or the N7 From Chambery (100 km), by the A43, and Grenoble (104 km), by the A48 and A43 or the N6 From Geneva (152 km), by the A40 and A42 or the N84
By train
With two stations in the city centre, Part-Dieu and Perrache, and a third at the Lyon Saint Exupery airport, the TGV high-speed train now places Lyon at the heart of Europe. 23 return journeys per day connect Lyon to Paris (1h55), and 15 to Marseille (1h40). New Eurostar connexion to London! More details on: http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/whatsnew
By air
The Saint Exupery airport (at 25 km from the city centre) covers 2 000 hectares, has 9,200 parking spaces, 3 terminals (including a low cost Terminal), has flights to 120 destinations throughout the world.
Tramway Rhonexpress
Since summer 2010, the new Rhonexpress tramway line link the Part-Dieu station to the Saint-Exupery Airport in 30 minutes with departures every 15 minutes during rush hours: www.rhonexpress.fr
>One Way: Adult: 15,70€ - 12-25 years old : 13€ >Return: Adult: 27,20€ - 12-25 years old: 23€
39
LYON TOURISM AND CONVENTIONS BUREAU:
> A journey into our lives
For 1, 2 or 3 days…and the city is in the palm of your hands!
Choose your card: 1, 2 or 3 days, starting from 22 Euros…
With the LYONCITYCARD you enjoy unlimited access to all the public transit in the city, free entrance to all the museums and temporary exhibitions of Lyon and benefit from several discounts.
Price:
LCC 1 day: 22€ (reduction for junior) LCC 2 days: 32€ (reduction for junior) LCC 3 days: 42€ (reduction for junior)
LCC Practical Guide supplied. For only 3€ more, visitors have also access with Lyon City Card to Vélo'v (self-service bicycles)!
Book online: www.lyon-france.com or by telephone: +33 (0)4 72 77 69 69
> Guided tours
The Tourist Office Guided Visits Service offers visits on specific themes throughout the year:
Renaissance Vieux-Lyon and its “traboules” Down the hillsides of the Croix-Rousse to a silk-printing workshop City Lights, the enchantment of Lyon by Night From silk yarn to decorative arts Jean Nouvel’s Opera of Lyon Behind the scenes in the Theatre des Célestins Gerland, ground trodden by a mythical team The Silk weavers’ daily life, seen through the workshops and traboules of the Croix-Rousse The history of Lyon, “trompe l'œil” murals The history of Lyon from Fourvière to the river Saone Lyon in the 18th century, the charm of its town houses A marvel of Baroque art: the church of St Bruno des Chartreux
Normal price: 10€ or 12€ depending on the visit Reduced price (from 8 to 18 years old and students): 5€ Free-of-charge for children under 8 Average length of visit: 2 hours Reservation required. Contact 04 72 77 69 69 or the Tourist Office, Place Bellecour, Lyon 2ème
The Tourist Office also offers visits with audio-guides (MP3) in several languages.
Guided tours can be booked online: www.lyon-france.com (Lyonresa)
Further information on www.lyon-france.com (Things to do > Discover Lyon > Visits and tours of Lyon)
Copyrights for pictures : Marie Perrin, Aïmée Reategui and Edmund Hazlewood pour Lyon Tourisme et Congrès ; Muriel Chaulet pour la Ville de Lyon ; Erick Saillet et Jacques Leone pour le Grand Lyon ; Conseil Général du Rhône ; Aéroport Lyon Saint-Exupéry ; UMR-CNRS-MAP-ENSAL ; Sogelym Steiner ; Coop & Himmelblau ; Musée des Beaux-arts de Lyon ; Musée Urbain Tony Garnier ; Nuits de Fourvière, Biennale de la Danse ; Groupe Lyon Métropole & Spa ; Cyclopolitains ; Institut Lumière ; OL web ; Lyon Le Grand Tour ; Fourvière Aventures
40