Best tourist attractions in Lyon

What to see in Lyon?

Find out the best tourist spots and events in Lyon, capital of the French Gastronomy. Monuments, points of interest, places, events, and other secrets of Lyon city, the second-largest city in France and probably the most famous to savour the French cuisine. This city called Lugdunum during the Roman Era remains an undamaged blend of all the Human History eras. Roman-Era theatre, medieval and Renaissance district which is the Old Lyon, gothic Church, Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière at the top of the Fourvière hill, the Europe’s largest pedestrian square called Bellecour Square and post-modern architecture such as buildings in the Confluence district and the Part-Dieu district constitute this beautiful city situated in the middle-east of France.

Moreover, its nightlife counts between the best ones in France! Lyon is a city that offers plenty of opportunities and could seduce every generation from young party people to retired couples. Many events takes place in this beautiful city, such as the famous Fete des Lumières and the well-known festival Nuits Sonores

Why is Lyon called the capital of the French Gastronomy ?

Among all the tourist activities that you could enjoy in Lyon, the best one is undoubtedly eating! Indeed, Lyon has been renowned for its gastronomy and culinary specialities since the Antiquity where it owned the monopoly of the wine trade. But the cuisine lyonnaise became internationally well-known mostly thanks to the Mères lyonnaises during 19th century ; they were women from the bourgeoisie who decided to establish their own catering businesses in the core of the city. Their restaurants were pretty flourishing and thus had a major positive impact on the reputation that held Lyon.

However, the cuisine lyonnaise raised an even upper level thanks to Paul Bocuse, considered as the 20th-century’s greatest French Chef. Rewarded with three stars in the Guide Michelin for 53 years, Paul Bocuse mastered both new cuisine and traditional cuisine and created as well the Bocuse d’Or, which is considered as the catering Nobel Price. He established his 8 Brasseries Paul Bocuse within Lyon.

Eventually, the cuisine lyonnaise could not be evoked without talking about the bouchons ; these typical and traditional restaurants from Lyon have been renowned worldwide for their authenticity and simplicity. Although their menus are simple, the culinary specialities offered are always tasty and traditional and that makes their reputation. Among the numerous dishes that are served in the bouchons, the most famous and typical one is undoubtedly the Quenelle, which should be eaten while drinking the Beaujolais red wine.

Furthermore, Lyon hosts the International City of French Gastronomy since the beginning of 2019, which could not be better established than in the French city that contains 4000 restaurants, so that the biggest number of restaurants per inhabitant!