Smaller is more beautiful: while Paris, London, Amsterdam or Milan struggle with overtourism, smaller cities such as Lyon, Manchester, Turin, Rotterdam or Izmir invite you to enjoy a more relaxed visit.
An Eiffel Tower all to yourself? That’s exactly what Monsieur Gay, a restaurateur, treated himself to in 1894, when he commissioned the Tour métallique de Fourvière — based on plans by Gustave Eiffel — on one of Lyon’s hills. This Petite Tour Eiffel is symbolic of the city: although Lyon is France’s second-largest metropolitan area, it feels pleasantly manageable, almost intimate. Between the rivers Saône and Rhône stretches a narrow peninsula with little through traffic. Arriving by TGV at Lyon Part-Dieu from Paris, everything feels different: squares and cafés belong to locals, queues and crowded metros are rare. You sense this slower pace in the bouchons and bistros, where waiters take their time. Lyon, birthplace of Ampère, the Lumière brothers and Saint-Exupéry, is above all proud of its cuisine. Per capita, it boasts more Michelin stars than Paris — and better chances of getting a table. The former silk-weaving city lies in a fertile region known for poultry and vegetables, with famous wine areas like Beaujolais and the Rhône Valley nearby. Marseille and the Mediterranean are just 90 minutes away, Grenoble and Mont Blanc a little over two hours. All of this contributes to Lyon’s reputation as the culinary heart of France.
City Check
The artist who created the model for New York’s Statue of Liberty also left a mark on Lyon: the dynamic horses of the fountain at Place des Terreaux — an unavoidable stop. You’ll pass by it while admiring the baroque town hall or walking toward the opera. There is much to see: the Musée des Beaux-Arts, featuring works by Rubens, Rembrandt, El Greco and Tintoretto; or the Hôtel-Dieu along the Rhône, with its 325-metre-long UNESCO-listed façade. Across the Saône lies Vieux Lyon, the city’s oldest district, with Renaissance buildings and romantic squares. The Musée Gadagne introduces visitors to Lyon’s silk-weaving heritage. For more museums, venture beyond the centre: visit the Musée Lumière, where the Lumière brothers’ first films were created, or the striking Musée des Confluences at the meeting point of the Rhône and Saône — designed by Austrian architects Coop Himmelb(l)au.
Morels & More
Sixteen Michelin-starred restaurants in a city of this size? No other city matches Lyon. Yet what truly defines it is the foundation beneath: the love for traditional bouchons, serving high-quality regional comfort food. A culinary stroll through “Les Halles Lyon Paul Bocuse” — a modern market hall of superlatives — reveals an impressive range of local delicacies. And that Lyon is also a feast for the eyes becomes clear at the historic “Brasserie des Brotteaux” (1913), famous for its morel dishes.
Joseph-Marie Jacquard revolutionised textile production in Lyon in 1805 with his punch-card-controlled loom — the term Jacquard fabric is still used today. Contemporary design can be discovered in the pop-up stores of “Passage Thiaffait” (19 Rue René Leynaud), where the Village des Créateurs supports innovative start-ups.
Next Room
Best panoramic view? Head to the exclusive five-star Villa Maïa, located on the Fourvière hill. Lyon’s only member of The Leading Hotels of the World combines modern design, a thermal spa and a Michelin-starred restaurant. A more budget-friendly option in the centre: the Mama Shelter Lyon.
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