Lyon, France’s gastronomic capital and the third largest city, is a pretty and easy place for visitors to navigate. Everything is walking distance.

Here are some postcards from Lyon.

Two rivers run through the city – the Rhône and the Saône. Staying somewhere between the two is a good choice because it’s easy to walk everywhere.

There are three main shopping streets between the two rivers that are wide and pedestrianised. Walking through Lyon you’ll see large ‘places’ or squares, parks and gardens, statues and public art, and even an old-fashioned carousel.

The old centre is bustling with cafés, bars, and Lyon’s bistros known as bouchons that spill out onto the pavement.

Markets

The Halles Gourmet Food Market is a feast for the eyes, as well as for your stomach. Uncover in a mall, you’ll fine a hundred different types of cheeses, patisseries displaying sweet temptations, neat rows of colourful macarons, salamis of different sizes hanging above deli counters, butchers offering cuts of meat from every part of the animal, oysters locked tight in their shells packed into ice baskets, waiting to be prised open, terrines, pates, parfaits, quiches, pies, olives, and stacked fruit and vegetables stalls.

There are also wine bars and cafes within Halles. It’s well laid out, clean and organised – very French. Sunday brunch is a popular time to go to Halles. During our Saturday mid-afternoon visit, we almost had the place to ourselves.

Verdict: Lyon is a worthy stop over for two days or so, particularly so if you are a foodie

FACT FILE

Halles de Lyon
102 Cours Lafayette, 69003 Lyon, Francia
+33 4 78 62 39 33