Lyon Holidays

City breaks to Lyon

Trailing behind Paris and Marseille, Lyon is France’s third-biggest city. Location-wise, you’ll find it at the meeting point of the Rhone and Saone rivers. Lyon is known as the Gastronomic Capital of France – a title it’s definitely earned, with more than 4,000 restaurants marking its map. Once you’ve made the difficult decision on where to load up on lunch, you can head for a hike up to the hillside Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, which looks right out over the city. Or, for something a little more laidback, take the 40-minute train ride to Beaujolais – this region’s famous for its wine production, and you’ll have plenty of chances to try out homegrown tipples on trips here.

Eat out at a food market

With so many restaurants to choose from, food markets are a good option if you can’t decide on where to dine. They tend to stack a selection of local and regional goods, with a top choice of cheese, wine and pastries on offer at most places. The markets in La Croix Rousse and St Antonine are some of the city’s biggest, while Les Halles Paul Bocuse focuses on fine-dining options – it’s the place lots of local Michelin-starred chefs load up on ingredients for their fancy plates.