“This is such a deeply historical city... and it
never ceases to amaze me”
123bike ride. The Northwest is a beautiful hill with
charming neighbourhoods such as Saint Jean and
Croix Rousse or, further away, the Monts du Lyonnais.Where’s your favourite outdoor space?
Le Parc des Hauteurs is a garden on the hill next to our
famous Fourvière Basilica. I also love Le Jardin des
Chartreux on the hill of the Croix-Rousse. They are
both beautiful, peaceful spaces with a superb view.
The city is so close, yet there’s almost no noise – it’s
somewhere I go to put life on pause for a while until
I’m ready to join in again.Tell us about the light and colours of your city.
Over the centuries, the city has been embellished and
most buildings and monuments have been built with
white and beige stone. Then there’s the modern
architecture which uses a lot of glass and steel. If you
go to the left bank of the Presqu’île – the old town – the
old buildings have colorful façades, with ochre, orange
and pink tones. Lyon is known as ‘the city of lights’ in
France because of the light festival and our year-round
incredible night illuminations.What about the people who live there?
We like to embrace city life to the full and are happy to
share all the best bits with our visitors. We love our
food – I think it’s fair to say we’re pretty greedy – and
we like to meet friends and share a meal or a good glass
of wine and some tapas.Where are your favourite places to go with friends?
I love trying out new wine bars and restaurants and
I’m spoilt for choice as we have more than 3,000 places
to eat and drink! I have three favourite districts; La
Guillotière for its cosmopolitan spirit, la Rue du Boeuf
and the old town for the starred chefs, and finally the
little streets between Hôtel de Ville and Bellecour,
which are a nest of good, original places.Tell us about eating in your city?
Bouchon Lyonnais are convivial restaurants that serve
very rich local dishes containing plenty of cream,
butter and lard – a little heavy perhaps, but delicious!
Local specialities include quenelle (creamed fish or
meat combined with breadcrumbs and formed into an
egg shape), andouillettes, gratin and a lot of cold cuts. As
well as continuing these traditions, the cuisine in Lyon
is always evolving and we have some great chefs
serving creative dishes that complement the seasons
and the region. If you have a sweet tooth, you won’t be
disappointed. Cupcakes, brioches, biscuits and other64