Lyon Shore Excursion Reviews

  • Popular Things to Do in Lyon

  • Food and Drink in Lyon

  • Don't Miss in Lyon

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Popular Things to Do in Lyon

Food and Drink in Lyon

Resist the temptation to go back to the ship for a free lunch. Instead, treat yourself to French cuisine at its best. Why? Because Lyon is regarded as the gastronomic capital of France.



The good news is that food is reasonably priced, even for a three-course lunch with plenty of wine. The bad news, for the unadventurous, is that the Lyonnais specialty is offal. Typical dishes include tripe, tongue and trotters (the feet of pig or sheep). At one restaurant, a chicken is cooked inside a pig's bladder, and a pig's digestive tract is filled with blood. However, these traditional bouchons also embrace other kinds of meats and nibbles.



For a snack on the run, grab a warm croissant or pain au chocolat from one of the city's many bakeries with outdoor counters.



At the very cozy Le Garet, diners are welcomed with pork crackling, caper berries and a jar of cornichons (sour gherkins). Meals range from a tomato steak salad to frog legs and seafood broth with creamed spinach, as well as the obligatory brains and liver. To make a reservation, e-mail legaret@wanadoo.fr. (7 rue de Garet)



Les Cafe des Federations does not provide menus. Instead, a charcuterie plate is presented with sliced sausages, caviar and puy lentils before the waiter recites the main dishes of the day. Expect calf's head and black pudding, but also quenelles en brochette (fish soup) and poulet au vinaigre (chicken in a creamy vinegar sauce). (8-10 rue Major Martin; 04 78 28 26 00)



For something more familiar, start at the top. Lyon's super-chef Paul Bocuse, known as the father of nouvelle cuisine, celebrates the taste of fresh ingredients. His namesake restaurant has earned three Michelin stars and he also owns Le Nord, Le Sud, L'Est and L'Ouest. Lunch is served at Le Sud brasserie, a short walk from the Rhone, at the edge of Place Antonin Poncet. The decor and food evokes the Mediterranean, with fare including salade nicoise, osso bucco and spit roast. Diners can enjoy eating on a sun-filled terrace in summer. (11 Place Antonin-Poncet; 04 72 77 80 00)

Don't Miss in Lyon

Fourviere Hill has it all -- an unbeatable panoramic view, a mini-Eiffel Tower (not open to tourists), an 1870's basilica (open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Roman ruins. The Amphitheatre des Trois Gaules (built circa 19 A.D.) is fenced in so you can view it only from the outside. Ride up and down the hill on the funicular for an extra novelty.



In the city center, keep an eye out for more than 100 trompe l'oeil murals and wall-sized frescoes, which tell the various stories of Lyon. Some stretch several stories high, from street level to top floor. At the outdoor Musee Urbain Tony Garnier (4 rue des Serpollieres), 30 inspiring murals are painted on the buildings of a housing project.



At night, more than 150 buildings and monuments are illuminated, with some using light projectors to create colorful patterns and images. Don't forget to step out on a balcony or open deck to view them from your ship.



If you're looking to do some souvenir shopping, the car-free Rue St. Jean in the Old Town is Lyon's mecca for souvenir shops. Wear flat shoes that can handle this cobblestone street. The parallel Rue des Trois Maries, between Place de la Baleine and Rue du Palais de Justice, is a quieter option when the crowds are hectic. This area also houses many bouchons (traditional restaurants), although these are aimed at tourists and do not necessarily serve the most authentic local cuisine. Ideal for cruisers, outdoor second-hand book markets are set up along the Saone at Quai de la Pecherie. The titles are mostly in French, but you will find lovely vintage maps and postcards. (10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday)

If you have already seen the main sights, explore Lyon's other claim to fame as the birthplace of cinema. In the late 19th century, residents Louis and Auguste Lumiere invented cinematography, recording a 50-second film of their family's employees in 1895. The site of the Lumieres' business is now a theater screening international classics. But the best stuff is next door at the Institut Lumiere, which shows original Lumiere movies and displays their famous cinematograph and other early filmmaking devices. (25 rue du Premier Film)


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