45 Things To Do In Lyon

Lyon isn’t my hometown but it’s still the city where I instinctly go back to when I travel back to France. It’s the city where I did my studies, met so many people and accumulated lots of memories and the nostalgia that is going with. Even though I don’t feel like going back living there any time soon – Berlin extravaganza might be involved in that, I guess -, I’m always getting overexcited when it’s time to go back there to see my friends who are still living there, to try all the newly opened places for which I’m mouth watering from Berlin, to embrace again this atmosphere of well living and get immersed into this sweet Lyonnaise routine that I particularly love, for the time of a few days. Just enough to refuel my batteries and add a handful of memories to the long list of those I’ve made in the last years.
If there is something that strikes me every time since I’m living abroad, it’s the atmosphere that is perceptible in every street. This lifestyle à la Française that you can actually barely notice when it’s part of your daily routine. Today more than ever, I understand the culinary and cultural richness of this city, and recognize the peacefulness that the fact of aimlessly wandering in its streets brings me. Beyond the precious moments that I collect there, small habits and snapshots taken on the go keep piling up. That’s also why I wanted to share them with you since a pretty long time already, as well as a non-exhaustive list of my little routines and favorite things to do in Lyon.
As you’ll see it by yourself, the list also includes many foodie things, but hey, can’t help myself!

• Going to Saint-Antoine farmer’s market on a Sunday morning
• Ending-up a night out at Bec de Jazz 
• Taste a praline brioche from Perroudon
• Refuel your stock of spices at Bahadourian 
• Take aperitif on the docks during summer – by the Rhône if seeking for animation, by the Saône for peacefulness and a stunning view
• Do pedalo at parc de la Tête d’Or
•Enjoying cocktails at Black Forest Society
• Putting candles by the windows on December 8th
• Eating cervelle des Canuts
• Going to the Nuits Sonores festival
• Running on the docks by the Rhône
• Getting stuffed with the best tapas at Le Bistrot du Potager
• Wandering among book stalls at the book market by the Saône
• Eating in a real bouchon Lyonnais
• Drinking a beer at Ninkasi

• Going to the Light festival
• Getting stocked with local products at the Paul Bocuse market hall
• Aimlessly wandering in the Croix-Rousse slopes
• Taking tea cakes at Bouillet 
• Sitting on a bench of place Bellecour and watching people go by
• Trying quenelles from Giraudet 
• Walking in Vieux Lyon paved streets
• Joining the queue to get an ice-cream from Terre Adélice
• Taking a picture on the multicolored stairs in rue Prunelle
• Running to Fourvière for sunrise, ny going through the traboules
• Eating tartines at Diploid
• Going to Les Cafetiers for lunch
• Eating saucisson brioché
• Attending to les Nuits de Fourvière
• Buying an entremet and some chocolate at Sève

• Taking a ride on an attraction at la Vogue des Marrons
• Buying some Mere Richard’s Saint-Marcellin
• Visiting the fine arts museum
• As well as Confluences museum
• Having a mozzarella overdose at Mozzato
• Going for a hike in les Monts d’Or 
• Indulging yourself in a gastronomic dinner at a Bocuse restaurant
• Having a pre-dinner drink on a barge
• Eating truffle aligot at Place Carnot’s Christmas market
• Watching Jean-Pierre doing some sprints on the Rhone docks
• Eating your weight in bugnes Lyonnaises for Shrove Tuesday
• Having your Petit-Paumé guide
• Going to Voisin to get a box of  Coussins de Lyon
• Hunting for all the streetarts in the Croix-Rousse slopes
• Stopping on the way to drink a coffee at La boîte à Café