Children’s Activities
There are several entertaining activities available to families with children in Lyon. Two primary animal-centred attractions are located in the city: the zoo at Parc de la Tête d’Or and the Aquarium du Grand Lyon. There is also a longstanding tradition of puppeteering in Lyon, and many of the local theatres offer special productions that cater specifically for children.
 Aquarium du Grand Lyon This popular family attraction is located just outside of Lyon city proper. It holds an impressive collection of aquatic life ranging from sharks and eels to more tropical and exotic varieties. Certain exhibits even offer a hands-on approach in which children are permitted to touch the fish. A perennial hit with children, the aquarium is located on Place du Général Leclerc and is open from 10:00 to 17:00, Monday through Friday. A sizable gift shop operates on the premises. Phone: +33 4 7266 6566.
 Children’s Theatre There are several theatres throughout Lyon that offer special productions geared specifically for children. One of the most prominent such venues is Le Théâtre des Jeunes Annéeson rue de Bourgogne (Phone: +33 4 7253 1515). The marionette known as Guignol was born in Lyon, and there are several puppet theatres that continue this tradition. The best venue to take in a well-planned puppet show is on Louis Carrand at the Compagnie Laurent Cappezone (Phone: +33 4 7828 9257).
 Parc de la Tête d’Or This urban park covers 262 acres, making it the largest of its kind in France. As such, this park consistently receives a high volume of visitors who come to take advantage of sporting facilities, jogging and cycling paths and its large lake which is open to boaters. Children appreciate the park for its zoo, which features animals like elephants, tigers and giraffes, to name a few. There is also a botanical garden, rose garden and recently-opened African savannah exhibit.
Cultural Activities
The World Heritage site of Vieux Lyon is a treasure trove of Renaissance buildings and museums that chronicle the rise of the local silk industry and the effects that the associated prosperity had on local art, architecture and religion. Numerous specialty museums are located throughout the old and new districts of Lyon, promoting anything from fine arts and history to the invention of devices like the cinema projector. Local opera performances are hosted in Lyon’s new Opera House, built in the 1990s.
 Basilique de Saint-Martin d’Ainay
Originally Benedictine convent, this historic and fortified church dates to the 10th century (while the inner sanctuary is another century older), making it one of Lyon’s oldest standing religious sites. This site gained early recognition as an historic monument (1844), and has been revered and well-tended for some time now. The stained-glass in the rear section of the abbey is especially worth tourists’ attention; and the narrow windows and hulking doors are a reminder of the uncertain safety of townspeople in the Middle Ages. Phone: +33 4 7872 1003.
 Institut Lumière This institute is dedicated wholly to the work of the Lumière brothers, joint inventors of the earliest moving picture projector, who screened their first presentation in 1895. This is an important research facility for contemporary scholars who are granted access to the archives that span several decades of film as well as related literature, periodicals, reference materials and lithographs. Laypeople will be more interested in the regular screenings which present both modern movies and early, more experimental films. Phone: +33 4 7878 1895; website: www.institut-lumiere.org/english.
 Musée de la Civilisation Gallo-Romaine Excavations of Lyon’s ancient Roman sites have been commonplace since the 1930s. The archaeological endeavours have unearthed a wealth of millennia-old artefacts that are now housed in this museum. A portion of Emperor Claudius’ speech to the Roman Senate has been etched into the bronze Table Claudienne, one of the museum’s finest pieces. This speech was significant in that it made allowances for Gaul’s representation in the Roman Senate. Also on hand in this museum are multiple coins, headstones, mosaics and statues. Phone: +33 4 7238 8190.
 Musée des Beaux-Arts Housed in the 17th-century Benedictine Palais St-Pierre convent, the Fine Arts Museum is second to the Louvre in Paris in terms of scope and size. It is situated south of the Place des Terreaux and hosts an expansive collection of sculptures, paintings and decorative artwork. Some of the museum’s more ancient pieces include Etruscan statues, ivory sculptures from the Byzantine period and several ancient Egyptian pieces. One of the museum’s most popular exhibits is Walker by Auguste Rodin, the prominent 19th-century sculptor. In fact, a great deal of the exhibits here deal with relatively recent work from masters such as Picasso, Monet, Degas and Braque. Phone: +33 4 7210 1740; website: www.mba-lyon.fr/mba/sections/en.
 Musée Historique de Lyon Housed in the 15th-century Hôtel de Gadagne, a massive collection of Renaissance-era buildings (and the largest such architectural collection in Lyon), the museum of history is a treasure trove of medieval furnishings, ceramics, sculptures and paintings. Also on site is a highly unique museum of puppetry, with a collection of marionettes spanning several centuries and a detailed narrative of the local legacy of this performance art. Phone: +33 4 7842 0361.
 Musée Historique des Tissus The Textile History Museum explores the textile and silk industry that prospered in Lyon during the Renaissance period. Exhibits include silk tapestries and garments, meticulously woven Persian carpets and 4th-century Asian tapestries. Local silks are also on display, most of which date to the 1700s and continue to be featured in international exhibits that explore the period costumes in this part of Europe. The museum is located on rue de la Charité in the Presqu’île district. Phone: +33 4 7838 4200; website: www.musee-des-tissus.com.
 Opéra de Lyon Built in the 1990s, this barrel-shaped opera house was slated to replace its dilapidated, 19th-century predecessor. This is an ultra-modern facility with a steely black motif that extends to cover every inch of the interior. Outside, the neoclassical façade is characterised by vaulted glass and stoic columns. There is also a restaurant (Les Muses) that operates on the parapet. For current information regarding show times and tickets, call or visit the website. Phone: +33 4 7200 4500; website: www.opera-lyon.com.
Dining & Shopping
 Traditionally, shopping in Lyon has often revolved around textiles—specifically, silk. This fabric is the medium of both traditional handicrafts and local, cutting-edge fashions. The most popular silk gifts are predictable: items like scarves, neckties and sashes, all of which are available throughout Lyon’s major shopping districts.
In the modern age, Lyon has emerged as a triumphant centre of fashion. An endless array of fashionable boutiques, designer outlets and fashion satellites from Paris are spread across much of the new city. Pay special attention to rue de Président-Herriot, rue Emile Zola and place Kléber.
 The largest and most modern shopping complex in town is the leviathan Centre Commercial de la Part-Dieu, which is located on rue du Dr Bouchut. In addition to major department stores and more than 250 specialised boutiques, this shopping mall also operates a cinema with 14 screens.
 The shopping scene in Vieux Lyon is bohemian, with artists’ studios, galleries and countless boutiques lining prominent shopping districts on rue Mercière, rue Victor Hugo, quai St-Antoine and rue de la République. Meanwhile, rue Auguste-Comte is a haven for antique hunters. Of course, antique textiles are a favourite find here.
Local handicrafts make attractive souvenirs and gifts. Look for traditional puppets like those on display at the Museum of History. Modern recreations of these marionettes can be purchased at Place du Change. There are also an Artists’ Market (Marché des Artistes) and a Crafts Market (Marché des Artisans) on quai Romain-Rolland and quai Fulchiron, respectively. Both of these are open on Sunday morning.
 There is a wonderful array of restaurants catering for varying budgets in Lyon. In fact, this ancient city is regarded as the birthplace for traditional French cuisine, making it one of the best places in the country (or, in all likelihood, the world) to take your seat in a local restaurant.
Specifically, Lyon is an epicentre of French comfort food, neither pretentious nor wasteful. Traditionally, sausages steeped in rich sauces put every part of the animal to use; hearty stews incorporated often-discarded ingredients and creative presentations kept the culinary scene fresh.
 The centrepiece of Lyonnaise dining is the bouchon. These cosy taverns were born out of the Middle Ages when merchants and travellers were in need of a layover where their drivers (and even their horses) could stop for affordable, home-style cuisine. The most traditional bouchons serve such wild epicurean fare as pickled ox muzzle (museau vinaigrette) and calf’s head (tête de veau).
Lyon is also home to a few world-renown chefs. Paul Bocuse and Marc Veyrat are two of the most prominent. Both of these masters operate flagship restaurants that draw regular diners from Paris and Marseille via the TGV train. Chefs like these are stripping away centuries of pretence and serving modern and creative interpretations of ancient local cuisine.
 Les Halles de Lyon is an excellent place to shop for local food products. Shellfish, innumerable cheeses, alpine herbs and mushrooms are a few regular items found here. There are also several tasting rooms (salons de dégustations) in this market, where customers can test the product or sample recommended recipes.
Outdoor Activities
As it sits at the base of the Rhône-Alps region, Lyon often serves as a launching point for expeditions into the mountains. Some of Europe’s best climbing, mountain biking and skiing is accessible from Lyon via a relatively short transfer to neighbouring mountain gateways like Grenoble. Travel agents in the city centre offer an impressive variety of outdoor activities for tourists of all skill levels.
Climbing The entire Rhône-Alps region sits at the base of Mont Blanc, the highest peak (at 15,771 ft) in all of Europe. Needless to say, this is a Mecca for extreme sports enthusiasts seeking to scale cliffs and camp at high altitudes. Chartering a qualified climbing tour into the Alps is a wonderful way to access the refreshing mountain lakes, ancient caves and floral meadows that characterise the lower, ascending altitudes. Travel agencies capitalise on the impressive natural environment available here by organising climbing expeditions of varying lengths and tailored to varying skill levels.
 Cycling Cycling is a wonderful way to get around the city of Lyon. The city facilitates a public bicycle service that allows individuals to pick up a bicycle for a modest hire fee at any number of stations and then ride to another station where the bicycle can be dropped off. This is effective both as a means of transport and as a method of sightseeing. Quick trips (under 30 minutes) are free. It is also possible to book mountain biking excursions into the outlying Alps region. For more information on this activity, consult one of the local travel agencies within Lyon or visit the Tourism and Convention office at place Bellecour.
 Skiing In its proper season, skiing in the Rhône-Alps is second to none. Most of the ski resorts are located well outside of the metropolitan area within reasonable distance of Grenoble (65 miles southeast of Lyon). The best two ski resorts are Chamonix and Megève. In this part of the Alps there are vertical slopes approaching 10,000 ft, and the resorts built around these slopes offer their guests the best amenities and facilities. Officially, the ski season lasts from December to April, though some of the higher-elevation resorts have adequate snowfall year-round. Discounts are usually available off-season.
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