Lyon & the Rhône Valley
Occupying a lovingly restored inn, Le Thou is headed up by chef Stéphane Konig, who is known for his creative (and sometimes surprising) take on regional staples. Where else in the world could you sample a tarte à la grenouille (frog pie)? Well-spaced tables, colourful paintings adorning the walls and a warm welcome create an easy air.
Bonus: there's a garden terrace in the warm months. Find Le Thou in Bouligneux, about 4km northwest of Villars-les-Dombes.
21.67 MILES
This eye-catching building, designed by the Viennese firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, is the crowning glory of Lyon's newest neighbourhood, the Confluence, at…
19.23 MILES
This stunning and eminently manageable museum showcases France's finest collection of sculptures and paintings outside of Paris, from antiquity onwards…
Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière
19.75 MILES
Crowning the hill, with stunning city panoramas from its terrace, this superb example of late-19th-century French ecclesiastical architecture is lined…
21.28 MILES
Lyon's race toward the future is personified in this reborn industrial district near the southern tip of Presqu'île. Once a landscape of empty warehouses…
19.75 MILES
Lyon's partly Romanesque cathedral was built between the late 11th and early 16th centuries. The portals of its Flamboyant Gothic facade, completed in…
19.54 MILES
Housed in a 16th-century mansion built for two rich Florentine bankers, this twin-themed exhibition space incorporates an excellent local history museum,…
19.2 MILES
The centrepiece of the Presqu'île's beautiful central square is a 19th-century fountain made of 21 tonnes of lead and sculpted by Frédéric-Auguste…
19.12 MILES
Lyon's neoclassical 1831-built opera house was modernised in 1993 by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, who added the striking semi-cylindrical glass…
2.7 MILES
Observe local and exotic birds, including dozens of pairs of storks, at the Parc des Oiseaux, a landscaped bird park comprising 24 protected habitats on…
14.35 MILES
Jean-Paul II's Renault Espace, Hitler's Mercedes, 50-odd motorbikes, bicycles and historical modes of Lyonnais public transport are displayed inside this…
3. Salles-Arbuissonnas-en-Beaujolais Priory
17.2 MILES
For architecture buffs, this 10th-century priory founded by the monks of Cluny is a must. It's notable for its superb Roman cloister and elaborate porch…
17.79 MILES
Lyon's contemporary-art museum mounts edgy temporary exhibitions and a rotating permanent collection of post-1960 art. It sometimes closes for several…
18.33 MILES
Preserved for posterity by the Soierie Vivante association, this silk-trimmings workshop functioned until 1979, weaving braids and intricate pictures…
18.34 MILES
If you're museumed out, head to this lovely space north of the centre, which provides a green haven for nature lovers and families. Spanning 117 hectares,…
18.41 MILES
The Jardin Rosa Mir is a walled garden decorated with thousands of seashells accessed off a narrow laneway.
18.59 MILES
On a 50-minute guided tour, learn about weavers' labour-intensive life and the industry's evolution, see manual looms in use, and browse the silk boutique…