After climbing loads of steps on my first day in Grenoble I took a more leisurely approach to day two. I headed to a few museums including a very interesting one about the French Resistance in that area which was rather somber but well worth a visit. I also headed to a few more churches and museums while taking in all the sights.
There were amazing views of the city from the basilica which were the highlight of my trip.
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I headed back to my friends flat for an early night because the next day we were getting up bright and early to head to the nearby city of Lyon. We started our day in the city by heading up to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière on a very vertical tram which was pretty scary.
The basilica was particularly beautiful. The Fourvière is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who saved the city of Lyon from a cholera epidemic sweeping Europe in 1823 and apparently during the Franco-Prussian War
(1870-1), Prussian forces halted and retreated due to the Virgin Mary.
There were amazing views of the city from the basilica which were the highlight of my trip.
We wandered around the city taking a look in many of the cute shops and bakeries along the way before heading to the park complete with it's own zoo and botanical gardens.
The park was beautiful and I imagine it's even nicer in the summer. You could spend the whole day there and there's plenty to see including some lions and a red panda which was so adorable.
Lyon is the capital of silk weaving in France and you will
discover the “Traboules” (passageways) winding down the hill of the
Croix-Rousse where 30.000 silk weavers used to live in the 19th century. There are loads of lovely shops and bars in this area and you could come here in the morning, have a wander around, have lunch and make your way to the Basilica later on. We ended up here in the evening and had some wine before going home but I wish I had a lot more time to explore the city. There were so many places left to visit and so much nice food to sample, such a shame I was only here for the day.
I recommend you get a City Card if you visit Lyon. The card pays for itself quickly as the average price of museum admission is € 7 and a guided tour is10 €. I didn't get one but if you are there for a weekend it would be really handy and public transport is included.
I recommend you get a City Card if you visit Lyon. The card pays for itself quickly as the average price of museum admission is € 7 and a guided tour is10 €. I didn't get one but if you are there for a weekend it would be really handy and public transport is included.
I'm really sad that my little French adventure is over but I'm now counting down the days until I return to Dorset. Only 44 sleeps :)
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