a place
Nicolas Guilloton’s Lyon
The Atelier des Augustins
The lively
neighbourhood of Saint-Vincent
Nicolas Guilloton's Lyonis first of all the Saint-Vincent neighbourhood, in the 1st arrondissement, in the center of Lyon’s ‘peninsula’. A stone's throw from Place des Terreaux, between the slopes of Croix Rousse and Quai Saint-Vincent, it has retained the spirit of the Canuts, the silk workers of Lyon. With its high French ceilings, Nicolas Guilloton's restaurant was undoubtedly a former silk-making atelier.
To discover this part of Lyon, there’s nothing better than letting your curiosity take you from street to street, along the quayside, even as far as the Musée des Confluence at the tip of the peninsula. Lively and colourful, the district is animated by a beautiful cultural resurgence, starting with the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon in the Palais Saint-Pierre, just 300m from the Atelier des Augustins . You will pass by the Town Hall, on the Place des Terreaux, a masterpiece of classical architecture.
From there, all you have to do is turn to access the Opéra de Lyonand its ever-bustling forecourt. Culture and heritage, but also youthful energy thrive here, and artisans of taste, colourful grocery stores spill on to the streets. There are Alibabaesque caves here, and there is Antoinette bakery where Nicolas Guilloton stocks up on divine loaves of bread.
The Lyon
of markets
from faraway lands
Nicolas Guilloton’s Lyon is also the Lyon of fresh produce markets. Each neighbourhood comes alive with a daily parade of produce and taste: this is the Lyon of flavour and smell, quality home cooking and the local tradition of the Mâchons. In these markets, the pulse of the city beats wildly. To get some great views, head for the Croix Rousse, the bohemian and multi-coloured district, and another former stronghold of the silk industry. From here, you get panaromic views of the city, and snow-covered Mont-Blanc.
With its ochre colors, the beautifully curved hills, 300 historic residences around the Saint Jean district which form an exceptional group of renaissance buildings, not to mention the influence of Florentine traders, Lyon already has an open door towards the south. Even if it means going further, why not go and meet the winegrowers, farmers and market gardeners of the Monts du Lyonnais, before exploring the Rhone valley and its velvet wines?
Lyon has crazy traboule tunnels from another age, it has Fourvière and its impressive basilica, it has the Halles de Paul Bocuse where gastronomy reigns supreme, the ‘Capital of Lights’ is full of places, stories and experiences to savour. To discover all Lyon's tourist sites, go to
the Tourisme Office website
.
