• Newsfeed
• Newsletters
• Presentations
• Publications
• Director's letters
• Press

Destination Lyon

Viviane Li explores Lyon, host city of this year’s EGI Technical Forum

The EGI forums take grid discussions to some of the most interesting European cities twice a year.

Next stop: Lyon.

The second largest city in France, Lyon has been granted UNESCO world heritage site status. Occupied from as early as the 4th century BC, the city’s development is steeped in historical richness and diversity. The original settlement was located between two hills (the Fourvière to the west and the Croix-Rousse to the east), near the convergence of two rivers (the Rhône and the Saône). What started as a strategic trade centre later flourished into an important centre for printing, then silk manufacturing and more.

Evidence of a medieval past meets Renaissance architecture in Lyon’s old town, where you can wander through interweaving covered passageways, or ‘traboules’. Their paths reveal inner courtyards, galleries and spiral staircases, while linking one street to the next. The Lyon Tourist Office organises various themed city trails, from silk to gargoyles, or you can download leaflets from its website for self-guided walks. From the old town, take the funicular to the top of Fourvière Hill for a view of the city.

To get acquainted with the locals, book a free personalised tour with a ‘Lyon city greeter’. Greeters are friendly local ‘Lyonnaise’ – volunteers from all ages and backgrounds who love their city and are happy to share their insights with visitors. Tours must be booked at least one week in advance indicating your interests (anything from shopping and flea markets to sports and leisure) so you can be matched with a local who share the same passion. Your guide will take you (and up to five companions) off the tourist track, on a walking tour of about two hours and show you the insider’s Lyon.

A pair of famous Lyonnaises we unfortunately will not meet are the Lumière brothers – pioneers of cinema. However, you can visit their family home. The Lumière Villa was built by the pair’s architect father and later became the headquarter of the Lumière Company. It is now a part of the Lumière Institute.

An even earlier revolutionary lived further afield in a village 14 km north-west of Lyon. Poleymieux au Mont d’Or was the birthplace of André-Marie Ampère, pioneer of electromagnetism, after whom the SI unit for electric current took its name. His childhood home is now a museum dedicated to his life and scientific work. It is open on weekends and can be reached by bus 84 from Lyon’s Gare de Vaise.

Last but not least, Lyon’s reputation for gastronomy must be sampled. Be sure to visit Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, a gourmet food market since the 19th century, it sells top quality produce from nearly 60 independent establishments. You can lunch on oysters or do your weekly shop all under one roof. In 2006, after a year of renovation, the market was renamed after its famous customer: Paul Bocuse.

A colourful character, Bocuse once spearheaded a group to lobby Pope John Paul II to remove ‘gourmandise’ (gluttony) from the seven deadly sins – they were unsuccessful. Dubbed a culinary titan, he is a recognised innovator of nouvelle cuisine and the only three-Michelin star chef in town.

Imagine arriving in style for dinner at Bocuse’s restaurant by boat… slowly cruising down the River Saône, as the last rays from the evening sky jostle with the first twinkles of city lights. Well, that is exactly what we have planned for the Technical Forum’s gala dinner! But if you had visions of a suave rendez-vous so far, you will find that L'Abbaye de Collonges is more of a curious cross between a carnival and a kitsch Disneyland of haute cuisine. This shall be a unique experience for the senses, in more ways than one.

Don’t miss it!