Set off on an expedition just a few kilometers by car from Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and elsewhere (max 1h30 drive), and break your daily routine without breaking your piggy bank. Lyon Secret presents its top 12 most charming villages around Lyon and travel ideas for your extended weekends.
This fortified medieval village, some 30 km from Lyon, is a veritable nugget: stroll along its steep, cobbled streets, and dream of bygone days as you stroll through its 24 (!) listed buildings.
👁🗨 Attractions: medieval city walls, St Mary Magdalene church, Place du Tilleul
🚘 How to get there: by car via the A42 (35 min), by TER Meximieux-Pérouges station
➕ Discover: the galette au sucre de Pérouges, a local ancestral dessert dating back to 1912
Renamed Val d’Oingt in 2017 due to its merger with neighboring communes, this small Beaujolais village is one of the jewels in the crown of the so-called “Pays des Pierres Dorées”, where winemakers and craftsmen together cultivate terroir and creativity.
👁🗨 Attractions: Oingt tower, mechanical music museum, village church
🚘 How to get there: by car via the A6 (35 min), by TER Bois d’Oingt-Légny station (+ 25 min walk)
➕ Discover: some 15 artists and art galleries dot the village lanes
With its 16th-century medieval architecture and colorful houses suspended on the valley floor, the breathtaking village of Pont-en-Royans is sure to add poetry and enchantment to your photographs. Its charm seems disconnected from time.
👁🗨 See the remains of the fortified castle, the Romanesque church, the clock tower and the hanging houses
🚘 Getting there: by car via the A43 (1h30 min)
➕ Discover: the Halle Gattégno art center, located in the suspended houses
Situated halfway between the Lac du Bourget, Lac Léman and Lac d’Annecy (that’s how much there is to visit in the area!), the commune of Lovagny is remarkable for its splendid 13th-15th century fortified castle, Château de Montrottier.
👁🗨 Must-See: Montrottier castle, Annonciation-de-Marie church
🚘 Getting there: by car via the A43 (1h30 min)
➕ Discover: nearby, the Gorges du Fier can be visited by suspended footbridge
Want to lose yourself in the labyrinthine world of wine? In the midst of the magnificent Beaujolais vineyards, the village of Beaujeu (formerly the historic capital of Beaujolais) offers magnificent views over the green hills of this magnificent – and photogenic – region.
👁🗨 Attractions: St-Nicolas Church (Monument Historique), timber-framed house, remains of Comtal castle
🚘 Getting there: by car via A6 (50 min)
➕ Discover: taste the region’s wines and visit the Maison du Terroir, place de l’Hôtel de Ville
In the Balcons du Dauphiné region of Isère, the sublime medieval town of Crémieu seems to have emerged from another era – yet we’re only 12 km from St-Exupéry airport! From its hilltop castle, the panorama is sublime. One of the most beautiful villages near Lyon!
👁🗨 See the Château Delphinal, the Augustinian Convent, the covered market halls and the stone houses
🚘 Getting there: by car via the A43 (45 min)
➕ Discover: a weekly market is held under Crémieu’s magnificent covered market, every Wednesday morning
At the gateway to the Vercors mountains, Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye, listed as one of France’s most beautiful villages, offers a thousand wonders just 1h30 from Lyon: its imposing Gothic abbey, half-timbered houses, medieval market hall, old shops…
👁🗨 Must-See: Saint-Antoine Abbey, Notre-Dame de la Jayère church
🚘 Getting there: by car via the A43 (1h30)
➕ Discover: its majestic Gothic-style abbey is a jewel in the Dauphiné!
Also classified as one of France’s most beautiful villages, Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez benefits from extensive conservation work carried out by the Association de Sauvegarde de la Chartreuse et du Parc. It is a remarkable village in the Parc Naturel Régional du Pilat.
👁🗨 See the Chartreuse, a former 17th-century monastery with kitchen, large cloister and hermitage
🚘 Getting there: by car via the A7 (50 min)
➕ Discover: the Jurieu chapel, high above the village, is also a must-see
If you’re interested in the history of Lyon’s weavers, you’ll want to visit L’Arbresle, in the Monts du Lyonnais region, a former silk town. Take a look at the old “canuts” houses, the church and the old castle.
👁🗨 Highlights: Saint-Jean-Baptiste church, old weavers’ houses
🚘 Getting there: by car via the A6 (35 min)
➕ Discover: you’re on the border of Beaujolais and Coteaux Lyonnais, so why not try a good wine?
Lavoûte-sur-Loire is famous for its Château de Lavoûte-Polignac, whose classical Renaissance style dates back to the 10th-19th centuries, although its Romanesque church and numerous bathing spots on the banks of the Loire are also of interest.
👁🗨 Must-See: Château de Lavoûte-Polignac, Saint-Maurice Romanesque church, Loire river banks
🚘 Getting there: by car via the N88 (1h30 min)
➕ Discover: Château de Lavoûte can be a good starting point for an excursion to the Loire castles
11. Taluyers
If you’re a fan of the medieval era, this is the village for you! Just 20 km from Lyon, Taluyers proudly stands at the top of the list of must-see destinations for heritage travel enthusiasts (according to AirBnb). Who said that villages with 2000 inhabitants weren’t trendy?
👁🗨 Must-sees: the Gier aqueduct, the prieural manor house, the Nativity church
🚘 Getting there: by car via the A7 and A450 (37 min)
➕ Discover: the hiking trails and their spectacular views over the vineyards!
12. Bonus : Vufflens Castle
In Switzerland, the Château de Vufflens is an architectural gem steeped in history. Built in the Middle Ages, this impressive edifice with its 60-meter-high keep is a listed historic monument. If you can’t visit the castle from the inside, you can admire it while strolling through the vineyards between Vufflens-le-Château and Denens.
👁🗨 Must-See: the vineyards and, above all, the view of the château from the vineyards
🚘 Getting there: by car via the A2, A40 and A1 (2h15)
➕ Discover: from the vineyards, where you’ll admire the castle, you’ll also have a breathtaking view of the lake and Mont Blanc!
