In Lyon, it will soon no longer be necessary to go to Chamonix to climb. Right in the center of the capital of Gaul, a church will play the role of the Grandes Jorasses or the Drus, transforming itself into an XXL climbing gym. What a program! All that’s left now is to pray… and buy a harness.
Eglise Saint-Bernard, Lyon’s climbing mecca
There’s an old saying: the best jam comes from the old. The city of Lyon has just approved a major new project to make new out of old. The Saint-Bernard church, built in 1866, is to be given a new lease of life as the site of a rock-climbing complex – a first in France! With the popularity of this sport soaring in the city, the site will meet growing demand while preserving an emblematic place. Saint-Bernard may not be Fourvière, but it’s still an exceptional place, and the idea of one day being able to climb inside it is breathtaking.
Initially, the project will involve restoring and cleaning up the monument, which has been closed to the public for almost 30 years. However, the City of Lyon will first have to sign an operating lease with the company in question in early 2026. The project’s protagonists insist that 100% of the building will be preserved. There’s no question of damaging the stained glass windows or the transept columns – quite the contrary! It’s as if the architecture had already been designed to accommodate climbing routes. Such high ceilings!
A climbing gym with bar and coworking space
Although the space will be mainly dedicated to climbing, the aim is also to enable visitors to enjoy it. The complex is therefore intended to be a hybrid with a catering area and coworking office space. For all those climbing aficionados who can telecommute, you’ll almost never have to pay rent again: this place will be yours!
Start of construction: first half of 2026. And since you can’t build a climbing gym in a snap of the fingers, you’ll probably have to wait until 2029 before you can put on your climbing shoes and climb, in a way, to the heavens…