Whether you’re just a tourist or a city-lover, there are always splendid walks to be had in Lyon. Whatever the weather or the season, we’ve come up with a selection of our five favorite gardens and parks to take a stroll in.
1. Parc de la Tête d’Or
How could we not start with the big boss of all parks and gardens in Lyon? It’s the very pretty – and very vast (105 hectares!) – Parc de la Tête d’Or. Designed on the model of English gardens, it features a 16-hectare lake, a splendid botanical garden and a zoological park (the second to be created in France after the Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes in Paris in 1793) home to giraffes, zebras, pink flamingos, farm animals, Florida tortoises…
The ➕ Botanical Garden houses an impressive collection of 15,000 plant species!
2. Rosa Mir Garden
Away from the most touristy areas, the Jardin Rosa Mir is a poetic work of art not to be missed in Lyon. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1987, its confidential access and discreet location within the city walls at 87, Grande Rue de la Croix-Rousse give it an atypical, almost solemn feel. Made of stone and shell mosaics, it bears witness to an exemplary architectural mastery that is unique in Lyon. A real favorite.
The ➕: this garden is the work of a lifetime, of a single person: Jules Senis.
📍 87 Grande Rue de la Croix-Rousse, 69004 Lyon
3. Jardin des Chartreux
At the bottom of the Croix-Rousse slopes, former farmland has been transformed into a splendid park, home to Osage orange trees and weeping beeches. The Jardin des Chartreux stretches from the Cours du Général Giraud to the Quai Saint-Vincent, and can be crossed via the winding Passage Gonin. The garden is especially noteworthy for its panoramic views: at the highest level (212 meters above sea level), visitors can enjoy a magnificent view of the Saône, Fourvière and the south of the city.
The ➕: statues of Lyonnais men of letters dot the garden; spot them!
📍 36 Cours Général Giraud, 69001 Lyon
4. Rosary Garden
As romantic as it gets, a visit to the Jardin du Rosaire is best made in spring, when its many green arches are in full bloom, and especially its rose garden, a must-see with unrivalled charm. And don’t forget your good shoes: it’s a tough climb! However, you’ll still be able to enjoy lovely views over Lyon, including the Left Bank, the Part-Dieu towers and, depending on your sense, the Basilique de Fourvière.
The ➕: it’s a quiet, restful place away from the noise of the city.
📍 43 Montée Saint-Barthélémy, 69005 Lyon
5. Garden of Curiosities
Jardin de Montréal, Jardin du Belvédère, Jardin des Curiosités: what if we told you they were all the same garden? All these names can be found at 8, place de l’Abbé Larue, where one of Saint-Just ‘s best-known gardens welcomes you on no less than 6,000 m2. Donated by the city of Montreal (hence one of its nicknames) for the twentieth anniversary of Lyon-Montreal cooperation in 2000, it houses six chair-sculptures set into the ground (the work of a Quebec sculptor) and overlooking the magnificent panorama of the city.
The ➕: in reciprocation, a garden donated by Lyon was inaugurated in Montreal in 2000!
📍 8 Place de l’Abbé Larue, 69005 Lyon
6. Le Jardin de la Bonne Maison
In La Mulatière, perched on the hillside of Sainte-Foy-les-Lyon, lies a treasure hidden behind discreet walls:le Jardin de la Bonne Maison. In this one-hectare family garden, over 800 varieties of rose thrive peacefully, far from the hustle and bustle of city life.
📍 99-101 Chemin de Fontanières, 69350 La Mulatière
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