Nature in Lyon

Tête d’Or Park 
Tête d’Or Park, with its 150 ha, is the favourite haunt of locals and one of the largest parks in Europe. For over 150 years, it has been Lyon's green lung, with its vast meadows, lake and groves of century-old trees. Its recreation of African plains is home to animals from the savannah that live there in semi-captivity. Its botanical garden and tropical greenhouses are home to some 16,000 species. And finally, its 3 rose gardens bear witness to the importance of the history of roses in the area. 

River banks 
The banks of the Rhône and Saône have both been redeveloped and turned into places devoted to relaxation and leisure activities. They have barge restaurants, floating bars and even works of art. Lyon is also crossed by ViaRhôna, an 815-km cycling trail that begins at Lake Geneva and meanders all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. 

The Confluence eco-district 
Begun in 2003, the Confluence district was designed as an extension to the town centre focused on sustainable development. As the first district to have been awarded a WWF label, it boasts HQE buildings and the first positive-energy building group in Europe: Hikari. Furthermore, close to a quarter of its housing stock has been turned into social housing. 

Going with the flow 
By bike or on foot, Lyon is the ideal place to enjoy a relaxed stroll. It is also great seen from its river banks, on board an electric Lyon City Boat or the Vaporetto.

Bateaux-mouches® originated in Lyon
Bateaux-mouches® found their way into the capital on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition in 1867. Yet these boats originated in the Mouche district in Gerland, and had been used to ferry passengers in Lyon for nearly five years.

Parks worth visiting

• Parc des Hauteurs (Heights Park), Lyon 5
• Gerland Park, Lyon 7
• Lacroix-Laval Park, Marcy-L'Etoile
• Grand Parc Miribel Jonage, Décines