Lyon’s 10 best-kept secrets
Capital of gastronomy, printing, silk and cinema, Lyon has many titles that put it in the spotlight. However, the city of light is also very secretive.
Mysterious places, hidden stories, treasures of the past, we reveal the 10 best kept secrets of Lyon.
1 – The undergrounds of Lyon
Every good Lyonnais knows it: there are 40 km of underground galleries under our feet, some of which still contain some mysteries (I’ll talk about them just after). But did you know that it is possible to visit the underground passages of Lyon? In any case, a part, those of Fort de Vaise. The OCRA association (Organization for Knowledge and Restoration of the Underground) organizes visits to the shooting galleries of the fort. Lamp in hand, enter the bowels of the city for an unusual stroll, before attending the conference organized by these enthusiasts who are trying to solve the enigma of Lyon’s underground passages.
> Visit & Info: www.ocra-lyon.org
2 – The mystery of fish bones
As said, Lyon has a vast network of underground galleries, mainly under the hills of Fourvière and Croix-Rousse. Most date from Roman times and were used for water supply. Others, called “fish bones”, have an as yet unknown origin. Discovered in 1959, the 34 ridges amaze with their form and content. The maze is punctuated with ladders, footbridges and strange sculpted frescoes. Who included it? At what time ? Why ? No one knows. The enigma hardens when human bones are discovered there and the authorities remain silent about their provenance. Moreover, access has since been prohibited to the public for security reasons. So, fish bones, an amazing mystery or a well-kept secret?
3 – The lake under Fourvière
We continue to keep our feet underground with a tenacious legend: that of a lake under Fourvière. Rumors of an underground lake were born after a tragic event: in 1930, a slope of the hill collapsed on houses in Vieux Lyon, killing 40 people. Following the disaster, the town hall received many letters testifying to a lake under Fourvière, which could explain the fragility of the soil. The municipality, fearing a new catastrophe, takes the proposals very seriously and conducts an investigation. Although the exploration of the hill was only partial, the rumor of a lake under Fourvière was quickly denied and the subject was closed. However, many amateur explorers claim to have visited the underground galleries of Fourvière by inflatable boat…
4- The hanging gardens of the Perrache interchange
Louis Pradel’s “concrete monster”, known as the Perrache interchange, has a surprising secret place: hanging gardens on its roof. A green space of 12,000 m2 including a playground for children and a vegetable garden, managed by the association Les Jardins Suspendu de Perrache. Collective gardening sessions even take place there 2 afternoons a month. To access this unusual space, go from Place Carnot to the shopping mall on the 1st level, then turn left following the sign “Jardins de Perrache” to the 4th level. Good discovery !
> Info: www.jardins-suspendus-perrache.com
5 – The last fallout shelter in Lyon
After the bucolic roofs, here we are back underground, in the 8th arrondissement, for another historical curiosity: the last fallout shelter in Lyon. Probably built in 1939, then discovered by chance, this “bunker” could house up to 500 people in its 130-meter-long tunnel. The entrance initially located at 64 boulevard des Etats-Unis was then moved to square René Picod, a few meters further, during work on the T4 tramway. Placed under the management of the Tony Garnier Urban Museum, visits have been organized there on the occasion of the European Heritage Days. Closed to the public since 2012 due to water infiltration, Lyon’s last fallout shelter is nothing more than a silent witness to an era that seems to be over…
6 – The enigma surrounding the arrest of Jean Moulin
We stay in the theme of war with a little reminder of your history lessons. On June 21, 1943, Jean Moulin, national figure of the French Resistance, was arrested in a house in Caluire while he was holding a secret meeting there. Comment the Lyon Gestapo got wind of this meeting, no one knows. Was it negligence, shadowing or betrayal? If so, who was the traitor? All eyes turn for a long time to the resistant René Hardy, strangely released by Klaus Barbie after his arrest a few days earlier. However, he was acquitted during his trial. Even today, the mystery around the arrest of Jean Moulin remains intact.
7 – The abandoned church in Croix-Rousse
This is a spot that will delight urbex enthusiasts: an abandoned church on the slopes of Croix-Rousse. Located rue Neyret, the Church of the Good Shepherd is distinguished by 2 unusual facts: its door is more than 3 meters from the ground and it has been disused for many years. Its interior offers a strange decor where the altar, stalls, religious frescoes and graffiti mingle. In 2007, it temporarily served as an exhibition space at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lyon. Since then, the church has been totally abandoned and closed to the public.
Some curious people know how to get there, but it’s a secret that we can’t reveal to you here…
8 – The first serial killer in France to rage in Lyon
Joseph Vacher is a very nice character (no). Considered the 1st French serial killer, he will recognize 11 crimes although he will be attributed a thirty. For several years, he wanders the countryside of Lyon, implicating his victims on his way. Sadistic, he attacks young shepherds and shepherdesses whom he mutilates and rapes post-mortem. Nicknamed the “Jack the Ripper of the Southeast”, he was arrested in the act. His profile and his murderous violence made him one of the first serial killers in France, after Martin Dumollard, also from Lyon. We understand that these are celebrities that we do not want to brag too much about having had in Lyon.
9 – Spiritism was born in Lyon
Spirit, spirit, are you there? Spiritism, a practice allowing communication with spirits, was born in Lyon and became famous thanks to Allan Kardec. Having become a master in the field from the middle of the 19th century, he founded a doctrine of the same name with nearly 30,000 followers in Lyon alone. The speed of the movement even prompted the creation of a spiritualist crèche at La Croix-Rousse, a unique establishment in France.
The doctrine ran out of steam during the post-war period and history fell into oblivion. However, spiritualism continues to make followers outside the French borders, especially in Brazil where Allan Kardec is the most famous Frenchman in the country!
10 – The Hôtel-Dieu crocodile
Do you remember this stuffed crocodile suspended under the dome of the Hôtel-Dieu before its restoration? He plays the main role of a very famous Lyon legend.
In the 17th century, a hungry crocodile traveled up the Rhône to take up residence under the Guillotière bridge. We then designate 2 condemned to death to decimate the beast. Armed with their spears, the 2 “designated volunteers” engage in confrontation under the terrorized gaze of the inhabitants. Cunningly, one of the prisoners throws sand in the eyes of the crocodile while the other takes the opportunity to kill it with his spear. As promised, the condemned are pardoned, the population relieved and the crocodile suspended as a trophy under the dome of the Hôtel-Dieu. Obviously, there is no historical proof of this Lyon epic. There are many catfish over 2 meters in the Rhône, so why not a crocodile? Or is the true origin of the Hôtel-Dieu crocodile Lyon’s best-kept secret?
There you have it, you now know the 10 best kept secrets of Lyon, although other mysteries may complete the list. Which ones do you know?