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The best way to get to Place Bellecour is by public transport. Alternatively, there is a car park under the square (entrance on Rue Saint Exupéry).
(S/E) The walk begins at the foot of the equestrian statue dedicated to Louis XIV, in the centre of Place Bellecour. From there, we head towards the south-west corner of the square, on the left, towards the Saône, towards the small gardens.
This is a quiet area where we will discover a curiosity little known even to the people of Lyon themselves: the statue dedicated to Saint-Exupéry. You have to look for it, but it is very interesting.
(1) We head west along Rue Saint-Exupéry, then walk up the banks of the Saône on the right towards the north (in the morning, several days a week, we have the pleasure of crossing a charming town market).
We continue up the banks of the Saône, and at the corner of Quai de la Pêcherie and Rue de la Platière, we discover the Writers' Wall.
(2) We continue along the banks of the Saône towards the north and discover the painted wall of the Lyonnais at the corner of Quai Saint-Vincent and Rue de La Martinière. The opposite pavement offers a better view. Go to the end of the building and you will discover other frescoes. If necessary, consult the list of 31 famous Lyonnais on the wall. It is displayed at the bottom. If you turn around, on the opposite side, at the corner of Rue Pareille and Rue de la Martinière, there is another trompe-l'oeil wall, much more discreet.
(3) We leave the banks of the Saône and head east up Rue La Martinière, which leads to the Lycées de La Martinière, designed by M. Martin. Note the façade of the Lycée de la Martinière.
We turn right to the south (Rue Lanterne), then left to the east (Rue d'Algérie), to reach Place des Terreaux. This square is bordered:
- to the south by the Palais Saint-Pierre or Museum of Fine Arts,
- to the north, in the centre of the square, by a fountain representing the Garonne, created by Bartholdi.
(4) We leave Place des Terreaux on the right, heading northeast, and take Rue Puits Gaillot to reach Place Louis Pradel, opposite the opera house, known as the "Opéra Nouvel".
(5) We cross Place Louis Pradel, continuing eastwards, where we can admire some modern works of art.
(6) We cross the Rhône via Pont Morand to reach Square Lyautey. Here we find the "Morand" fountain. We continue left towards Cours Roosevelt, then right onto Rue Tronchet. We cross Avenue Maréchal Foch and turn left onto Rue Vendôme. We pass the statue of Joan of Arc and the Church of Puvis de Chavannes.
(7) We continue north on Rue Vendôme, then turn right onto Avenue de Grande-Bretagne to arrive at Place Général Leclerc at the entrance to Parc de la Tête d'Or.
(8) We walk around the park to the right via the large circular loop, enjoying the rose garden, the zoo and the botanical garden.
We leave the park via the entrance we used to enter, cross Avenue de Grande-Bretagne and head down to the riverbank.
(9) We take great care to stay on the footpath (on the right) and not the cycle path (on the left), which is not indicated on site.
We walk down to the left towards the south until we reach the Pont de la Guillotière bridge. On the way, we can admire the Hôtel Dieu hospital on the opposite bank.
(10) We walk back up from the riverside path onto Quai Victor Augagnier to cross the Rhône again on the right via the Pont de la Guillotière bridge, and continue straight on along Rue de la Barre to reach Place Bellecour (S/E).
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