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Car park opposite the restaurant “La Passerelle Indienne” in Décines.
(S/E) Cross the road to head down to the left bank of the canal. Follow the course of the water. The path is wide and in excellent condition, but it is quite busy; take particular care of cyclists.
(1) Pass a football stadium on your left, then go under the Pont de la Sucrerie bridge linking Vaulx-en-Velin and Décines. Continue along the same path, passing under a second bridge.
(2) Walk alongside the racecourse for about 1 km. Behind it lies the Carré de Soie shopping centre, whose modern architecture is well worth a detour.
(3) You’ll arrive at the power station. Established in 1899 and fed by the Canal de Jonage, it served a dual purpose: to regulate the flow of the Rhône, thereby preventing flooding, and to facilitate industrial development in eastern Lyon centred on the textile industry (silk factories).
(4) Just past the ASVEL stadium (Lyon’s basketball team), head back up onto the Pont de Cusset to cross to the right bank.
(5) Halfway along, you can admire the century-old architecture of what was once the most powerful hydroelectric power station in France.
(6) Continue along the right bank of the river. At the historical information board, take a moment to appreciate the sheer scale of the work involved in creating this complex – the Jonage Canal and the Cusset hydroelectric power station. Carry on to the new Nelson Mandela Footbridge, just after the Décines Bridge.
(7) Cross via this suspension footbridge, which takes you directly back to the car park (S/E).
Visorando Member
Difficult 
Moderate 
