Old Lyon's Renaissance district and its traboules

What I love is the variety of its districts and their architecture, the wealth and diversity of its history and the Men who built it, the beauty of its monuments, particularly the light reflected from the façades that border the Saône early in the morning or at the end of the day; it's a trip in itself!

So after language studies which took me to live in Denmark and Germany, I returned to Lyon to work as a guide to lift the veil on "Myrelingues la Brumeuse"* and to share my enthusiasm with you who have come here to discover it or immerse yourself in it. (*title of a book by Claude le Marguet, set in 1536 in Lyon)

Paa gensyn, bis bald, see you soon, à bientôt !

In other words, I'd like to help you gain insight into the soul of our city! And on the way, I'll tell you all about the history and art of our UNESCO-listed capital.

You have to get a feel for the substance of the past, the depth of roots, the art of construction, the relation with light, the appeal of good food, one's relationship with a site, and the diversity of the different areas.

What you see counts of course, but as far as I'm concerned, a tour is only successful when people have had a good time, when I've managed, throughout the tour, to take them behind the scenes, to give them a sense of how people lived in those days and how we live in the city today.

I'm often delighted to hear people say they want to come back and spend more time here.

I have a passion for History, and the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in particular, and the history of art, and therefore particularly enjoy being in this city which boasts several centuries of history.

I love good food, and really blossom in this capital of gastronomy, where good food is part of local culture. So I quite naturally took an interest in the history of food and chefs.

So many passions I intend to share with you during your next visit.

Kind regards from Lyon!

I'll be delighted to guide you through this great city, from Roman times to the 21st century!

My own personal story has mainly unfolded in Lyon, which I have proudly seen blossom over the past decades.Sharing with visitors from all over the world -I speak English and German- the beauty of my city is a great pleasure to me, and an honour. But what I also like is talking to the locals themselves, while helping them understand the specific characteristics of their area.

Although I moved to Lyon by chance, I must admit I love this city and feel happy here!

I love Lyon for its past and present that combine and merge in the melting pot of history, and are also apparent in its incredible vitality that many city's envy!

I adore the uniqueness of Lyon… its glorious Roman past which archaeologists never tire of revisiting, as well as Vieux-Lyon, its Renaissance area (second only to Venice) and its secret and mysterious traboules.

My love for Lyon also resides in my love of food, as this world capital of gastronomy boasts a record of one restaurant for 294 people!

I love Lyon for its culture, its biennials and its museums which are the stuff dreams are made of!

So many reasons that explain why I'm so very attached to Lyon and wouldn't leave it for an empire..., as far as I'm concerned, it's ONLY LYON!

Let's set out for a spot of "trabouling" with Rabelais' ghost, who will lead us from Hôtel-Dieu to the wealthy homes of the merchant bankers in Vieux-Lyon, stopping at inns, bouchons or star-rated restaurants on the way…

Let your eyes feast on the golden light that's worthy of Italy, and gilds the slopes of Croix-Rousse on summer evenings as you stroll along the embankment amid the seagulls and boats.

I love this city because life is so sweet here, and I love telling visitors all about it, as the enthusiastic urbanist in me sees the city as a living organism.

My interest in foreign languages and heritage led me to study for a lecturing guide diploma prior to branching out to accompany groups in France and abroad

Having starting out in Bourgogne, I now work as a guide in Lyon and the surrounding area (Vienne, Beaujolais, southern Bourgogne, Pérouges).

What I still really enjoy about this job are the human encounters and the wide variety of themes broached. It's never boring!

My favourite place in Lyon: Les Jardins du Rosaire… an absolute must!

I spent my childhood between Corsica and Tarare, just to the west of Lyon, which goes to show that anything is possible! I then studied tourism in Nice and Paris and began a career in the travel industry. Later, returning to my roots to settle down was the natural choice for me.

I completed by studies with a diploma to be a lecturing guide, which is an essential prerequisite when training to be a guide…

Having always lived between Rhône and Saône, I love travelling the length and breadth of Lyon. With each new viewpoint, I add new touches to my internal painting of its landscape.

In a city that lies at the crossroads of so many different influences, I never tire of going from one area to another, experiencing the change of century, architecture and atmosphere.

Discovering Lyon, is also about meeting the locals, past and present, that have marked the city, and to whom we owe our heritage, our particular characteristics, our "lyonnitude".

Although I'm interested in the world in general, I chose to return to the city where I grew up, not to work but to pursue a passion: guiding visitors through Lyon, my home town. I will take you on a trip through time, from past to future, in a city where you can never be bored, and where there's something of interest for every generation. .

So if you want to discover the different areas in Lyon like a real little "gone" (street urchin), don't hesitate to follow me! I've worn out many pairs of trainers in the traboules and on the slopes of the three hills, I'm acquainted with Guignol's entire repertoire, and know where you can enjoy the best mâchons.

If you're interested, I'll be waiting under the horse's tail!

As a child, I always associated Lyon with the zoo in Tête d’Or Park, with its bear, elephants, lions and other animals. Later on, as an apprentice archaeologist in Fourvière, I discovered the city’s history and heritage.

I hope to share my passion for art and history with you during your stay and take you back through time as you discover the birth of this great city in the traboules (hidden passageways) of Vieux-Lyon (Old Lyon), imagine the sounds of the silk looms on the slopes of Croix-Rousse hill (where the silk industry once thrived), and learn about Lyon through its painted walls in the city centre. In short, I want to share my love for the city!

From Fourvière Basilica to the museums in the Presqu’île district, I know how to get children interested in history and heritage, without forgetting the parents of course! My tours are lively and dynamic, so you can feel the heartbeat of my city and feel at home.

Far away from Lyon, my specialism at university was Egyptology, and my second passion is Japan: once you get me started on these subjects it’s difficult to stop me!

As a tour guide, I get to meet people from various regions, countries and cultural backgrounds every day. This is why I decided to study foreign languages (English and German).

Originally from Picardy, I settled in Lyon after tasting life in the laid-back Loire and bustling Paris. In the end, I had the greatest affinity with Lyon.Like Lyon, I love food: the Capital of Gastronomy is a mouthwatering place to be! Like Lyon, I have the gift of the gab: this city has more than 2000 years of history and anecdotes to tell. Like Lyon, I am curious: you need to explore behind the city’s façades and through its traboules to really get to know it. Lastly, like Lyon, I like a laugh: the city’s famous puppet Guignol and its cafés-théâtres are a delight!

Come with me to discover what you share with Lyon!

Et depuis, j'ai eu le plaisir de la faire découvrir à tous types de publics (enfants, scolaires, adultes) à travers son centre historique et ses périphéries, notamment le musée des Confluences.

Passionné par le patrimoine sous toutes ses formes (historique, naturel et géologique), ma curiosité m'amène à en apprendre toujours plus sur ces vieilles pierres lyonnaises qui ont une histoire que l'on n'oserait pas soupçonner !

Venez la découvrir !

C’est à Lyon, ma ville d’adoption, pour laquelle j’ai eu un véritable coup de cœur (pour son patrimoine mais aussi, je l’avoue, pour ses pralines roses !) que j’ai posé mes cartons.

Fascinée par les patrimoines multiples qui font la richesse de notre planète, je me passionne pour le patrimoine naturel, l'architecture antique ou contemporaine, pour notre héritage culturel et artistique, ou encore pour un personnage historique... Sans oublier notre patrimoine de tradition orale qui reste le plus fragile à transmettre : celui de l'univers des contes et légendes, que j’affectionne particulièrement.

C'est avec plaisir que je partagerai avec vous les petites et grandes histoires qui fourmillent à Lyon.

C’est avec un œil neuf que j’ai redécouvert les richesses de ma petite patrie lyonnaise, le plaisir de débarouler la grand ’côte ; de lézarder sur les quais de Saône, de fuir la canicule dans l’ombre d’une traboule …

Jadis Lyon fût surnommée Myrlingue la brumeuse ; les brumes se sont envolées mais à Lyon, à la confluences des cultures , on continue à parler une myriades de langues ! A notre époque où tout s’accélère, découvrons ensemble au rythme lent de la promenade, deux millénaires d’histoire lyonnaise.

Laissez-moi vous conter le Lyon d’hier à aujourd’hui et je suis sûre que, comme moi, vous y prendrez un grand plaisir.

Mon amour pour la France commence il y a vingt ans. Alors jeune étudiante en histoire des arts à Naples, je préparais mon Erasmus à Lille. Le feeling grandissait et, pendant huit ans de Dolce Vita à Rome, mes escapades dans les archives de Paris et de Marseille étaient fréquentes. Enfin c’est Lyon qui m’a retenue, capturée et subjuguée en mêlant mon intérêt pour l’art et la gastronomie.

C’est avec passion que je vous conterai sa fondation par les Romains, avec gourmandise que je vous parlerai de bouchons et de plats typiques, avec mystère que je pousserai les portes des traboules, avec élégance que je vous promènerai le long des grands boulevards du 19ème et enfin c’est avec un peu d’ironie et d’irrévérence que je vous raconterai l’histoire de Guignol.