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CITY TO SAVOR Cassie

CITY TO SAVOR Cassie Wilcox celebrates the rich history, forward-thinking spirit and culinary culture of the welcoming French city of Lyon Divided by two rivers, the Saône and Rhône, Lyon’s topography attracted the Romans, who founded the city’s predecessor, Lugdunum, on the steep slopes of Fourvière Hill in 43 BC. Today, the basilica-crowned hill offers pretty views over the terra-cotta roofs of Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon), one of the world’s largest Renaissance neighborhoods. From Fourvière Hill, you can walk (or take the funicular) downhill to the cobblestone district of Vieux Lyon and explore its warren of traboules—passages and tunnels created through buildings and courtyards to offer silk workers a shortcut to the market. Lyon boasts many titles, such as the silk capital and the ancient capital of the Gauls, but it is truly the capital of gastronomy. The city’s culinary heritage is steeped in the legacy of its mères (mothers), cooks who, when dismissed from the homes of bourgeois families during the economic crisis of 1929, set up their own restaurants called bouchons. One of the first of these trailblazers was Eugénie Brazier, and she trained the celebrated chef Paul Bocuse, who was responsible for raising the profile of Lyon even further with his innovative cuisine. Translating to “cork” in English, bouchons were rustic bistros where silk workers once sat alongside businessmen and dined on simple, hearty dishes washed down with a carafe of Beaujolais or Côtes du Rhône. This nugget of gastronomic history is deeply embedded into 54 VIKING.COM EXPLORE MORE

CULTURE & SCIENCE Lyonnaise culture to this day. Look out for the commemorative plaques certifying the most authentic of Lyon’s bouchons—metal plates displaying the traditional puppet Gnafron with a glass of Beaujolais, the wine of the region made with Gamay grapes. At the epicenter of Lyon’s food culture is Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, the almost mythical indoor food market, boasting an international reputation for selling the finest produce in the world. With more than 50 vendors, it is an ideal place to taste the best of French and Lyonnaise cuisine. Butchers, meat and cheese suppliers, pastry chefs and wine specialists have all set up shop, and once inside, you can wander around and enjoy a meal or choose a sampler plate. Among the culinary treasures are Lyon’s signature brioches aux pralines and an extraordinary array of cheeses made with cow, goat or sheep milk. Chocolates make a wonderful gift to take home, as do macarons in flavors such as strawberry and tarragon, and lemon and cassis. Another popular market is on Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse. Perched on a hill, it offers both fresh regional products and vast, panoramic views. The Saint-Antoine Market is where farmers and foodies in the know converge, setting up tables adorned with splendid spreads along the banks of the Saône River. In Lyon, food is more than the heart of the city; it is its soul. Viking offers a variety of excursions in Lyon, including Flavors of Lyon, on its 8-day Lyon & Provence river cruise. Counterclockwise, from above: Lyon cityscape; al fresco dining abounds in the city; Lyon is surrounded by vineyards so local wines are a highlight EXPLORE MORE VIKING.COM 55