Croix-Rousse
The Vibe
The bohemian hill that works — canut silk-weaving history, the planet's most convincing trompe-l'œil mural, a superb morning market, and independent bars pouring natural wine to artists, students, and third-generation locals
Description
Croix-Rousse is the hill that works — historically counterpoised to Fourvière's 'hill that prays' — where the canuts (silk weavers) who made Lyon the silk capital of the western world lived and toiled in tall, narrow workshops with extra-high ceilings designed to accommodate the Jacquard looms. The neighborhood was essentially a revolutionary republic-within-a-city: the canuts rose in armed revolt twice in the 19th century (1831 and 1834) demanding fair wages, and their cooperative spirit persists in the village-y atmosphere of the plateau above. The 1,200-square-metre Mur des Canuts (1987, CitéCréation collective) is one of the trompe-l'œil murals, depicting street life so convincingly that visitors walk toward it believing it continues. The Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse hosts one of Lyon's best food markets (Tuesday through Sunday mornings), and the plateau's independent bookshops, vinyl stores, biodynamic wine caves, and café terraces give the neighborhood an atmosphere closer to a southern French village than a Lyonnaise quartier.
Neighborhood Stats
Popular With
- creatives
- foodies
- slow-travelers
- market-lovers
- locals
- authenticity-seekers
Key Attributes
- bohemian
- silk-history
- morning-market
- murals
- natural-wine
- village-feel
- independent-shops
Food Scene
Le Canut et les Gones (29 Rue de Belfort) is the neighbourhood's quintessential bouchon, named after the local dialect term for Lyonnais kids. Daniel & Denise Croix-Rousse (156 Rue de Créqui) brings Joseph Viola's MOF cooking to the plateau. La Meunière (11 Rue Neuve) is a classic bouchon for Wednesday market workers. Les Adrets (30 Rue du Bât d'Argent) pours outstanding natural wines with charcuterie plates. Café Comptoir Abel (25 Rue Guynemer) has been serving Lyonnaise grandmère cooking since 1928.