Lyon · FR

Berges du Rhône

The Berges du Rhône are Lyon's reclaimed riverbanks: roughly five kilometres of landscaped promenade running along the left bank of the Rhône, threading between the leafy Parc de la Tête d'Or to the north and the open green of the Parc de Gerland to the south. Once dominated by roadways and railway land, the strip was transformed from 2002 onward into a car-free ribbon of gardens, lawns, sports pockets and waterside terraces. Today it is the city's favourite place to stroll, run, cycle, rollerblade or simply sprawl on a lounger facing the water. What makes the Berges special is how thoroughly they have been handed back to people. Reserved entirely for walkers, cyclists, skateboarders and soft mobility, the route is split into two parallel ribbons along the river — one for bikes and wheels, one for feet and wheelchairs — so a family with a toddler, a roller and an office worker on a segway can share the same bank without colliding. Free to enter and open all year, it functions less like a park and more like a linear waterfront neighbourhood that Lyoners use every hour of the day.