{"id":1867,"date":"2023-05-15T15:00:02","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T13:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/?p=1867"},"modified":"2025-05-24T11:05:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T09:05:15","slug":"interrail-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/interrail-10\/","title":{"rendered":"My crazy Interrail journey – Chapter 10: Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Vichy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<< Introduction<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<< Chapter 9: Prague and Berlin<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaving Berlin so soon was a bit sad, but I was also excited for the start of the next phase of my trip, one that would bring me across Western Europe all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. The journey to Lyon took almost twelve hours, and I had to change trains in Frankfurt, where I stopped to have lunch with a tasty Rindswurst<\/em> hot dog and a delicious Apfelberliner<\/em>, the classic German apple doughnut. I arrived in Lyon at 8 p.m. and I headed straight to the hostel. The place was fine except for one thing that happened the following day. I got an email during the night saying that I didn\u2019t check in and so my reservation had been canceled. Before going out the next morning, I spoke to the receptionist who told me she was going to look into it and call me back. Later, she called me to say that they made a mistake and didn\u2019t register my check-in, and my bed got booked by someone else, so they offered to find me another hostel. Basically they wanted to kick me out for their mistake, and obviously I categorically refused. Thankfully, on the following call I got told that my spot was safe and that they were moving the other person instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, I didn\u2019t spend my first day in France exploring Lyon, but I instead took a train to Clermont-Ferrand. I arrived around lunchtime and, since I didn\u2019t have much time, I stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant to have a quick meal that ended up being much more tasty that what I had anticipated. I got a great bowl of b\u00fan b\u00f2 x\u00e0o<\/em>, a dish with noodles, beef, and vegetables, followed by an equally amazing nougat mou<\/em>, a softer version of the classic confection. After lunch, my first stop in Clermont-Ferrand was the decorated medieval Basilica of Notre-Dame du Port, followed by the large central square called Place de Jaude, which hosts various attractions and is surrounded by historic buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, I visited the most famous attraction of the city, and main reason for my stop there, the Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral. This unique Gothic church is highly remarkable not only for its tall spires and elaborate decorations, but especially for being made entirely of black lava stone. I have admired this stunning cathedral for many years and because of it, I always included Clermont-Ferrand in my itinerary whenever I was planning an Interrail journey. I was really thrilled to finally being able to see it with my own eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Clermont-Ferrand
<\/a>

Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Clermont-Ferrand
<\/a>

Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral seen from Rue des Gras<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Statue
<\/a>

Statue of Vercingetorix in Place de Jaude<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Place
<\/a>

Place de la Victoire and the Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Since my visit to Clermont-Ferrand was really quick, I had time to squeeze in a stop in another town, and I ended up choosing the spa town of Vichy. After passing by the adorned town hall, I stopped at the vividly frescoed Church of Saint Blaise before walking along the quiet riverside park and avenue. I then visited another nearby green area, Parc des Sources, which was inaugurated during the Belle \u00c9poque and features various historic buildings from that era. After a last stop at the Church of Saint Louis, I took the train back to Lyon. Both Clermont-Ferrand and Vichy were really nice and peaceful towns and a needed break from the more busy cities that I visited in the previous days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bridge
<\/a>

Bridge on the Allier river in Vichy<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Palais
<\/a>

Palais des Congr\u00e8s inside Parc des Sources in Vichy<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Church
<\/a>

Church of Saint Louis in Vichy<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"City
<\/a>

City hall of Vichy<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The next morning started with the release of a new mobile game, a rhythm game with Loona songs where you have to collect and upgrade cards featuring the members. Perfect timing for a new obsession. It goes without saying that I immediately downloaded it and I played the game extensively throughout the rest of the journey. Anyway, I started to explore Lyon by crossing the Guilloti\u00e8re Bridge on the Rh\u00f4ne river to reach the Presqu\u2019\u00eele neighborhood. Here I saw the central Place Bellecour, one of the main squares of the city, and then I took Rue de la R\u00e9publique, a long and lively shopping street, all the way to the Op\u00e9ra Nouvel theater. The historic and ornate city hall, or H\u00f4tel de Ville, is just in front of this opera house, and going to the other side I reached another important square, Place des Terreaux. After seeing the impressive Fontaine Bartholdi, a fountain that dominates the plaza, I paid a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, which hosts a really rich art collection that ranges from Egyptian artifacts to modern sculptures, and anything in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, I visited the historic Gothic Church of Saint-Nizier and then I stopped to eat in a local restaurant. There, I had one of the best meals of the entire journey, maybe the best one. I started with the typical Lyonnaise salad with meat, bread, and eggs, and then I had a saucisson chaud pistach\u00e9<\/em>, the classic sausage with pistachios. This dish came with a salad, boiled potatoes, and cervelle de canut<\/em>, a delicious cheese spread and a famous specialty of Lyonnaise cuisine. This tasty lunch was completed by a gateau au chocolat<\/em>, a chocolate cake, and a nice glass of local wine. Lyon is recognized as being one of the most important gastronomic centers in the world, and it really lived up to its fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Op\u00e9ra
<\/a>

Op\u00e9ra Nouvel<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Fontaine
<\/a>

Fontaine Bartholdi in Place des Terreaux<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"City
<\/a>

City hall of Lyon seen from Place des Terreaux<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Lyonnaise
<\/a>

Lyonnaise salad<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Saucisson
<\/a>

Saucisson chaud pistach\u00e9 with boiled potatoes and cervelle de canut<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

After this great lunch, I crossed the bridge on the other river of the city, the Sa\u00f4ne, to visit the historic Lyon Cathedral. Among many beautiful decorations, this medieval Gothic church also features an elaborate astronomical clock. Climbing the Fourvi\u00e8re hill, I reached the ancient Roman theater and then the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvi\u00e8re on the top. This spectacular church is among the most impressive ones that I have ever seen, decorated top to bottom with countless fancy ornaments, frescoes, and sculptures. The visit was made more worth it by the dominant position of the church, with a wonderful view on Lyon. After going down the hill and taking one more walk around the city center, I returned to the hostel. Lyon really exceeded all my expectations and, while the La Part-Dieu district near the train station was more chaotic, both the Presqu\u2019\u00eele and Fourvi\u00e8re quarters were truly remarkable, filled with history and art, and an overall pleasant environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spite of the great time I had in Lyon, an unfortunate event happened while going toward the train station to leave the city. I was having some difficulties dragging my luggage, due to its weight and the bumpy roads, when I crossed a street and I faced a tall sidewalk. Instead of lifting the suitcase, I pulled it over the edge and then I heard a scraping noise. I looked back to see that a wheel came completely off. I reached the train station pulling the suitcase on three wheels while imagining all the worst scenarios, but I quickly found out that I could use it anyway just by turning it on the opposite side, although it was a bit harder. Since I could carry it anyway, I decided to continue with the same suitcase without buying a new one. In the end I managed to go all the way home with my suitcase, even though with a lot of sweating and swearing. Despite all of this, I reached my next destination, Carcassonne, after three and a half hours by train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lyon
<\/a>

Lyon Cathedral<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Astronomical
<\/a>

Astronomical clock inside the Lyon Cathedral<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Roman
<\/a>

Roman theater of Lyon<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"View
<\/a>

View of Lyon from the Roman theater<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Basilica
<\/a>

Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvi\u00e8re<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"Interior
<\/a>

Interior of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvi\u00e8re<\/h4><\/div><\/div>
\"View
<\/a>

View of Lyon from the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvi\u00e8re<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 11: Carcassonne, Toulouse, Bordeaux<\/a> >><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Leaving Berlin so soon was a bit sad, but I was also excited for the start of the next phase of my trip, one that would bring me across Western Europe all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. The journey to Lyon took almost twelve hours, and I had to change trains in Frankfurt, where…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3900,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":4,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-scaled.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Stefano Cammisa","author_link":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/author\/stefano-cammisa\/"},"author_meta":{"display_name":"Stefano Cammisa","author_link":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/author\/stefano-cammisa\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-300x100.jpg","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-scaled.jpg",2560,853,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-300x100.jpg",300,100,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-768x256.jpg",640,213,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-1024x341.jpg",640,213,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-1536x512.jpg",1536,512,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-2048x683.jpg",2048,683,true],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-18x6.jpg",18,6,true],"xs-thumb":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-64x64.jpg",64,64,true],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-300x100.jpg",300,100,true],"minimalistblogger-grid":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-350x230.jpg",350,230,true],"minimalistblogger-slider":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-850x283.jpg",850,283,true],"minimalistblogger-small":["https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Interrail_10_cover-300x180.jpg",300,180,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Stefano Cammisa","author_link":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/author\/stefano-cammisa\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Leaving Berlin so soon was a bit sad, but I was also excited for the start of the next phase of my trip, one that would bring me across Western Europe all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. The journey to Lyon took almost twelve hours, and I had to change trains in Frankfurt, where...","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Travel<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Travel<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 3 years ago","modified":"Updated 11 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on May 15, 2023","modified":"Updated on May 24, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on May 15, 2023 3:00 pm","modified":"Updated on May 24, 2025 11:05 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1867"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12292,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867\/revisions\/12292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmundus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}