Canals & intimate rivers
31,33 Km
2 h 10 min
I cycle often
31,33 km cycling route from Trévoux to Lyon
On this La Voie Bleue stage, savour the last stretch of the Saône before it joins the Rhône. From Trévoux to Lyon, southern capital of French gastronomy, enjoy views of the Monts d’Or hills and the Saône’s holiday atmosphere, with its waterside restaurants and nautical activities. Entering Lyon, the riverbanks are well laid out. Finally, you come to the Saône’s confluence with the Rhône, marking a sensational end to your cycling adventure, or a stopping point before continuing to the Mediterranean on the ViaRhôna cycle route. Lyon’s contemporary Confluence Quarter stands out for its funky architecture and cultural venues, adding a new facet to this city whose historic quarters have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Seek out a fine restaurant, maybe a traditional Bouchon Lyonnais, and make the most of the innumerable activities on offer in France’s third-largest city.
Elevation of the stage
Waytypes of the stage
Cycle path: 29,26 km By road: 2,23 km Unknown: 0,04 km
Surface of the stage
Smooth: 13,21 km Rough: 1,05 km Unknown: 17,26 km
The route
In Trévoux, walk along the river Saône and the old town rampart, using the new pedestrian and cycle bridge.
For greater comfort, the towpath between Trévoux and Neuville-sur-Saône has been upgraded to a greenway with a stabilized, concrete or asphalt surface.
From Neuville, there is currently no signposting; simply continue on the greenway to Fleurieu-sur-Saône, then to Fontaines-sur-Saône, cross over to the right bank at the bridge to Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or. Cycle along the right bank of the Saône to Lyon.
Please note that the cycle lane around Ile Barbe is interrupted for 1.3 km.
In Lyon, follow the right-bank cycle path to Pont Kitchener-Marchand, where you change to the left bank to reach the Confluence district's landscaped quays, where you'll find the ViaRhôna itinerary.
SNCF (French national railways network)
TER line Dijon <> Mâcon <> Lyon
Don't miss
- La Maison Eclusière in Parcieux: Bar and Kitchen House, short circuit and manager | Exhibition, sound and video installations and a playful route to discover the Saône, the operation of the old needle dam and the lock-keeper's job | Bicycle hire | Cultural programme from April to the end of September; concerts, shows, workshops and exhibitions.
- Historic centre of Neuville-sur-Saône: town hall park, old streets, shops.
- Gastronomic restaurant Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, decorated facade
- Rochetaillée-sur-Saône Automobile Museum: a remarkable collection of old cars, motorcycles and bicycles, in the setting of a former fortified castle rebuilt in the 19th century and its park.
- The lock of Rochetaillée sur Saône and its belvedere
- Les Rives de Saône, landscaping and artistic development (23 works on the theme of River Movie) of 15 km of banks between Rochetaillée-sur-Saône and Lyon Confluence
- Restaurants guinguettes on the banks of the Saône in Rochetaillée-sur-Saône, frying specialities
- L'ile Barbe in Lyon 9ème: some remains of an old abbey, playground and gastronomic restaurant
- La Croix-Rousse soft mode tube, the longest tunnel in Europe reserved for cyclists, pedestrians and buses (1.8 km), which connects the Rhône and the Part-Dieu district.
- La Croix-Rousse: historical district of Les Canuts, the silk workers, discovery of the looms, designer shops, street art...
- Lugdunum: Gallo-Roman theatre and museum, where the festival of the Nuits de Fourvière takes place every summer.
- Notre-Dame de Fourvière Basilica and its exceptional viewpoint, access by the "Ficelle" (funicular) or a network of stairs.
- Old Lyon: cobbled streets, Renaissance buildings, "traboules" (secret passageways between 2 streets) and "bouchons" (simple and convivial restaurants serving traditional cuisine), the Gadagne museum of Lyon history.
- St John's Cathedral
- The old Law Courts
- The peninsula between the Rhône and Saône, the city centre of Lyon, many architectural jewels to be discovered along the Rue de la République, which is partly pedestrianised: the Place des Terreaux, the Museum of Fine Arts, the City Hall, the Opera, the Chamber of Commerce, the Grand Hotel Dieu, the Place Bellecour, etc.
- The Confluence district, converted docks and buildings of contemporary architecture
- The Musée des Confluences, at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône, a museum of natural history, anthropology, societies and civilisations, remarkable architecture
Travellers’ reviews