Flights from Podgorica to Lyon: The Renaissance City Where the Saône Meets the Rhône

A RENAISSANCE CITY AT THE MOUTH OF THE SAÔNE

FLIGHTS PODGORICA – LYON

Every December, Lyon puts on a spectacle of color and sound. The whole city shimmers in a spectrum of colors, its beautiful historic buildings are bathed in light, and an accompanying soundscape gives this festival its special charm… Fly to Lyon and discover the story behind this event.

TRAVEL TO LYON

Lyon, the city where the Saône flows into the Rhône, has a story going back two thousand years, to the days when the Romans ruled here and left behind a theater whose amphitheater still hosts cultural events to this day.

Perhaps the most fascinating part of Lyon is its old town, a Renaissance-style historic center protected by UNESCO. Its narrow streets are criss-crossed by passageways and shortcuts known here as traboules, once used by silk merchants back when the city was full of seamstresses and weaving workshops. It is divided into three areas: Saint-Jean, Saint-Paul and Saint-Georges. When you’re tired of walking, stop by the Paul Bocuse market hall and relax with a glass of good wine and some famous French “moldy” cheese.

French fashion was born right here, so a visit to the Textile Museum, where you can learn about two thousand years of fabric history, is highly recommended. Other interesting museums on the same theme are the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Silk Workers’ House.

Lyon was also a pioneer of cinema: the first film was shot here in 1895. The Lumière Institute in Monplaisir, a historic district of Lyon, is where it happened, as this is where the Lumière family home stands. The institute was founded in 1982 and includes the hangar where the first film, “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory”, was shot.

Lyon is also home to Europe’s largest pedestrian square, Place Bellecour, which is also the fourth-largest square in Europe. It is dominated by a statue of Louis XIV, known as the “Sun King”, the man who left his mark on French history with his long, absolutist reign. He is kept company on the square by monuments to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and the Little Prince. Another square well worth your attention is Place des Terreaux, with the City Hall, the Museum of Fine Arts housed in the Palace of Saint-Pierre, and the beautiful Bartholdi Fountain, the work of the sculptor who also created the Statue of Liberty in New York. The fountain symbolizes France as the young woman Marianne, with France’s four greatest rivers represented by horses.

If you’d welcome a break from the bustle of the city, stroll over to the Parc de la Tête d’Or (Golden Head Park), built on the spot where, according to legend, a priceless treasure is buried, including the head of Jesus Christ. You certainly won’t find the treasure, but you will find a fantastic Museum of Contemporary Art and a zoo.

Head up to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, on the hill of the same name, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is one of Lyon’s newer and smaller churches, yet it is the one locals love most, because it was built from donations given in gratitude to the Virgin Mary for protecting Lyon from the plague that ravaged Europe in the 19th century. And it is this very event and this church that bring us to the start of the Festival of Lights story… Every year on December 8, the anniversary of the day the statue of the Virgin was placed on Fourvière hill and she was proclaimed the city’s protector, is marked by lighting candles in the window of every home. This tradition of lighting candles across the city gradually grew into something bigger and grander… And it truly is magical. If you happen to be in Lyon at this time, you’ll have the chance to join the “light” procession, lamp in hand, alongside the people of this proud city, and perhaps feel the joy of this unique victory of life over death, of the sublime and the sacred over evil!

FLIGHTS PODGORICA – LYON

Podgorica – Lyon flights can be booked for around 225 euros. Podgorica – Lyon is a connecting flight, and depending on the airline you choose, connections are in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Podgorica… Podgorica – Lyon tickets can be booked with Lufthansa, Swiss, Alitalia, Montenegro Airlines… If you want to book a ticket yourself, the airport code is LYS, and Lyon is written as Lyon.

Lyon–Saint-Exupéry International Airport is located 20 kilometers east of the city center. It used to be called Lyon Satolas, but in 2000 the airport and its train station were renamed in honor of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the Lyon-born aviation pioneer and writer, on the 100th anniversary of his birth. The airport has 3 terminals and is one of the busiest, serving around 10 million passengers a year. The LGV Rhône-Alpes high-speed rail line connects Lyon airport with Paris and Marseille.

See you at the Festival on December 8!