Lyon. Wild camping, absinthe, and rodeos: the Lyon news you shouldn't miss this week
Every Sunday, Le Progrès reviews the six major news stories of the week in Lyon. The highlights include the demands of Monplaisir merchants regarding the development project on Avenue des Frères Lumières, the warning from local residents against the hut camp on the banks of the Rhône, the revival of Brunier absinthe, the return of rodeos on Rue Edouard-Herriot, the "Palestine will win!" graffiti, and the vote on the new characters for the Fresque des Lyonnais.
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Some residents of Cours d'Herbouville (Lyon 4th arrondissement) are complaining that they can no longer travel along the river. Photo: Rémi Liogier
Several huts have been installed on the lower port of Cours d'Herbouville (Lyon 4th arrondissement ). Residents report inconveniences caused by fumes and complain that they can no longer move around the quays.
A petition launched online by neighbors has now garnered nearly 300 signatures and calls for "the intervention of law enforcement to evacuate the camp." A meeting between Voies Navigables de France and the town hall will take place in May.
The Monplaisir Traders' Union writes to elected officials against the rehabilitation of Avenue Lumière
Since the launch of the project to rehabilitate Avenue Lumière (8th), Gwenaël Belbeoch, the president of the Union of Traders and Craftsmen of Monplaisir, has been speaking out to express his disapproval of the directions taken by the Metropolis and the City of Lyon to redevelop this major artery.
In a letter he sent them in recent days, he asked them to take three "urgent" measures requested by his members. Namely: "Remove the discontinuity of Avenue des Frères Lumière at the level of rue Saint-Maurice and rue Docteur Gelibert. Reduce the width of Avenue des Frères Lumière to 5 meters. And have sufficient delivery spaces to serve our stores under normal safety conditions and have drop-off spaces, excluding disabled spaces for customers who have mobility difficulties."
Richard Ducret, co-founder of the Distillerie de Lyon, has created the 2025 version of the Brunier absinthe recipe. Photo by Arnélia Simier
The Michel Brunier Frères distillery, specializing in spirits, closed its doors in 1953. Following a meeting with a descendant of the establishment's founders, Richard Ducret, co-founder of the Lyon distillery in 2021, is reviving a flagship product of yesteryear: Brunier absinthe.
More than 400 bottles have already been produced, half of which are on sale in Lyon, in the distillery's boutique, in certain bars, and at wine merchants. Another project: working with bars specializing in mixology to organize evenings dedicated to absinthe-based cocktails.
The return of rodeos on rue Edouard-Herriot
As the weekend approaches again, Martine and her husband are apprehensive. The octogenarian couple, who live in an apartment on Rue Edouard-Herriot, at the corner of Rue Thomassin, fear that their street will once again be the scene of urban rodeos.
Concerts of horns lasting for minutes without a break, reckless drivers driving back to Les Terreaux, revving their engines... "We haven't slept at night for three weekends in a row. Between midnight and 3 a.m., they do whatever they want. At our age, it's very difficult to get back to sleep afterward. Last Saturday, it was dreadful," says Martine, who tried to file a complaint. In vain.
The tag "Palestine will win!" has been removed. Photo Richard Mouillaud
Rarely has a tag, here traced on the central pediment of the row of buildings located to the east of Place Bellecour in Lyon (2nd arrondissement), been so much in the spotlight. Édouard Hoffmann, candidate (civil society) for mayor of Lyon, had questioned the first deputy mayor of Lyon about the presence of the giant tagged message "Palestine will win!" during the presentation of the shade structure last Thursday, April 24.
The investigation, immediately launched after a complaint encouraged by the town hall, reportedly determined that the person or people who painted the tag had not entered the roof via the Promoval building, where offices sit alongside residential units. The town then took the lead in removing the message, which was not without risk. The tag was covered up on Monday, April 27, pending the completion of a facade renovation project, which was already in the pipeline for Promoval.
What new characters are known for the Lyonnais Fresco?
Located on Rue de la Martinière, this immense mural depicting more than thirty famous Lyonnais is in need of renovation.
And since it involves the arrival of "new, vibrant personalities," the artists at the CitéCréation workshop would like to hear our readers' opinions. They're asking them for the names of 10 people, women and men, connected to the Lyon region. You have until June 2 to respond.
Le Progrès
