Les Brotteaux

Once called the Morand neighborhood, named for the architect and urban planner who designed it, Les Brotteaux was a river plain, with Art Déco architecture and some classy dining venues. Now, it’s a swanky Lyon neighborhood. BARNES Lyon introduces you to this neighborhood but also all the districts in Lyon.

History of Les Brotteaux: a former island?

It certainly was! Attesting to this is the word “Broteaux”, with only one “t” as it used to be spelled in the Middle Ages, which meant “small island sculpted by the Rhône during its floods”.

From the end of the 19^th century, the left bank of the Rhône began to urbanize around the prefecture and the Brotteaux train station which came to symbolize the neighborhood. The station was built on the site of a fort known as Les Brotteaux, which was destroyed in 1859. The station itself was then relocated and rebuilt by the architects Rascol and d'Arbaud a little further back from the first station, making space for the Place Jules Ferry. The station was inaugurated in 1908 and was the first of Lyon’s train stations. Urban planning projects, including the construction of stunning bourgeois residential buildings, flourished around this majestic structure. Art Nouveau is evident on the facades of these buildings, in the decoration of the entrance doors and balconies, and within the buildings themselves whose stained-glass windows still attest to this rich legacy today. This architectural style is also found on the Place Jules Ferry and the Boulevard des Belges, one of the neighborhood’s main streets along with the Boulevard des Brotteaux. The Brasserie des Brotteaux, built in 1931, still retains its listed ornamental ceramic tiles today, a unique legacy of the Art Déco era. Also noteworthy is the historic facade of the Hotel Lugdunum which was built in 1924.

A make-over for Les Brotteaux station

Les Brotteaux station, which was abandoned when the Part-Dieu High-Speed Train Station opened in 1983, was renovated in 1988. Classed as a historical monument, the building is now home to the Aguttes Auction Rooms, offices and renowned venues such as the L’Est Brasserie by Paul Bocuse, Le Boudoir and F&K. This preserved historic environment has been well-developed in the last few years. The neighborhood has been transformed and is now brimming with popular venues and is the go-to area for Lyon’s residents for a night out.

Les Brotteaux: a lively Lyon neighborhood

Although the Cours Vitton is where shops and businesses are located, Place Jules Ferry and Les Brotteaux station area are an inviting location for a drink on the terrace before dinner or an evening of music. Its transformation and charm was closely linked to the construction in 2013 of underground parking and the renovation of Avenue du Général-Brosset into a fully pedestrianized 3.7-acre green area comprising some twenty small gardens with fountains. In just a few years, the highly residential Les Brotteaux area, has become a lively and attractive neighborhood to live in.

Located at the center of the ultra-chic 6^th arrondissement, and close to the Parc de la Tête d’Or and the Part Dieu train station, it has no shortage of advantages to offer!

The Boulevard des Belges is a prestigious address filled with mansions and superb buildings some of which grant direct access to the Tête d’Or Park, a huge 260-acre green area at the heart of the city including a 45-acre lake). The park was created in 1856 by the brothers Denis and Eugène Buhler, Parisian architects and landscape artists. It owes its name to a legend according to which there was treasure buried somewhere in the park, the main part of which was a gold statue of the head of Christ. Whether it’s boating on the lake, a jog along the park’s alleyways, a visit to the rose garden, a picnic, a yoga class on the immense lawns, or exploring the botanical garden or zoo, residents come here to relax, recharge their batteries or work up a sweat!

The place to be for Lyon’s gourmet cuisine

Did we mention the reputation of the neighborhood’s chefs? Although fine dining venues have traditionally been located in the neighborhood (Le Splendid by Georges Blanc and the Brasserie l’Est by Paul Bocuse), it is now home to Lyon’s most highly-regarded chefs and has amassed quite a number of Michelin stars! Christophe Roure, twice awarded the Michelin star, left the Loire region to open Le Neuvième Art on rue Cuvier. New venues such as l’Inattendu or Lyonnais bouchon-style restaurants like the Café du Peintre offer culinary exploration, in addition to the highly renowned establishments Pierre Orsi and Gourmet de Sèze.

Schooling & Transportation in Les Brotteaux

• Montaigne Public Elementary School
• Saint-Joseph des Brotteaux Private Elementary School
• Saint-Nom de Jésus Private Elementary School
• Deborde Private Elementary, Middle and High Schools
• Le Parc Public Middle School
• La Trinité Private Middle School

Discover also all the neighborhoods of the sixth arrondissement of Lyon :

• life in Foch
• life in Cité Internationale
• life in Tête d'Or