On the first day of roaming Lyon a week ago I found out about the Festival of Lights in Lyon and decided to stay in the city a little bit longer to see what it was all about.
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The Festival of Lights (French: Fête des lumières) in Lyon, France, is a popular event that originally aimed at expressing gratitude toward Mary, mother of Jesus around December 8 of each year. This unique Lyonnaise tradition suggests that every house place candles along the outsides of all the windows to produce a magical effect throughout the streets. The festival includes other activities based on light and usually lasts four days, with the peak of activity occurring on the 8th
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Thanks to a suggestion of a local friend(merci, Ludo!), I found out that the locals go out to see the show on the 7th of December, as the technicians run the tests ahead of the show and it is a great chance to see them firsthand and avoid the crowds.
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Most of the places are located in the centre and quite easy to access with the public transport, by bike or scooter and on foot. With a bit of careful planning it is possible to see most of the attractions within a day.
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The two main focal points of activity are typically the Basilica of Fourvière which is lit up in different colours, as well as the Place des Terreaux, which hosts a different light show each year.
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Find out the full program and find the map of all the attractions on the official site https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr