5 of the most beautiful villages around Lyon to visit this autumn

Lyon is a magnificent city, rich in culture, history and gastronomy. But if you’re looking for a change of scenery and want to discover the charms of the surrounding countryside, you won’t be disappointed. The Lyon region is full of picturesque villages that have managed to preserve their heritage, authenticity and terroir. These villages will win you over with their architecture, atmosphere, nature and gastronomy.

Here are the 5 most beautiful villages around Lyon to visit this autumn, which will give you unforgettable moments.

1. Pérouges, the medieval village

Pérouges is without doubt the most famous and most visited village around Lyon. Listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France, it stands proudly on a hill overlooking the Ain plain. Pérouges will amaze you with its medieval heritage, with half-timbered houses, fortified gates, towers, castle and Gothic church.

Pérouges will charm you with its atmosphere, with its steep cobbled streets, shops, restaurants and festivals. Pérouges will delight you with its gastronomy, with its famous sugar cake, an ancestral dessert dating back to 1912. Pérouges is a village not to be missed during your stay around Lyon.

2. Oingt, the village of golden stones

Oingt is another of France’s most beautiful villages, located in the heart of the Beaujolais region, in the land of golden stones. The name comes from the ochre colour of the stone houses, which sparkle in the sunlight. You’ll love the charm of Oingt, with its half-timbered houses, lauze roofs, flower gardens and 16th-century manor house. Oingt will interest you with its culture, with its many art galleries, workshops, boutiques and exhibitions. Oingt will enchant you by its nature, with its vineyards, hills, paths and viewpoints. Oingt is a village where you can discover the beauty and richness of the Beaujolais.

3. Pont-en-Royans, the suspended village

Pont-en-Royans is a village in the Isère department, on the edge of the Vercors Regional Nature Park. It is famous for its hanging houses, which cling to the cliff above the River Bourne. Pont-en-Royans will fascinate you with its architecture, with its colourful houses, wooden balconies, mullioned windows, medieval bridge and clock tower.

Pont-en-Royans will surprise you with its history, with its old ochre quarry, its water museum, its ochre trail and its ochre and pigment conservatory. Pont-en-Royans invites you to relax, with its market, terraces, restaurants and festivals. Pont-en-Royans is a village that will give you a unique and unusual experience around Lyon.

4. Crémieu, the medieval village of Isère

Crémieu is a village in the Isère department, about 40 minutes’ drive from Lyon. It is famous for its medieval heritage, which bears witness to its past as a fortified town and commercial centre. Crémieu will delight you with its architecture, with its ramparts, gates, towers, château delphinal and Augustinian convent. Crémieu will interest you with its culture, with its municipal museum, its medieval interpretation centre, its medieval festival and its medieval market. Crémieu will delight you with its gastronomy, with local produce, restaurants and inns. Crémieu is a village where you can travel back in time and discover the richness and diversity of Isère.

5. Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez, the monastic village

Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez is a village in the Loire department, about an hour’s drive from Lyon. It is listed as one of France’s most beautiful villages, and is unique in that it is housed in a former 13th-century Carthusian monastery. You’ll love Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez for its heritage, with its church, cloister, refectory, chapter house, pharmacy and museum. Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez will interest you with its monastic life, with its cells, gardens, workshops and events. Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez will charm you with its stone houses, narrow streets, fountains and shops. Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez is a village where you can discover the history and spirituality of the Carthusian monks.