Quais de Saône

You’re standing on the quays of the Saône river. Enjoy this lovely view of Vieux-Lyon and the Basilique de Fourvière dominating the hill! The Saône, along with the Rhône, is a river that flows through Lyon, separating the Old Lyon and the Presqu’île. It springs in the Vosges mountains and flows over 450 km into the Rhône, south of Lyon. It is said that the word Saône comes from Saogouna, which means ‘blood’. The tale recounts that there were so many martyrs on top of Fourvière hill that their blood flowed down, shaping the Saône river.I grant you, that this isn’t the happiest story but you should know that the Saône was not always called that: from Saogouna, it became Sogne, Soine, Soène or Sone with an ‘o’ over the centuries. The river has played a key role in Lyon’s history, with the city’s inhabitants settling on its right bank from the early Middle Ages onwards, helping them in the development the city. Over time, the banks of the Saône are developed, hosting buildings on each side and pleasure boats on its waters.. Up to the present day the Saône is a popular place for river cruises, but also for leisurely strolls along its banks which in general are less crowded than the banks of the Rhône, on the other side of the Presqu’île!