The best shopping destinations in Lyon, from high street to designer outlets
Top shopping spots including Rue de la R茅publique, Westfield Part-Dieu, and the vibrant Christmas markets
Westfield La Part-Dieu shopping centre
Westfield
The main shopping street in Lyon is the Rue de la R茅publique, usually called the 'Rue de la R茅p'. It has all the usual high street brands and chains. On the other side of Place Bellecour, Rue Victor Hugo generally has cheaper shops.
A wealth of designer shops are clustered in the 'Carr茅 d'Or, between Place Bellecour and Cordeliers. Vieux Lyon is crammed with shops selling handmade silver jewellery, tourist tat, vintage jeans, and pretty hats.
Lyon also has some of France's largest shopping malls. The Westfield Part-Dieu shopping centre is absolutely massive, with 240 shops, 46 food outlets, and 14 cinema screens. The Confluence shopping mall is half the size with 70 shops, 25 food outlets and a cinema. Both offer loyalty cards, which you can get at their respective Welcome Desks. You can then use these to claim free parking while you shop.
If you're out that way, there is also the Carr茅 du Soie shopping mall in Vaulx-et-Velin. Just a 30 minute drive outside the city, you'll find The Village, offering discounts of up to 70% on designer brands.
For junk, head to Les Puces du Canal where you can sometimes pick up a bargain. It is the second-largest flea market in France with 500 stalls and stands. There are also plenty of caf茅s and brasseries to explore. It is open on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.
The Christmas market in Place Carnot runs from the third week of November until Christmas Eve and is well worth visiting. Nicely decorated, it has around 100 chalets selling jams, charcuterie, knives, earrings, Christmas decorations, candied chestnuts, fine wines and liqueurs, tartiflette, honey, foie gras, sweeties, wooden toys, stuffed animals, novelties, chocolate, textiles, hats and gloves, mulled wine, hot chocolate and gingerbread hearts. It is open every day until 20:00 and stays open until 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. (This market is conveniently close to Brasserie Georges, by the way.)
The Christmas market at H么tel-Dieu is a much swankier affair and is open from the third week of November right through until late January on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 14:00-20:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00-22:00.
