Nicely docked along the quays of the Rhone, Barnum barge, which has two very chic rooms right in the heart of Lyon, has some beautiful stories to tell. A launching in Germany in 1923, attested to by the original General Motors motor, still in working condition, trips along the Rhine and the Rhone to transport grains, and a succession of owners, including a certain Barnum (no, nothing to do with the circus!), who made it their home.

Buying the barge at the end of 2007, Tatiana Picard and David Weber realised their love of water. A passion that led them to completely renovate the old 98-ton lady, still capable of transporting the equivalent of 55 twingos, notes Tatiana craftily. Half home, half B & B, the two parts separated by a spacious living room where a home-cooked breakfast is served with all kinds of nice seasonal touches.

Very pure lines, a luxurious simplicity, wi-fi connection and flat screens. An uncluttered style which contrasts with the warm presence of Tatiana, the buffoonery of Calitendre, the house cat, and all the little signs of life that we can guess at, right from the porthole. With a bit of luck, you can perhaps catch a glimpse, under the bridge across the way, of the beaver that's come here, who knows how, to build his home. Fall in love with this place which, it goes without saying, needs to be booked well in advance!

Contact and informations: www.peniche-barnum.com

Quai du Général Sarail
A proximité du Pont Morand (see map)
F- 69006 Lyon
Tel. + 33(0)951 449 018 ou +33(0)663 64 37 39
Photo : Péniche Barnum
To access to the blog of  Barges  in Lyon (in french), click here

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The only barge moored in Lyon that also has a guest room named the Saharan Oasis.  An invitation to a journey that is not contradictory to the view offered from the terrace on which one is invited to laze around or have breakfast on.

Acquired and renovated by Dominique Abafourd, this marine lodging in varnished mahogany straight out of the 1930's has two room suites separated by a swimming pool! Rooms that are not without humour, one with trompe l'oeil decor and a view of the countryside, the other located in the cockpit with the rudder still in place. Ideal for discovering Lyon and returning to Saint Jean or Bellcour Square in a quarter of an hour depending on the towpaths. 

Contact and information:
 Quai Rambaud - 69002 Lyon
Access : on the piers of Saône after Perrache in the south
Tél. : + 33 (0)478 420 275 or (0)610 770 370
www.fleursdesoleil.fr

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After the Collège Hôtel du Vieux-Lyon, Jean-Luc Mathias, of the Cour des Loges and a passionate lover of second-hand shops threw himself into a new hotel adventure. A new « Collège » perched on Mont Cindre, one of the highest points of the Monts d'Or, offers a spectacular view of the whole city of Lyon.

Contemporary design with a pretty, old-fashioned place revealed, for example, by the table in the seminar room, unearthed by the owner, which creates the look of a jewellery workshop piece. An indoor-outdoor pool, heedless of the seasons, with a modular transparent door and a panoramic terrace. 29 rooms of a monastic soberness, a quick wink at the hermit of Mont Cindre and, at the same time, an invitation to contemplation according to the motto of the hotel which is « to find oneself to be better ». Very zen with -- on the side of earthly pleasures -- a cuisine with original recipes and an open-air cafe to perpetuate the spirit of Sunday family dinners.

Contact et informations: www.ermitage-college-hotel.com  
Mont Cindre
69450 St Cyr au Mont d'Or
T +33 4 72 19 69 69
To go to rates, click here
Plan d'accès de l'hôtel, click here
Photo: L'Ermitage Hôtel

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A beautiful Art deco building in the shape of a prow tied to the shores of Vieux Lyon, lit up after dark in waves of changing colours by 130 optical fibres attached to the same number of windows.

Inside, a school in retro mode :In the guise of a reception hall, we find a vaulting horse from 1914 which was used in the gym of the Lycee Royal de Versailles, a classroom for breakfast, with tables and benches facing the teacher's desk, which changes into a bar in the evening. There's a big glassed-in library inherited from the « Collège des Lazaristes », full of  natural science textbooks.

Upstairs, the room numbers are inscribed on slates; a vintage fridge has unlimited drinks and the walls are enamelled with quotations and a few moral principles. The rooms, 39 in all, are of three kinds, with as many rates. Minimalist, completely white, with a pupil's desk and a metal cupboard and sprinkled with flat-screen TVs. So one either likes or doesn't like the decor, but those with a school-kid spirit will certainly feel like repeating a night or more.

Contact and information: www.college-hotel.com
5 Place Saint-Paul
69005 Lyon
T. +33 4 72 10 05 05
To go to rates, click here
To go to hotel map, click here
Photo: Collège Hôtel  

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