The Traveller's Magazine
Street art is trendy around the world these days but if you want to visit a city where street art is king? Head to France’s Lyon to see what real skill looks like. With 100 full wall murals and counting, Lyon is by far the European capital of street art.
What sets Lyon apart form the rest? Maybe it’s the city’s artist’s skills creating incredibly detailed trompe l’oeil murals or maybe it’s the fact that Lyon is home to the world’s first mural-painting school. You don’t have to look too hard in order to find some incredible art at street view in Lyon but if you want a full tour, try this Mural Locator.
Lyon’s Painted Walls
Many of Lyon’s wall murals are credited to CitéCréation, an artist cooperative that have been involved in painting murals around the world from Germany to Spain, Canada and China. With 530+ murals in their portfolio, you could say they know a thing or two about this! The collective started in the 1970s when Lyon was a very different city. Known then mostly as a stopping point before a holiday in the Alps or for Paul Bocuse (a famous chef for those non-foodies out there), Lyon needed some serious sprucing up and a couple of artists took to the streets to liven up their city thus creating CitéCréation in the process.
Flights to LyonDiscover Lyon, learn to paint
Want to learn the art of mural painting from the real masters? CitéCréation offers a three year course in conjunction with Émile Cohl, a Lyon art school, to any budding muralists. Learn the basics of large-scale drawing, designing murals or urban landscapes, the tricks to creating a believable trompe l’oeil mural and more.
Interested in street art? Check out London by Banksy.
