Rue des Rivières

Tucked away in Lyon, Rue des Rivières is more than just a street. It’s a journey through time, a verdant escape, and a testament to the city’s rich history. Rue des Rivières marks the boundary between Lyon and the commune of Saint Didier au Mont d’Or. The street begins at Rue de Saint Cyr, near the Rochecardon bends, following the course of a stream. It meanders through Lyon, passing houses numbered 17 and 12bis before venturing beyond city limits. Rue des Rivières concludes at the road connecting Champagne au Mont d’Or and Saint Didier au Mont d’Or. The very name, Rue des Rivières, speaks to its origins. It begins at the confluence of two small rivers, the Arche stream and the Rochecardon stream. The street then follows the path of the Rochecardon, serving a place known as “les Rivières.” This makes Rue des Rivières an ideal spot for a stroll, especially during dry spells, as the area remains lush and shaded. Given its length, it’s a popular route for cyclists, especially mountain bikers. Signs along the way, “Promenons nous dans le vallon de Rochecardon,” guide them toward Mont Verdun, a little over 7 kilometers away. Imagine standing at the start of Rue des Rivières. The entrance at Rue de Saint Cyr is marked by a small bridge over the converging streams. The confluence has been beautifully landscaped, with two benches inviting you to pause and enjoy the gentle sounds of water before it disappears underground. On the north side, past the “clos bouliste,” a pedestrian entrance at number 2 leads past an opening revealing the Rochecardon stream. This path provides access to a charming hamlet with a cluster of houses, including two striking towers, one with a Renaissance flair that would look perfectly at home in Vieux Lyon. On the south side, a driveway curves uphill behind the gate of number 1. As you continue along Rue des Rivières, you pass a large, old house with two floors, then the Guillaume workshops, where a brick chimney rises above. The street winds through the valley bottom, between two walls, with wooded slopes rising on either side. The southern hillside is particularly steep, and you can hear the stream gurgling below. Further along, Rue des Rivières opens into a clearing, dotted with a half-dozen houses against the backdrop of the hill, before finally leaving Lyon. The street continues along the left bank of the stream, or along the hillside, leading to a picturesque hamlet overlooking the corner of Chemin de Charrière. Below, larger houses stand near the millstone of an old mill. Finally, the street crosses a pass at the intersection of Chemin de la Chevrotière and Chemin des Combes, marked by a small cross, and continues on to Champagne au Mont d’Or, where it transforms into a small, wooded road. Rue des Rivières has also been known as Rue Pierre Termier, although the reasons for this are now lost to time. Interestingly, there was once a “digue des Rivières,” a dike that held the Rhône River at the level of Pont Pasteur and Parc de Gerland. And though the street’s namesake, General Séré de Rivières, wasn’t directly connected to its creation, his story is intertwined with Lyon’s military history. He was transferred to Lyon in 1868, and by 1870, he had successfully controlled the insurrections following the fall of the empire, eventually becoming a general. He was responsible for designing the entire fortification system outside Lyon, as well as along France’s northern and eastern borders. The route followed by Rue des Rivières, along the stream, likely dates back centuries, appearing on pre-revolutionary maps with the hamlet at the confluence and other houses further up. Local legend suggests that Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote his novella “Héloïse” in the Rochecardon woods. In 1812, it was described as a wooded and isolated valley. It’s even rumored that it was in these Rochecardon woods that Guignol discovered a hare’s nest containing ten eggs, an event that supposedly led Gnafron to suggest Guignol become a dentist. Rue des Rivières isn’t just a street; it’s a thread woven into the fabric of Lyon’s past.