Does the name Boulevard des Castors intrigue you? This boulevard in Lyon is more than just a road. It has a unique story rooted in community and a touch of nature.
The Boulevard des Castors ascends southward from Rue Commandant Charcot. It faces Square Tricou. The boulevard crosses Rue du Fort Saint Irénée. It passes a hill then descends to Lyon’s border. It continues into Sainte Foy as Rue Marcel Achard. Marcel Achard was a playwright born in Sainte Foy. The street leads towards Rue Clémenceau. From the hill, you can see Mont Thou and Mont Verdun.
Continuing along this route provides a pleasant walk. It leads towards Parc du Brûlet. There is a beautiful view of eastern Lyon. You will find small Roman ruins, ending at Fort de Sainte Foy. This area is a high point in Lyon. Numbers 38 to 44 on the street are at an altitude of 300 meters.
The Boulevard des Castors is very wide. It accommodates two traffic lanes. It also has two rows of parking with trees and lampposts. There are two cycle paths and two wide sidewalks with benches. Buildings sit back from the street behind fences. They are in gardens or wooded properties with parking areas. The uphill section passes apartment blocks from the late 20th century. These are geometric buildings. The blocks have five floors. The Bleuet tower at number 9 has nine floors. The Belvédère after Rue du Fort Saint Irénée has ten.
An older house stands behind a wall. Another across from it occupies the corner. This is before the impasse and Rue du Fort Saint Irénée. After the intersection, there is a large building on the east side. Two more buildings are on the west side up to number 70. The fairly wide intersection forms a kind of square.
On the east side, around Rue de l’Aube and Allée des Troènes, are four large two-story houses. Five more houses are joined together up to number 79. Opposite them, from 72 to 78, four small houses are joined at the back of their gardens. More recent buildings mark the boundary with Sainte Foy.
The Boulevard des Castors is dedicated to its first residents. These residents grouped together. They formed an association. They built and maintained the housing on the upper part of the boulevard themselves.
The boulevard’s name also refers to beavers. Beavers do not live here. They live in the Rhône’s channels. They owe thanks to Valéry Mayet. He was born in Lyon in 1839 and died in 1909. Also, Galien Philippe Mingaud. He was a student in Lyon. He was a member of botanical and Linnean societies. They stopped the destruction of beavers. They established beaver protection. Paul Chenevat was born in Lyon in 1900. During the war, he participated in the resistance. His code name was Castor in the Gallia network. After the war, he became vice president of the Gallia association.
Construction of the Castors’ houses and their first building dates from the 1950s. A planned highway bypass of Lyon’s center was cancelled. The Fourvière tunnel project caused this.
The Boulevard des Castors long ended at the border with Sainte Foy. Since about 2003, you can cross the hill via Rue Marcel Achard. The trees of solidarity were planted in 2004.
The Castors association still exists. Their headquarters are now in Villeurbanne. There are only three businesses. These are grouped in a building at the corner of Rue du Fort Saint Irénée. They are a hairdresser, a driving school and an advertising sign company. A mobile library and a market regularly set up. They are at the corner of Rue Commandant Charcot.
So, as you walk along Boulevard des Castors, remember its story. It is a story of community, cooperation, and a connection to the natural world.