Rockeries in and around Lyon

Before we begin, it’s worth taking a look back at how rockeries came about. Designed to imitate mountain landscapes, with rocks laid out in a natural fashion and alpine plants, these slightly odd gardens started to appear in the Middle Ages, particularly in monasteries. A few centuries later, during the Renaissance, these gardens were decorated with sculptures, fountains and waterfalls, echoing the rocky scenery of the Italian countryside.

Jardin Rosa Mir in the heart of Lyon

A Spanish mason and self-taught artist, Jules Senis began building this garden in 1957. Nestled in the heart of the Croix-Rousse district, it took him 20 years to complete. He lovingly referred to it as ‘le petit caillou’ (the little stone). Showing Arabic and Andalusian influences, Rosa Mir garden is a fine example of outsider art and calls to mind Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Família . The 400 m² plot, with its agaves, houseleeks and cacti, transports visitors to the Mediterranean.

Practical info:
- Free, self-led visits only on Saturday afternoon from 2 to 6 pm, from 5 April to 25 October 2025; For guided tours organised outside of the garden’s free opening times, you must register via the dedicated form; Price: €6 per person (price applicable for all participants, including accompanying persons)
- To get there: Metro line C, stop ‘Hénon’; Bus C13, stop ‘Pailleron’
You can also visit the garden virtually before doing so physically if you wish! Virtual tour of Jardin Rosa Mir
You can also visit the garden virtually before doing so physically if you wish! Virtual tour of Jardin Rosa Mir

The rockery of the hermitage in Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or

Beginning in 1341, a long line of hermit monks lived up in the hills of the Monts d’Or. This extraordinary garden was the work of one of them – Emile Damidot, known as ‘Frère François’ (Brother Francis). It is located on the site of an old calvary and a Way of the Cross dating back to 1837. His aim was to create a garden for prayer in keeping with the tradition of rockeries. For 40 years, he gathered stones from surrounding paths, and procured them from the quarries of La Ferlatière and Saint-Fortunat. He patiently built five chapels, a hundred or so alcoves, pools, caves and a belvedere rising to a height of a dozen metres, offering a magnificent view of the Dombes.
Perhaps a quirk of history, at the same time in Hauterives, in the Drôme, a postman by the name of Cheval had set out to create an extraordinary palace known today as the ‘Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval’…

Practical info:
- Reservation through the Tourist Office on the ‘Visiter Lyon’ website; Full price €8; discount price €4 (students, children aged 6 to 18 years old); free for children under 6 years old
- To get there: By car or bus line 20 from Vaise station to Place de la République in St Cyr (terminus at the stop ‘St Cyr’) and then a 20-minute uphill walk.

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Stephanie Fito

Jardin de Nous Deux in Civrieux d'Azergues

In the town of Civrieux d'Azergues, Charles Billy created a village like no other. Carved from blocks of the region’s golden stone, chateaus, a mosque, a little palace, a windmill and other buildings popped up one after the other. He generally sought inspiration for these works from his travels around the world, allowing his talent and imagination to run wild. His constructions include the “Chateau of Piedanleau”, the “Parthenon of Civrieux” and the “Portico of Tivoli”, and you can get lost in the many details and sculptures that adorn them. It’s only on the doorstep of Lyon, but you may sometimes feel like you’re in Italy, Turkey or Thailand!

Practical info : Visits are by appointment only. Information updates are posted on the Facebook page.
Adults : €6 - Children : €4

Le Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval in Hauterives, Drôme

April 1879. Ferdinand Cheval, a 43-year-old postman, comes across an odd stone that stands out from the rest. This was the beginning of a mad project, to build a dream palace inspired by nature. Each day along his 30-kilometre round, he gathered stones and pebbles in his wheelbarrow.
It would take him 33 years to complete his palace. On the pediment, he carved the words ‘travail d’un seul homme’ (work of a single man).
Inside, you will find a motley menagerie of animals adorning the walls, including an octopus, a doe, a caiman, an elephant, a pelican, a bear and various birds. They live alongside giants, fairies, mythological characters and waterfalls, as well as stylistic features from around the globe. This work of architecture is both unclassifiable and universal.
Unique in the world, the Ideal Palace inspired artists for more than a century. Built according to no rules of architecture, the palace was admired by the Surrealists. In 1969, it was listed as a Historic Monument by André Malraux, then Minister of Culture, as a piece of Naïve art.

Practical info:
The Ideal Palace is open every day, including Sundays and public holidays, except 1 Jan, 13 to 31 Jan inclusive, and 25 Dec.
Reservation recommended on the ticket office website.
Adult price €9.50; child price €5.50 (6-18 years old); discount price €6.50 (disabled visitors, job seekers and students (aged under 26) on presentation of valid ID); audio-guide €2
To get there: By train from Lyon towards Valence, then Romans-sur-Isère. From Romans-sur-Isère station, take bus line D03 towards Hauterives; by car via the A7 motorway - exit 12 ‘Grenoble’ or exit 13 ‘Saint-Donat’; via the A48 motorway - exit 9 ‘La-Côte-St-André’; via the A49 motorway exit 7 ‘Beaurepaire’.