ficelle-des-morts-lyon

The famous ficelle des morts could soon make its grand comeback in Lyon

undefined undefined 9 juillet 2024 undefined 09h17

undefined undefined 9 juillet 2024 undefined 12h29

The Editor

The Old Lyon could soon see the revival of a historical element of its heritage with the possible return of the "Ficelle des Morts". This initiative aims to solve the problems of isolation and tourist overcrowding in the neighborhood, by facilitating transportation and offering an alternative to the current funicular.

The Old Lyon, a real treasure of history and tourism in the capital of the Gauls, is currently facing a problem - lack of good pedestrian connections, especially to get to the Presqu'île area, especially after Grenette street was closed. As a result, the neighborhood is starting to feel a bit isolated, which is something that Frédéric Auria, president of Renaissance du Vieux-Lyon, and Yves Deal, president of the Quartiers Anciens neighborhood council, are very concerned about, according to information from Tribune de Lyon. To fix this issue, Frédéric Auria suggests that pedestrian footbridges be built over the Saône, where the old bridges of Change and Ainay used to be, in order to make it easier for both residents and tourists to get around. On top of that, the busy Saint-Jean street and the crowded Saint-Jean funicular to Fourvière are causing problems, so it's essential to find ways to spread out the flow of visitors. "The Ficelle des Morts": a mix of history and innovationOne of the key ideas from Renaissance du Vieux-Lyon is to bring back the famous "death cable car", an old funicular that was once used to carry coffins to the Loyasse cemetery. Closed down in 1937, this funicular could be revived to transport tourists to Fourvière, which would alleviate pressure on the current funicular and help manage tourist numbers in the area.
Protect your home with this charming fence, designed to keep intruders from invading the narrow streets of the neighborhood.
la ficelle des morts lyon
© Tchorski - Vincent Duseigne

Jean-Charles Kohlhaas from Sytral Mobilités confirms that this option has been seriously studied. A funicular project has been developed, estimated at 30 million euros, but several obstacles remain. Particularly the fact that the Saint-Paul station is not suitable for storing tourist buses, which complicates the implementation of this project.

.© Archives de Lyon

Other alternatives mentioned but not studied

Apart from the "string of the dead", other solutions have been considered. An idea that has not yet been studied is the creation of a panoramic elevator or a cable car connecting Rue de la Quarantaine or the Port de l'Occident to Perrache, to Place Abbé-Larue in Saint-Just. This alternative could offer a breathtaking view of the city while facilitating travel between various points of interest in the neighborhood.


Source: Tribune de Lyon