Quai de Serbie and the Shaded Riverbank Groves
Why is it significant?
Stroll along the sweeping curve of Quai de Serbie, one of the most aristocratic, serene, and verdant avenues in the entire metropolitan area of Lyon.
Key Facts
| Place | Quai de Serbie and the Shaded Riverbank Groves |
|---|---|
| Address | Quai de Serbie 25, 69006 Lyon, France |
| Geo Coordinates | 45.77300, 4.84750 |
| Part of Walk | Rhône Riverbanks and Parc de la Tête d'Or: River Promenades, Glasshouses, and Rose Gardens |
| Generated | Generated |
Stroll along the sweeping curve of Quai de Serbie, one of the most aristocratic, serene, and verdant avenues in the entire metropolitan area of Lyon. Constructed in the nineteenth century atop the massive stone flood dikes of the Rhône to protect the residential palaces of the Brotteaux from spring mountain floods, this wide riverside boulevard is lined with an unbroken succession of luxurious mansions built in eclectic, neo-Renaissance, and Art Nouveau styles by silk magnates, private bankers, and appellate judges. The stone facades exhibit finely carved pediments, stone loggias, and Mansard roofs covered in patterned slate and ornamental zinc finials. Along the water below, the pedestrian path wanders through a thriving riparian woodland of silver willows, black poplars, and alders whose weeping boughs trail in the fast-flowing water. Walkers enjoy a cooling green corridor where birds sing and the northern bise wind whispers through the towering canopy, providing a peaceful retreat before entering the city's greatest public park. The river views here are wide, natural, and majestic.
Look closely at the carved stone details of the private mansions: several portals feature sculpted ram heads, Neptune masks, and acanthus leaves executed by master stone carvers during the height of the Belle Époque.
Originally named Quai de l'Est, this prestigious avenue was officially renamed Quai de Serbie in 1918 at the close of the First World War to honor the extraordinary military courage of the Serbian army, allied with France on the Salonica front.
Listen to the powerful surge of the current: here, the depth of the Rhône exceeds seven metres, swollen by melting snows from the high Alps that generate immense hydroelectric power in dams upstream.
Continue northward along the quayside to arrive before the gilded wrought-iron splendor of the Porte des Enfants du Rhône.