Gardens Near and Far episode 13 – Tête d’Or: opened in 1857 before the works were completed, the park was designed by the Bulher brothers, who came up with the smart idea of digging out a lake to sanitize the swampland.
Haussmann was busy transforming Paris at the time, and Lyon did not want to be left behind. Thanks to the area’s soil quality, a favourable climate and a wealthy bourgeoisie, which started to develop rapidly in the mid-19th century, roses became hugely popular, and rose breeders in Lyon were among the best in the world. In 1978 a rose competition was launched in Lyon. It was initially a national competition, before becoming European, and is now international.
Landscape architect Jean-Philippe Teyssier takes us on a discovery of the most beautiful gardens in France and the world. The gardeners, landscapers, horticulturalists, architects, historians and estate managers he meets unveil the art of gardening. They show us how gardens have been designed, planted and maintained over the centuries. The exceptional gardens Jean-Philippe Teyssier visits make up a myriad of passions, journeys, colors and shapes.
Gardens Near and Far episode 13 – Tête d’Or
Parc de la Tête d’or (“Park of the Golden Head”), in Lyon, is a large urban park in France with an area of approximately 117 hectares. Located in the 6th arrondissement, it features a lake on which boating takes place during the summer months. Due to the relatively small number of other parks in Lyon, it receives a huge number of visitors over summer, and is a frequent destination for joggers and cyclists. In the central part of the park, there is a small zoo, with giraffes, elephants, deer, reptiles, primates, and other animals. There are also sports facilities, such as a velodrome, boules court, mini-golf, horse riding, and a miniature train.
From 1812, an urban park in Lyon was planned. Various locations were being considered, like the Presqu’île or the hill of Fourvière, and then finally, the grounds owned in large part by the Hospices civils de Lyon were chosen. In 1845, the architect Christophe Bonnet proposed, in the purpose of the beautification of the Guillotière quarter, a project of urban park at the current location of the park: “To satisfy the pressing needs of a large population, I turned the lands and brush of the Parc de la Tête d’or into a planted wood like the Bois de Boulogne.”
