The Fort Feyzin - Postman Cheval’s Ideal Palace - The Caves of La Balme

Route: Lyon - The Fort Feyzin - Postman Cheval’s Ideal Palace - The Caves of La Balme - Lyon
Duration: 10 h
The first stop of our tour will be at  Fort Feyzin which is one of the biggest built by Séré de Rivières at the end of the 19th century. It is the link between the fortified Vauban forts and the reinforced-concrete forts of the Maginot line. It is one of the forts of the second belt of forts around Lyon and more generally the Séré de Rivières fort system. This belt of forts included the forts of Bron, Vancia, Feyzin and Mont Verdun. Fort Feyzin throughout its history has essentially served as a garrison for the army, and as a gendarmerie. Now it open for tours, of the military road near the caponier, the postern stairs and the ditches, the entrance building and rolling bridge over a ditch. The next stop of the tour will be Postman Cheval's Ideal Palace which is a unique and unusual structure ,  a source of inspiration for many artists, this masterpiece of naïve art was created by Ferdinand Cheval, who designed and built it between 1879 and 1912, or "10,000 days, 93,000 hours, 33 years of toil"… Known all over the world, this impressive structure turned a hundred years old in 2012. It is made from the pebbles that the postman Ferdinand Cheval picked up on his rounds. He used them to design and build, all alone and by hand, an exceptional complex incorporating various architectural styles inspired by world monuments. The eclectic elements that you can admire there include a Hindu temple, a Swiss chalet, a medieval castle, a mosque, a fountain and a grotto, along with all kinds of animal and human sculptures! The last place of our tour will be The Caves of La Balme. Grottes in the cliffs of the Isle-Crémieu plateau, La Balme caves have served many purposes: a dwelling during prehistoric times, a hideaway for smugglers, a place of pilgrimage for King Francis I, a village dance hall and today a popular tourist site thanks to its superb limestone formations: stalactites, stalagmites, pools, columns and drapery-like concretions. Other attractions at the caves are a beautifully decorated domed chamber, the Mandrin maze, lake gallery, desert gallery and a sound and light show.After we will back to Lyon.
Price: per person