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Roman History, Ancient Passages Greet You In Lyon

KNKX travel expert Matthew Brumley has been leading tour groups through Europe for more than 20 years. So even he was surprised when he realized he’d never been to Lyon, France. He corrected that, finally, and sent us his first impressions for this week’s Going Places

“I’m not sure what took me so long,” he said. “It’s got world-class wines, some of the best cuisine in all of France, fantastic archeological sites, and these really odd, winding passageways that make their way underneath the city, called traboules.”

The traboules date to the 4th century CE, and had many uses. Silk merchants once used these passages to get their goods to the river safely, for shipment. In the 1940s, the French resistance used these passageways in their efforts against the Nazis.

Up above the city, you’ll find an ancient Roman theater that’s even older, and offers commanding views of the city.

"Going Places" is 88.5's weekly exploration of travel. Our travel expert, Matthew Brumley, is co-founder of Earthbound Expeditions on Bainbridge Island, which provides small group travel to clients including KNKX. Never miss an episode again. Subscribe to Going Places with iTunesGoogle Play or Stitcher.

Ed Ronco is a former KNKX producer and reporter and hosted All Things Considered for seven years.