Parc de la Tête d'Or (Park of the Golden Head), Lyon (must see)

In 1530, the lands of the Park of the Golden Head (Parc de la Tete d'Or) belonged to the wealthy Lambert family. The name "gold head" is believed to come from the legend that a treasure featuring a gold head of Christ might be buried on the Lambert's land. The chances of this were bleak. The land was mostly a swampy flood zone. No place to bury a golden head.

Planning for an urban park began as early as 1812. Under the administration of Mayor Claude-Marius Vaisse the land was bought in 1856. Work began with landscape designers Eugene and Denis Bulher. The park was opened in 1857. A dam was built to hold back flood waters of the Rhone. That helped. No heads were discovered.

The park is a large grassy savannah-like area of gentle hills and hummocks. A dike that parts the land from the Rhone, once a site for fairs and exhibitions, now holds buildings devoted to entertainments and a 3,000 seat amphitheater. A lake of 40 acres has boats, a pier, and two wooded islands.

The Isle of Tamarisks can be reached only by boat. The Isle of Remembrance is accessible through an underwater tunnel. Once known as the Isle of Swans, it holds a memorial honoring fallen soldiers.

There are four rose gardens, enormous greenhouses, a botanical garden, a zoo and a velodrome for cycling events. The zoo features animal themes like the "African Plain," populated with cranes, flamingos, crocodiles, antelopes, porcupines, sand cats, bat-eared foxes, and turtles. To this day, still no heads.