Bab Island on the Rhone

Île Barbe is located in the central Saône department and belongs to the Saint-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe district (formerly a commune, annexed in 1963) in the 9th arrondissement of Lyon. Its name comes from the Latin insula barbara, meaning "wild island". A monastery was established on the island in the 5th century AD. It was the first monastery in the Lyon region and one of the oldest in Gaul. Charlemagne built a beautiful library for it. The monastery was sacked several times (in 676, 725, and 945), but came under the rule of Saint Benedict in the 9th century and gradually rose to power until it was destroyed and burned by Protestant troops in 1562. In 1827, a suspension bridge was built across the southern tip of the island, connecting it to the left and right banks of the Saône River and the villages of Saint-Rambert (now the 9th arrondissement of Lyon) and Caluire-et-Cuire. Bab Island is a sacred site in Lyon legend, welcoming curious walkers just as it once welcomed Druids and Christians. Now the island is inhabited by a few people and is a suitable place to live. It consists of a public part for strolling (clay court for playing petanque, large lawn, children's play area) and a private part with two roads (the Saint-Loup bend that runs along the Auberge and the Bas-Port road that leads to the Saône River). The two roads do not intersect, and the Saint-Loup cul-de-sac ends in a private courtyard closed off by a gate. Those with a sweet tooth can head to the island's gourmet restaurant, "L'Auberge de l'Ile Barbe", for a delicious dinner in a unique setting!