Place Bellecour

Place Bellecour is a massive, gravel-covered rectangle that refuses to hold a single tree or blade of grass. It stands as the largest pedestrian square in Europe, a stark expanse of crushed stone centered around an equestrian statue of Louis the Fourteenth. The ground here keeps its bare, open appearance because the square served as a military parade ground for centuries. Soldiers drilled in the dust, and the open space ensured no cover existed for anyone plotting a revolt against the crown.