From the very beginning of our era, Lyon played a leading economic and administrative role in the region. Here Roman emperors were born, the first Christian churches were built and the largest fairs worked. Thanks to such a rich history, antique amphitheaters and 19th century Baroque mansions quietly coexist in the city.
Lyon is home to many museums of particular value to the whole of France. Local cathedrals have preserved the outlines of the Early Middle Ages, despite the heavy layer of centuries. The old city quarters are full of architectural surprises for enthusiastic tourists to discover. A walk around Lyon is an unforgettable excursion into two thousand years of history, delight in local cuisine and, of course, vivid impressions of a truly French atmosphere.
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What to see and where to go in Lyon?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
Old Lyon
The historic quarter at the foot of the Fourvière hill. Once upon a time there was an ancient Gaul settlement on this place. A large number of attractions are concentrated in Old Lyon; there are restaurants of traditional cuisine - bouchons. The main development of the territory fell on the period of the XII-XVI centuries. Old Lyon is a collection of three quarters: Saint-Georges, Saint-Jean and Saint-Paul.
Croix-Rousse quarter
A place where in the 19th century weavers were massively resettled for permanent residence. The name of the quarter comes from the Croix-Rousse hill of the same name. As you know, Lyon has become the center of the country's textile industry since the beginning of the 19th century, since it was here that the loom was invented. The professional community of workers in weaving mills grew rapidly, it needed more living space, and as a result, weavers chose Croix-Rousse.
Trabuli
Trabouli is a unique feature of Lyon architecture. They are passages through buildings that connect different streets. Trabuli were built in different architectural formats - in the form of covered galleries, alleys and narrow passages. In our time, these elements of the urban environment have turned into tourist sites. Traboules are mainly concentrated in the historic part of Lyon.
Place Bellecour
A picturesque square in the center of Lyon, which began to be actively built up since the 17th century. In the 19th century, Napoleonic military parades took place here; today this place is one of the busiest in the city. In the central part of the square, there is a monument in honor of the "sun king" Louis XIV, created by the sculptor F. Lemo. The brilliant monarch is depicted as a powerful Roman emperor.
Lyon Town Hall
The town hall was erected in the middle of the 17th century according to the design of S. Mopin. The facade of the building overlooks the Place des Terraux, which several centuries ago was just a dirty city market. Thanks to the construction of the town hall, Terro was transformed and turned into the administrative center of Lyon. The architecture of the city council building is dominated by the Baroque style, the interior is decorated with valuable works of art.
Bartholdi fountain
The sculptural group of the fountain is located in the Place des Terreaux. It was designed by the sculptor F. Bartholdi, who designed the famous American Statue of Liberty. The master was building a fountain for the city of Bordeaux, but the city authorities decided that they did not have enough funds to finance the project. As a result, the fountain was sold to Lyon. However, there is a legend that the Lyons simply stole the fountain from Bordeaux.
Lyon Cathedral
The main city temple, built in the XII-XV centuries. For its construction, materials were used, obtained from the ruins of ancient Roman structures. The architecture of the cathedral harmoniously combines Romanesque and Gothic styles. The temple was plundered during the French Revolution. It took one century for the authorities to set about restoring it. The cathedral was restored only at the beginning of the 20th century.
Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière
Temple of the second half of the 19th century, located at the top of the Fourvière hill. It was erected on the site of the 12th century basilica, destroyed during the confrontation between Catholics and Huguenots. Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière owes its appearance to the events of 1870, when the townspeople prayed for protection for Lyon from the Prussian troops and promised to build a temple if the heavenly forces condescend to their requests. As a result, the enemy army never made it to the city.
Church of Saint-Nizier
The temple is dedicated to Saint Niketius, who lived in Lyon as early as the 6th century. The church is located in the Presqu'ile quarter. The building was built in the Early Middle Ages on the ruins of a Roman temple, since then it has been rebuilt many times. The last major reconstruction took place in the 16th century. The oldest building in the church is a crypt dating from the 6th century. It is located in the temple dungeons.
Church Saint-Georges
The temple adorns the embankment of the Sona River. The church is built in the Gothic style. According to written evidence, it has existed since the 9th century, but the modern building was erected later, in the 16th-17th centuries. The last reconstruction was carried out in 1844 according to the project of P. Bossan. During the restoration and the addition of new elements, we tried to preserve the original medieval appearance of the building as much as possible.
Lyon Museum of Fine Arts
The museum ranks second in terms of cultural significance after the Parisian Louvre, as it possesses an invaluable collection of works of art from the 15th-20th centuries. The museum funds contain exhibits belonging to the era of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome and Greece. Until the 17th century, the building of the museum housed a Benedictine monastery, which was reconstructed by decree of Louis XIV. In the 19th century, it housed an art school.
House-Museum of the Lumiere brothers
In Lyon, the Lumiere brothers set up their first experiments in the field of cinema. The museum, named after the pioneers of cinema, is housed in the former Lumiere family workshop. Here the brothers lived, worked and conducted experiments on transferring images to the screen. The collection of the museum contains old films, photographic plates, the first "cinematographic" equipment, as well as the very first films.
Confluence Museum
Contemporary Museum of Natural History, opened in 2015. The futuristic building that houses the collection was designed by an Austrian architectural bureau. Confluence is not only a static display; the building also houses many classrooms, a bookstore, workshops, and cafes. The project cost 185 million euros. The building really turned out to be grandiose and similar to an alien spaceship.
Museum of Miniatures and Cinema Decorations
The museum collection is located in an old mansion of the 16th century - the House of Lawyers. The building is of great historical value and is under the protection of UNESCO. The exposition is quite original, as it allows you to look behind the scenes of the "dream factory" and understand how blockbusters are created. The museum exhibits miniatures of interiors, buildings, as well as decorations that were used in the filming of famous films.
Museum of Gallo-Roman Civilization
The museum was founded in 1975. It is located in a historic place on the Fourvière hill, where a Gallo-Roman settlement has existed since ancient times. The exposition consists of archaeological finds obtained as a result of excavations in the territory of Lyon and the surrounding area.After examining local artifacts, you can get an impression of how the daily life of the Gauls and Romans went, what religious beliefs prevailed in that era and how people spent their free time.
Antique theater on the Fourvière hill
The building belongs to the era of Ancient Rome, it was built in the 1st century BC. e. In the second century after the onset of our era, the theater was expanded to accommodate up to 10 thousand people. Basically, musical comedies were played on the stage, as evidenced by the stone wall, which perfectly reflects sound waves and creates a good stereo effect. The theater was excavated in the 19th century, and since the beginning of the 20th century, a number of restoration works have been carried out.
Amphitheater of the Three Gauls
Ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater located on the slopes of Croix-Rousse. During the domination of the Roman Empire, the "Council of the Three Gauls" - the imperial provinces of Belgica, Lugdun Gaul and Aquitaine - gathered at this place. This event has always been accompanied by lavish celebrations, games and performances that took place on the territory of the amphitheater. The scene was discovered as a result of excavations in the 19th-20th centuries.
Hotel-Dieu
An architectural monument of the 17th century. Initially, the building was used as a hotel for visiting clergy, then it was converted into a hospital. It should be noted that the hospital is still functioning. The building is built in the classical style and is crowned with a monumental dome. In 2011, the complex was recognized as an architectural monument and the process of withdrawing existing medical institutions outside of it began.
Opera lyon
The Lyon Opera Stage, housed in a building built in 1993. The first musical theater appeared in Lyon in the middle of the 18th century. But, as often happens, the building fell into disrepair and was demolished, replacing it with a more modern and spacious one. But retaining in appearance some of the historical elements of the facade of 1831. The modern auditorium is designed for 1,100 seats, which is not very much for Lyon, given its half a million population.
Stock Exchange Palace
Magnificent classicist and baroque building that adorns the space between the central squares of Bellecour and Terraux. The building was erected in the 19th century at the time of the highest economic prosperity of Lyon. The grandiose façade consists of many arched windows, columns and decorative elements. The interior is skillfully decorated with sculptural compositions and paintings by skilled craftsmen.
Fourvière metal tower
A metal structure erected at the end of the 19th century in imitation of the Parisian Eiffel Tower. Since the middle of the 20th century, the structure has been used as a TV tower. The structure reaches 85.9 meters in height, and 350 meters above the level of the Saone River, which corresponds to the parameters of the Eiffel Tower. The structure was erected to counterbalance the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière as a monument of republican architecture.
Fresco "Le Mur Des Canuts"
Street fresco decorating the facade of one of the buildings on the Croix-Rousse hill. The mural was created in 1986, but since then the image has been significantly supplemented. The painting depicts the daily life of the residents of the quarter, houses, stairs, people, townspeople relaxing on the terraces and visiting shops. From a distance, the drawing seems very realistic, from the first time it is difficult to understand where the real characters are, and where are the drawn ones.
Fresco "Fresque des Lyonnais"
Unique fresco depicting events from the history of France. The painting was created in the 90s. XX century. The focus is on famous personalities who have left their mark on the history of the country, artists and even book characters. On the fresco you can see A. de Saint-Exupéry, the Lumiere brothers, P. Bocuse, Emperor Claudius and other historical figures. The fresco is very skillful and creates the effect of a revived picture.
Golden Head Park
City park in the northern part of Lyon, which is considered the largest in France. It includes a zoo, botanical garden, rose gardens, cycling and sports areas. There are also artificial reservoirs where you can ride a boat. The park was formed in the middle of the 19th century on lands that once belonged to the aristocratic family Lambert.
Celebration of light
The annual festival of light held in Lyon in December and lasts 3 nights in a row. The history of the holiday began in the 17th century, when grateful citizens praised the Virgin Mary for ridding the city of the plague and lit fires in the streets in her honor. During the festival, spectators are shown bizarre light installations. At this time, about 4 million tourists from different countries and from France itself come to Lyon.
