All the different districts in Lyon abound with treasures, past and present! If you enjoy architecture and all its different styles, you're in for a real treat!
Lyon is the result of 2,000 years of history, and is still growing and preserving the fruits of its past, which explains why it now ranks on UNESCO's world heritage list. Civil and religious sites and monuments, the oldest of which date back to antiquity, are dotted throughout the city's various districts.
Numerous great architects have helped embellish the city over the centuries: Philibert de l'Orme, Soufflot, Jules Hardoin-Mansart, Tony Garnier, Pierre Bossan, Jean Nouvel, Santiago Calatrava… they were also assisted by anonymous talents, such as the stonemasons who carved their initials on the slabs of stone that form the cathedral walls. Can you identify them?
Here are some of the loveliest and/or most original, and well worth seeing.
The Old Lyon district
It is since 1964 the 1st conservation area of France and one of the vastest groups Renaissance of Europe, 24 ha. At the foot of the slopes of the hill...
Lugdunum Roman Theatres of Lyon
The place in which Lugdunum was founded in 43 BC by Munatius Plancus includes the Grand Théâtre (tragedies and comedies), the Odéon (music, reading),...
Basilica of Fourviere
Fourvière Basilica is an iconic building that overlooks the whole of Lyon. A "Marian fortress" on the outside, the inside is richly decorated with...
Courtyards and Traboules of Vieux-Lyon
Traboules, these shortcuts in the form of internal passage, allow to communicate from a street to the other one by crossing one or several buildings...
Saint John's Cathedral
The cathedral was built from 1180 to 1480 and is 79m long, 26m wide and 32m high (main arch). Its frontage dates from the start of the 14th c. The...
Opéra de Lyon
Topped by a majestic dome, the old theatre was restored by Jean Nouvel. He tripled the size of the building by digging out five levels beneath the...
Lyon, World UNESCO Heritage
Since its foundation by the Romans in 43 BCE, on Fourvière Hill, the city has expanded from west to east, building on the advantages offered by its...
River Sâone banks
Make the most of the peace and quiet of the banks of the Saône thanks to the pedestrian promenade, and its alternating urban and pastoral...
Lyon City Hall
Thomas Blanchet (1614-1689) accomplished one of the most beautiful painted Baroque decors in France here in around 1655. Jules Hardouin-Mansart also...
Courtyards and Traboules of Croix-Rousse
These shortcuts, in the form of internal passage, allow to communicate from a street to the other one by crossing one or several buildings and run....
Place Bellecour
47,520 m², 264 x 180 m square without streets or pavements and 67,128 m², 306 x 206 m with. It is the 3rd biggest square in France (after Place de la...
The Presqu'Ile district
It is bounded South by the street Franklin, the district of Ainay and its abbey and includes the city center and the fashion designers in the street...
Les Célestins - Théâtre de Lyon
The theatre is a fine example of an Italian-styled theatre and offers the public a wide variety of plays, ranging from classical repertory to...
Le Quartier de la Croix-Rousse
This district includes a hill, in continuation of the Peninsula, " the Slopes of Croix-Rousse " (include in the district of the UNESCO world heritage)...
Grand Hôtel Dieu
This former hospital built in the twelfth century is today a place where people gather and enjoy themselves, with shops, bars and restaurants in a...
L'Ile Barbe
The Barbe Island is situated in the middle of the Saône, in the 9th district of Lyon, Saint-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe (old town annexed in 1963). Its name...
The Confluence district
The southern tip of Lyon’s central peninsula, long devoted to manufacturing and transport, is the focus of an unprecedented project of urban...
Eglise Saint Nizier
Built in 177 AD on the site where the martyrs met to break their bread, in 579 it was named Saint Nizier (the bishop buried there). Sacked by the...
Saint Martin d'Ainay Basilica - Abbey
The only Roman church in Lyon from the end of the 11th c., built on the site of the 4th c. Benedictine abbey.