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.
Eglise Saint Bonaventure
Built in 1220, renovated from 1325-1331, it reached its current size at the end of the 15th c. Used to store grain between the Revolution and 1803. It...
Palais du Commerce & Bourse
With a surface area of 11500 m², the Palais du Commerce et la Bourse, known as the “Salle de la Corbeille”, was built between 1854 and 1860 by the...
The courthouse with 24 columns
Located on the banks of the Saône in the Vieux-Lyon (Old Lyon) district, the historic Palais de Justice (law courts) has a majestic neoclassical...
Le Quartier des Gratte-Ciel
This district resultes from the strong political determination of mayor Lazare Goujon, along the lines of modernist utopia, but also from the...
La Sucrière
Built in the 1930s along the river Saône, this 80-year old former warehouse has just been given a new lease of life in hosting Lyon's Biennial...
La Maison du Chamarier
A gem of fifteenth-century architecture in Vieux-Lyon (Old Lyon), the Maison du Chamarier boasts a remarkable courtyard that features elements of both...
Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls
Built in 19 AD above the Gallic market town of Condatum, outside the Roman city, the Amphitheatre was extended a century later at Hadrian's request...
Halle Tony Garnier
This building, built between 1909 and 1928 by architect Tony Garnier, was used as a slaughterhouse and cattle market until 1967, and known as La...
La Cité des Etoiles
Renaudie’s Etoiles architectural and residential development, built between 1974 and 1981, was awarded “20th Century Heritage” status in September...
Préfecture - Hôtel du Département
The Préfecture was built by Antonin Louvier (1818-1892) from 1883 to 1890. Marie-François Sadi Carnot died there on June 25, 1894, after being stabbed...
Groupama Stadium
Designed by the American Studio Populous and initially named Lumières Stadium, Groupama Stadium with 45 hectares is dedicated to host major national...
Cité Internationale
The "Cite International" was realized from 1992 till 1999 by the architect Renzo PIANO and the landscape painter Michel CORAJOUD. It includes centres...
Temple du Change
Built from 1748 to 1750 by architect Jean-Baptiste Roche, though the plans and elevations were provided by Soufflot. The Loge du Change was used by...
Chapelle Expiatoire - "La Croix Glorieuse"
Built from 1898 to 1901 and blessed in 1906 by the architect Pascalon in the Neo-Byzantine style. Since 1906, the crypt has housed the bones of...
Eglise Saint Georges
The 19th-c. church was built by the architect Pierre Bossan in a Neo-Gothic style. It is listed as a Historical Monument. It has a 7-bell electric...
Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Lyon (CNSMD)
The Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon (Lyon CNSMD) is located in a listed historical monument. In the seventeenth...
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