Place Bellecour
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Lyon is the prefecture of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and seat of the Departmental Council of Rhône (whose jurisdiction, however, no longer extends over the Metropolis of Lyon since 2015). The capital of the Gauls during the Roman Empire, Lyon is the seat of an archbishopric whose holder bears the title of Primate of the Gauls.
- 47.87 km² (18.48 sq mi)
- France
- 162–349 m (531–1,145 ft)
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Commanding a strategic spot at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône Rivers, Lyon has been luring people ever since the Romans named it Lugdunum in 43 BC. Commercial, industrial and banking powerhouse for the past 500 years, Lyon is France's third-largest city, and offers today's urban explorers a wealth of enticing experiences.
Things to Do in Lyon, France: See Tripadvisor's 550,708 traveler reviews and photos of Lyon tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in May. We have reviews of the best places to see in Lyon. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.
2 days ago · Lyon, capital of both the Rhône département and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes région, east-central France, set on a hilly site at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers. It is the third largest city in France, after Paris and Marseille.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Vieux Lyon
- Traboules
- Fourvière Basilica
- Parc de La Tête d’Or
- Presqu’île
- Musée Des Beaux-Arts de Lyon
- Ancient Theatre of Fourvière
- Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière
- Lyon Cathedral
- Institut Lumière
You can set foot in one of the largest renaissance old quarters in Europe. In the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries Lyon’s silk industry was thriving, and rich merchant families from across France, Flanders, Germany and Italy settled in the city. They built sumptuous homes, in the gothic, Italian renaissance and French renaissance styles, and there are...
In Vieux Lyon and La Croix-Rousse Saône are an architectural feature unique to this city: Traboules are delightful renaissance passageways, some 40 of which are open to the public, running beneath buildings in the direction of the Saône River. They gave the city’s silk workers direct access to riverbank, making it quick and easy to transport textil...
This magnificent church, ever visible on the Fourvière hill to west of the city is one of a series of iconic hill-top churches built in major French cities in the late-19th century. The basilica is in the oldest part of the city, Lyon’s pilgrimage site and where several Roman sites have been discovered. Go inside to see the extravagant interiors an...
A little way north of the centre is one of the largest urban parks in the country, with a zoo and France’s foremost botanical garden within its boundaries. If you’re around in spring then the international rose garden should be one of your first ports of call in the city. The botanical attractions are spectacular too, with more than 20,000 plant va...
A finger of land between the Rhône and Saône, Presqu’île was man-made by a humungous 18th-century urban engineering project, draining marshes and connecting what was once an island with dry land. It’s where most things “happen” in the city, a district of glorious 19th-century architecture, wide plazas, shops, cultural institutions, restaurants, caf...
Housed in a former abbey from the 1600s, the Musée des Beaux-Arts is France’s largest fine art museum after the Louvre in Paris. There are 70 rooms here, with paintings from the 1300s to the 1900s, sculpture and displays of both Egyptian and Oriental art. You don’t need more than a passing knowledge to be impressed by the wealth of famous French an...
This monument is also high on the left bank of the Saône River. And 2,000 years after it was built it is still a performance venue during the Nuits de Fourvière drama festival every June and July. At its peak it would have held 10,000 spectators, but only the middle and lower terraces of the cavea remain. Where the seating has been lost though, you...
If Fourvière’s extensive Roman ruins leave you thirsty for more ancient history, this modern museum is on site to give you some background. The building deserves a mention, as it’s partly underground and has been dug from the hillside next to the roman theatre. Futuristic, bunker-like galleries are arranged around a spiralling concrete ramp. There’...
The city’s fabulous cathedral is a mostly gothic construction built between the 12th and 15th centuries. The majority of the original stained-glass windows are still here and date to the 1300s. They had been dismantled and packed away during the Second World War to save them from bomb damage. The most captivating are the north, south and west roses...
Anybody who goes to the cinema should be excited to pay homage to the Lumière brothers, who are held as the fathers of the movie-making art. The museum was set up by a descendant of Louis Lumière, who, working with August, helped invent the cinematograph, the first motion picture camera and projector. They also made more than a thousand films toget...
Lyon. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lyon has 2,000 years of history imprinted on its streets (yes, the cobblestone kind). Explore this history in Vieux Lyon (one of Europe's most extensive Renaissance neighborhoods) and Lyon's two Roman amphitheatres, which still stage rock concerts today.
May 2, 2024 · Even though Lyon is the third-largest city in France, it feels like a hidden gem. Surprisingly, 2/3 of Lyon’s visitors are business travelers! Lyon is a lot less ‘touristy’ than its big sister, Paris — but there are plenty of must-see attractions in Lyon that make it definitely worth a visit! 1. Visit Place Bellecour.
