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What to See & Do in Lyon, France | |
| Roman ruins, beautiful churches, a medieval district, fine museums and modern film festivals, Lyon has a lot to offer. Concentrate on the Presque'île and Vieux Lyon to start. | ||
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Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers, in the Rhône-Alpes region of France (map). The areas of most interest to tourists are found on the Presqu'île—the peninsula between the two rivers—and Vieux Lyon, on the banks of the Saône. The two parts are easily connected by pleasant passerelles, or foot bridges. On the Presqu'île, get tourist information at the Place Bellecour, shop on the Rue de la République, and visit the majestic Hôtel de Ville and museums. More... Walk the narrow streets of Vieux Lyon, bounded by three churches and the Fourvière Hill. Enjoy the architecture, the interesting traboules, and the guignols (puppets). More... Ride the funicular up the steep hill to Fourvière and visit the Basilica Notre-Dame, the Roman Theater and Odéon, as well as the Musée Gallo-Romain. More... Take a different funicular up the Croix-Rousse Hill, the historic center of the silk weaving industry. Enjoy the view from the plateau and walk down the pentes. More... Want to visit museums? Lyon has plenty, ranging from Beaux Arts to film to Gallo-Romain to Silk. The newest is the Musée des Confluences, a natural history/anthropology museum and more, in a stunning new building. More... If you're tired from too much walking around, spend an hour on a boat tour on the Saône or a Saône/Rhône combination. On the Saône side, keep an eye out for La Fresque des Lyonnais, a trompe l'oeil building that celebrates some of Lyon's famous citizens—Emperor Claudius, Chef Paul Bocuse, the Lumière Brothers, and more. If you go the other direction, you'll see the confluence of the two rivers and the Musée des Confluences. More...
Or for a change of pace, take a bus or métro to the lovely Parc de la Tête d'Or. This lovely park is a great place to walk in nature, with beautiful flowers (including a gorgeous rose garden), a lake, a botanical garden, a little train, and even a zoo! Many of the museums and other sites of Lyon, including transportation on the métro, bus, and funicular (and a boat tour), are included on the Lyon City Card, which you can buy at the Tourist Information Office. If you want to visit several places, the Lyon City Card is a great choice. More...
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Above, Cathédrale St-Jean, in Vieux Lyon.
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