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Avignon

Prefecture and commune in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

142km

43.954.81

Annecy

Annecy, in the north of the French Alps, is called "the Venice of Savoie" — a well-deserved title. The medieval town centre built around a 14th-century chateau is dissected by small canals and streams running out of Lac Annecy, which is clean, fresh and a wonderful azure colour. Annecy is the prefecture of the département of Haute-Savoie.

144km

45.9166.133

Geneva

city in Switzerland and capital of its canton

149km

46.26.15

Marseille

commune in Bouches-du-Rhône, the second largest city of France

203km

43.29645.37
Sights (32)

Hôtel-Dieu de Lyon

The majestic Hôtel-Dieu was the oldest hospital in Lyon and is one of the largest buildings in Presqu'île. The façade along the river Rhône is over 300 m (984 ft) long. The first hospital was built in 1184-1185; it was modified several times before Soufflot designed the current building, built from 1741 to 1761. The large dome was completed in 1765. The newly built Grange Blanche hospital (today Edouard Herriot) became the main medical centre in the city in the 1930s. Hôtel-Dieu doctors were pioneers in numerous specialities, including radiology (Etienne Destot), oncology (Léon Bérard), surgery (Joseph Gensoul, Matthieu Jaboulay) and orthopedics (Louis Léopold Ollier); they contributed in making Lyon the second medical centre in the country after Paris. The building no longer fits the needs of modern medicine, therefore the hospital has been closed down in 2010. Its future is not completely clear; it should be at least partially converted into a luxury hotel and shopping mall. Hôtel-Dieu hosts the Lyon hospitals museum (Musée des Hospices civils de Lyon).

654m

45.758333334.83638889

Opéra Nouvel

Opposite the City Hall stands the opera house. The 1826 theatre built by Chenavard and Pollet was completely redesigned by Jean Nouvel who kept only the façades and the foyer on the first floor. The building was reopened in 1993. The history of these works was epic: a lot of technical problems occurred and the final cost of the project was six times the initial estimate. Today, the glass top has become a classical landmark of the city but the interior design is criticised, for both aesthetic and functional reasons.

885m

45.767827784.83661111

Place des Jacobins

The state of this square is typical of the "automobile-friendly" urban planning of the 1960s: it is covered with tarmac, too much so given the reasonable traffic around it. A renovation project is under way, which should give the square a greener aspect. The main interest is the central fountain (1885) by architect Gaspard André and sculptor Degeorges. The four statues portray Lyon-born artists: painter Hippolyte Flandrin (1809-1864), engraver Gérard Audran (1640-1703), sculptor Guillaume Coustou (1677-1746) and architect Philibert Delorme (1510-1570).

963m

45.7605024.833551

Hôtel de Ville, Lyon

The city hall, built in the 17th century, has a very beautiful façade on Place des Terreaux. The most notable feature of this façade is the sculpture representing King Henri IV on horseback (in the middle of the upper part). Unfortunately, it is impossible to visit the building except during the "Heritage days" (Journées du patrimoine) in mid-September.

1.0km

45.7676284.83499

Rue Mercière

This cobblestone pedestrian street is the only significant remain from the Renaissance in Presqu'île. The name of the street refers to the clothing industry. There are traboules connecting the street to the buildings on the Saône bank. The street hosts very numerous restaurants which are far from being all good.

1.1km

45.76254.83277778

Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon

1.1km

45.7669444444444.8336111111111

Place Bellecour

The largest clear square in Europe. In the centre stands the equestrian statue of Louis XIV ("under the horse's tail" is a usual meeting point for locals). Apart from this, it is rather empty, windy and not so pleasant. A renovation project is under way. Between the southeast corner of Place Bellecour and the river Rhône is Place Antonin Poncet. There was a hospital there (Hôpital de la Charité), built in 1622 and demolished in 1934. The only remain is the bell tower (Clocher de la Charité) built in 1667.

1.1km

45.75754.83222222

Place des Terreaux

This large square was completely redesigned in the 1990s by the artist Daniel Buren. On the East side stands the City Hall. On the North side, you will find the fountain sculpted by Bartholdi, the 'father' of the Statue of Liberty; this fountain was moved from the West side when the square was renovated. It now faces Palais St Pierre, which hosts the Museum of Fine Arts.

1.1km

45.767484.833487

Montée de la Grande Côte

This steep street has Renaissance buildings and offers a very beautiful view over the city from its top.

1.5km

45.77164.8316

Place Sathonay

A charming neighbourhood square planted with old plane trees. Just sit at a terrace, watch the locals playing pétanque and enjoy the mood.

1.5km

45.7691174.830444

Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls

This Roman theatre is the place where the first Christian martyrs of Gaul were killed. Documents say that it was the largest theatre in Gaul at that time, but nobody knows exactly how far it extends under the neighbouring buildings, nor what remains from the Roman era after centuries of construction. After the closing of the old Fine Arts school (the grey building overlooking the theatre), a debate was initiated about what should be done with this exceptional archaeological site. The theatre can be seen from the street but is not open to the public for safety reasons.

1.5km

45.770555564.83055556

Lyon Cathedral

The cathedral is dedicated to St John the Baptist (St Jean-Baptiste) and St Stephen (St Etienne) and has the title of primatiale because the Bishop of Lyon has the honorary title of Primat des Gaules. Built between 1180 and 1480, it is mostly of Gothic style with Romanesque elements; the oldest parts are the chancel and the lateral chapels, and as one goes towards the façade, the style becomes more and more Gothic. The cathedral hosts a spectacular astronomical clock built in the 14th century but modified later. It is especially worth seeing when the bells ring, daily on the hour from 12:00-16:00. Over the main door, the rose window, known as the "Lamb rose window", is an admirable work of art depicting the life of St Stephen and St John the Baptist.

1.6km

45.760555564.8275

Rue du Bœuf

Parallel to Rue St Jean, this street is much more quiet and just as beautiful. It also has a number of restaurants, more expensive than in rue St Jean but, on average, much more worth the money.

1.7km

45.76254.82694444

Parc Sergent Blandan

1.7km

45.7454.854

Église Saint-Paul

A very nice church, with mixed Romanesque and Gothic styles. The oldest parts are from the 10th century.

1.8km

45.76674.8271

Montée du Gourguillon

This picturesque montée (sloping street on hillside) starts behind Vieux Lyon metro station and ends quite close to the Roman theatres of Fourvière. It was the main link between the river Saône and the top of Fourvière throughout the Roman era, Middle Ages and Renaissance. Nowadays it keeps a medieval spirit. Around numbers 5-7 is Impasse Turquet, a small cul-de-sac named after Etienne Turquet, an Italian who is said to have founded the silk industry in Lyon in 1536. In this small passageway are the oldest houses of the city, dating back to the 13th or 14th century, with wooden balconies.

1.9km

45.758611114.82472222

Parc de la Tête d'or

Completed in 1862, this 105-hectare (260-acre) English-style garden is one of the largest and arguably one of the most beautiful urban parks in France. It is a popular place for families as well as joggers. The highlights of the park include the large greenhouses, the botanical garden, the rose garden and the "African plain" in which animals wander in a natural-style environment, perfect for children.

2.0km

45.784.854

Parc des Hauteurs

park in Lyon, France

2.1km

45.76274.8237

Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière

Built in 1872 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, patron saint of Lyon, this massive church made of white marble has been compared to an elephant with its feet up. It is a typical example of the 19th century "eclectic" style, with architectural elements recalling antique, classical and Gothic eras. The Byzantine-style interior decoration is extremely exuberant, too much so for some people. Tours of the roof and bell towers are available in the afternoons for €6.

2.2km

45.76254.8225

Musée d'art contemporain de Lyon

Holds only temporary exhibitions which are often very interesting and popular.

2.2km

45.784166674.8525

Metallic tower of Fourvière

Next to the basilica stands a smaller (86 m, 282 ft) replica of the Eiffel Tower, completed in 1894. Its construction was supported by anticlerical people in order to have a non-religious building as the highest point in Lyon, which it actually is with an altitude of 372 m (1272 ft) at the top. It now serves as a radio and TV antenna and is closed to the public.

2.2km

45.763769444.82226667

Jardin des Curiosités

2.3km

45.75494.8218

Cité Internationale

This business and residential area in an important urban project for Lyon. Designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano (also known for Beaubourg modern art centre in Paris and part of the Potsdamer Platz area in Berlin), it comprises a convention centre, hotels and luxury apartments just between the Rhône and Parc de la Tête d'Or.

2.4km

45.78494.8543

Île Barbe

This charming island on the river Saône is the only inhabited island in Lyon. In the 5th century, one of the first monasteries in Gaul was founded there. It became a powerful Benedictine abbey (from the 9th century) but was finally ruined in 1526 by Protestants, during the religious wars. Of the three churches that existed on the island, only the Romanesque Notre-Dame remains. The island also has other old buildings in a quiet and green environment. The suspension bridge was built in 1827.

3.1km

45.7972224.831667

Saint Irenaeus Church, Lyon

The oldest church in Lyon, and one of the oldest in France. The site is built on a Gallo-Roman necropolis which was in use for centuries, until the Middle Ages. Some sarcophagi from the 5th or 6th century are visible in the courtyard. The crypt dates back to the 9th century and was renovated in the 19th century. Early Christian remains (from the 4th-6th centuries) are kept inside. The church was rebuilt in the 19th century in a neo-classical style with a Byzantine influence. An arch from the 5th century remains. Behind the church, the calvary built in 1687 is also a great viewpoint.

3.2km

45.75514.8138

Saint-Just (Lyon)

quarter in Lyon, France

3.2km

45.758055564.81305556

Parc de Gerland

3.5km

45.7234.824

Ardèche

French department

97km

44.666666674.41666667

Saint-François-de-Sales

Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

135km

45.68196.0558

Annecy Cathedral

cathedral located in Haute-Savoie, in France

143km

45.899166676.12555556

Château d'Annecy

castle in Annecy, France

143km

45.89756.12611111

Église Saint-Maurice, Annecy

church located in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, France

143km

45.899166676.12777778
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Lyon

Lyon is the capital of the French administrative region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, created by a 2016 merger of Rhône-Alpes with Auvergne. It also serves as the administrative centre for Metropolitan Lyon and the Rhône département; the two entities were separated in 2015. A city of half a million, Lyon alone is the country's third-largest city, but its metropolitan area is only second in population to Paris. Lyon is mostly known as an economic centre with many corporate headquarters and bustling financial, IT and natural science industries, but it is also rich in historic and architectural heritage, and has a very vivid cultural life. It is also considered the gastronomic epicentre of France.

Since the Middle Ages, the region residents have spoken several dialects of Franco-Provençal. The Lyonnais dialect was replaced by the French language as the importance of the city grew. However some "frenchified" Franco-Provençal words can also be heard in the French of the Lyonnais, who call their little boys and girls "gones" and "fenottes" for example.

  • The Lumière brothers pioneered cinema in the town in 1895. The Institut Lumière, built as Auguste Lumiere's house, and a fascinating piece of architecture in its own right, holds many of their first inventions and other early cinematic and photographic artefacts.
  • 8 December each year is marked by the Festival of Lights (la Fête des lumières), a celebration of thanks to the Virgin Mary, who purportedly saved the city from a deadly plague in the Middle Ages. During the event, the local population places candles (lumignons) at their windows and the city of Lyon organises impressive large-scale light shows onto the sides of important Lyonnais monuments, such as the mediaeval Cathédrale St-Jean.
  • The Saint Francis of Sales church is famous for its large and unaltered Cavaillé-Coll pipe organ, attracting audiences from around the world.
  • The Opéra Nouvel (New Opera House) is the home of the Opéra National de Lyon. The original opera house was re-designed by the distinguished French architect Jean Nouvel between 1985 and 1993 and is named after him.
  • Lyon is also the French capital of "trompe l'œil" walls, a very ancient tradition. Many are to be seen around the city. This old tradition is now finding a contemporary expression, for example in the art of Guillaume Bottazzi.[37][38]
  • The Brothers of the Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic congregation that operates schools in Europe and North America, was founded in Lyon in 1821.
  • The African Museum of Lyon is one of the oldest museums situated in Lyon.[39]
  • The Museum of Resistance and Deportation looks at the various individuals prominent in the Resistance movement in World War II. The building is strongly linked to Klaus Barbie. Lyon sees itself as the centre of the French resistance and many members were shot in Place Bellecour in the town centre. The exhibition is largely a series of mini-biographies of those involved.
  • The unusual project Lyon Dubai City, a reproduction of some districts of Lyon in Dubai, is a major point for tourism in Lyon.
  • Lyon is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission Intercultural cities programme.

The Rhône and Saône converge to the south of the historic city centre, forming a peninsula – the "Presqu'île" – bounded by two large hills to the west and north and a large plain eastward. Place Bellecour is located on the Presqu'île between the two rivers and is the third-largest public square in France. The broad, pedestrian-only Rue de la République leads north from Place Bellecour.

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Climate

Average temperatures

Jan

6°C0
Precipitation: 47 mm

Feb

8°C1
Precipitation: 44 mm

Mar

13°C4
Precipitation: 75 mm

Apr

16°C7
Precipitation: 91 mm

May

21°C11
Precipitation: 76 mm

Jun

25°C14
Precipitation: 64 mm

Jul

28°C17
Precipitation: 62 mm

Aug

27°C16
Precipitation: 88 mm

Sep

23°C13
Precipitation: 99 mm

Oct

17°C9
Precipitation: 82 mm

Nov

11°C4
Precipitation: 55 mm

Dec

7°C2
Precipitation: 55 mm
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