Lyon
This eye-catching building, designed by the Viennese firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, is the crowning glory of Lyon's newest neighbourhood, the Confluence, at…
Must-see attractions in Lyon
Lyon
This stunning and eminently manageable museum showcases France's finest collection of sculptures and paintings outside of Paris, from antiquity onwards…
Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière
Lyon
Crowning the hill, with stunning city panoramas from its terrace, this superb example of late-19th-century French ecclesiastical architecture is lined…
Lyon
Lyon's race toward the future is personified in this reborn industrial district near the southern tip of Presqu'île. Once a landscape of empty warehouses…
Lyon
Lyon's partly Romanesque cathedral was built between the late 11th and early 16th centuries. The portals of its Flamboyant Gothic facade, completed in…
Lyon
Housed in a 16th-century mansion built for two rich Florentine bankers, this twin-themed exhibition space incorporates an excellent local history museum,…
Lyon
The centrepiece of the Presqu'île's beautiful central square is a 19th-century fountain made of 21 tonnes of lead and sculpted by Frédéric-Auguste…
Lyon
Lyon's neoclassical 1831-built opera house was modernised in 1993 by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, who added the striking semi-cylindrical glass…
Lyon
If you're museumed out, head to this lovely space north of the centre, which provides a green haven for nature lovers and families. Spanning 117 hectares,…
Centre d'Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation
Lyon
The WWII headquarters of Gestapo commander Klaus Barbie evokes Lyon's role as the 'Capital of the Resistance' through moving multimedia exhibits. The…
Lyon
Said to be Europe's largest fresco, this magnificent trompe l'oeil shows a slice of daily life among Lyon's residents. The work is packed with intricate…
Lyon
Well-known Lyonnais peer out from this beautifully executed seven-storey mural, including loom inventor Joseph-Marie Jacquard (1752–1834), Renaissance…
Lyon
Cinema's glorious beginnings are showcased at the art nouveau home of Antoine Lumière, who moved to Lyon with sons Auguste and Louis in 1870. The brothers…
Lyon
Preserved for posterity by the Soierie Vivante association, this silk-trimmings workshop functioned until 1979, weaving braids and intricate pictures…
Lyon
This well-organised museum displays 18th-century furniture, tapestries, wallpaper, ceramics and silver. Ticket includes admission to the adjoining Musée…
Lyon
Extraordinary Lyonnais and international silks are showcased here. Ticket includes admission to the adjoining Musée des Arts Décoratifs, which displays…
Musée Gallo-Romain de Fourvière
Lyon
For an enlightening historical perspective on the city's past, start your visit at this archaeological museum on the hillside of Fourvière. It hosts a…
Lyon
Lyon's contemporary-art museum mounts edgy temporary exhibitions and a rotating permanent collection of post-1960 art. It sometimes closes for several…
Lyon
One of Europe’s largest public squares, gravel-strewn place Bellecour was laid out in the 17th century. In the centre is an equestrian statue of Louis XIV.
Lyon
Facing the river in old Lyon, the grandiose neo-classical Palais de Justice is well worth a gander.
Lyon
On a 50-minute guided tour, learn about weavers' labour-intensive life and the industry's evolution, see manual looms in use, and browse the silk boutique…
Lyon
Just west of the Confluence, Lyon's well-thought-out aquarium is home to some 300 marine species, including more than 5000 fish. Bus 15 links it with…
Lyon
Accessible strictly by guided tour, this wonderful old workshop houses looms that produce large fabrics. It's best visited in conjunction with the nearby…
Le Petit Musée Fantastique de Guignol
Lyon
The star of this tiny, two-floor museum is Guignol, the Lyonnais puppet famous for its slapstick antics and political commentary. Various animated scenes…
Lyon
Lyon's Roman theatre, built around 15 BC and enlarged in AD 120, sat an audience of 10,000. Romans held poetry readings and musical recitals in the…
Lyon
From early equipment through to computerised technology, this absorbing museum traces the history of the city's printing industry.
Lyon
At the foot of Croix Rousse, this tree-shaded square has a small village atmosphere, with its bars, restaurants and cafes.
Lyon
This maze-like museum on tourist-busy rue St-Jean provides an unusual insight into the making of movie sets and special effects achieved with the use of…
Lyon
Jean-Paul II's Renault Espace, Hitler's Mercedes, 50-odd motorbikes, bicycles and historical modes of Lyonnais public transport are displayed inside this…
Lyon
The Jardin Rosa Mir is a walled garden decorated with thousands of seashells accessed off a narrow laneway.
Lyon
Lyon's cinematic story is told in still-image form here in one of the city's many murals.