Must-see attractions in Lyon & the Rhône Valley

  • Top Choice
    Caverne du Pont d'Arc

    This unique complex about 7km northeast of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc takes you on an incredible journey back in time. The biggest replica cave in the world, it…

  • Top Choice
    Cité du Chocolat Valrhona

    Death by chocolate! On the main road in Tain l'Hermitage, the Cité du Chocolat is a chocoholic's dream come true. This vast complex run by famous…

  • Musée des Confluences

    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…

  • Musée des Beaux-Arts

    This stunning and eminently manageable museum showcases France's finest collection of sculptures and paintings outside of Paris, from antiquity onwards…

  • Pont d'Arc

    Spanning the Ardèche Gorge, this striking natural bridge is a must-see when visiting the area. Located 5km south of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, this 54m-high arch…

  • Musée de la Mine

    An old industrial mining site that was once the lifeblood of St-Étienne has been transformed into a fascinating exhibition complex. On a 75-minute guided…

  • Musée Gallo-Romain

    Across the Rhône from Vienne, the Musée Gallo-Romain highlights Vienne's historical importance, displaying several rooms full of dazzling mosaics and…

  • Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière

    Crowning the hill, with stunning city panoramas from its terrace, this superb example of late-19th-century French ecclesiastical architecture is lined…

  • Arnaud Soubeyran

    Though it's located 3km south of the centre, Arnaud Soubeyran is the best place to discover the Montélimar nougat connection. An intriguing multimedia…

  • Lyon Confluence

    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…

  • Cathédrale St-Jean-Baptiste

    Lyon's partly Romanesque cathedral was built between the late 11th and early 16th centuries. The portals of its Flamboyant Gothic facade, completed in…

  • Musées Gadagne

    Housed in a 16th-century mansion built for two rich Florentine bankers, this twin-themed exhibition space incorporates an excellent local history museum,…

  • Place des Terreaux

    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…

  • Parc Naturel Régional du Pilat

    In the mood for a rural escape? Make a beeline for the Parc Naturel Régional du Pilat, which spills across 650 sq km between Lyon and St-Étienne. A haven…

  • Opéra de 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…

  • Musée de Valence

    This great museum adjoining the cathedral offers a comprehensive and well-organised collection of art and archaeology from the Rhône Valley. Of particular…

  • Parc de la Tête d'Or

    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,…

  • Beaujolais Greenway

    Set on a converted railway line, this new greenway runs for 15km between Beaujeu and Belleville. It's paved and mostly flat, making it ideal for cycling,…