This vast, well-preserved Roman amphitheatre was built around AD 40–50 at the base of Mt Pipet, on the eastern fringes of the old town. At that time, it was one of the largest theatres in the Roman empire – it was designed to seat 11,000 spectators. It's a key venue during Vienne's Jazz Festival in June and July.
Théâtre Romain
Lyon & the Rhône Valley
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
14.68 MILES
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…
16.86 MILES
This stunning and eminently manageable museum showcases France's finest collection of sculptures and paintings outside of Paris, from antiquity onwards…
25.12 MILES
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…
0.48 MILES
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
16.62 MILES
Crowning the hill, with stunning city panoramas from its terrace, this superb example of late-19th-century French ecclesiastical architecture is lined…
15.08 MILES
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…
16.48 MILES
Lyon's partly Romanesque cathedral was built between the late 11th and early 16th centuries. The portals of its Flamboyant Gothic facade, completed in…
16.7 MILES
Housed in a 16th-century mansion built for two rich Florentine bankers, this twin-themed exhibition space incorporates an excellent local history museum,…
Nearby Lyon & the Rhône Valley attractions
0.07 MILES
For the best views of Vienne and the Rhône Valley, head to this bluff that lords it over the old town and the Roman theatre. It's signposted and is topped…
2. Temple d'Auguste et de Livie
0.22 MILES
Best of all the Roman monuments in Vienne is this striking Roman temple right in the heart of the old town. Take a look at the superb Corinthian columns…
3. Église & Cloître St-André Le Bas
0.28 MILES
You can't miss this imposing church on the northern fringes of the old town. The back tower is decorated with tiny carved stone faces. In the cloister,…
0.48 MILES
Across the Rhône from Vienne, the Musée Gallo-Romain highlights Vienne's historical importance, displaying several rooms full of dazzling mosaics and…
14.34 MILES
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…
14.68 MILES
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…
15.08 MILES
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…
15.21 MILES
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…