World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Lyons  - Sightseeing
Sightseeing

Touring the city of Lyons can easily keep even the most enthusiastic sightseer busy for a long weekend. Any sightseeing trip should begin with Fourvière Hill, now at the heart of Lyons' UNESCO World Heritage Site. This experience would start with a trip on the funicular railway known as la ficelle (the string), from the station in avenue Adolphe Max. This leads to the foot of the Basilica of Fourvière. Coming down from Fourvière Hill does not mean leaving the heritage area of Lyons. This extends to include Vieux Lyon (Old Lyons), Croix-Rousse and the Presqu'île area.

Old Lyons is the largest Renaissance quarter in France. It is also notable for the St-Jean Cathedral, and the famous traboules - the covered walkways linking entire blocks of houses. The area of Croix-Rousse is the quarter where the canuts (or silk-weavers) developed. At the centre of place de la Croix-Rousse is a memorial to Joseph-Marie Jacquard who developed a new type of silk loom at the beginning of the nineteenth century to cement Lyons as a centre for the silk trade.

The Presqu'île area is home to the Museum of Fine Arts, as well as luxurious boutiques, such as Cartier and Hermes, which can be found on rue du Président Herriot.

Lyons also boasts a large number of restaurants, some of them among the finest in France to display the Michelin stars. Probably the most famous restaurant in Lyons is chef Paul Bocuse's - Restaurant Paul Bocuse, 40 rue de la Plage, Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or (tel: (04) 72 42 90 90; fax: (04) 72 27 85 87). If budgets don't stretch that far, a 'must' for any tourist is to enjoy some of Lyons' specialities, such as quenelles, in a bouchon or traditional restaurant.

Tourist Information

Office du Tourisme
Place Bellecour
Tel: (04) 72 77 69 69. Fax: (04) 78 42 04 32.
E-mail: lyoncvb@lyon-france.com
Web site: www.lyon-france.com
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1900, Sun 1000-1800.

There are also tourist offices at Avenue Adolphe Max in Old Lyons and at 3 avenue Aristide Briand in Villeurbanne.

Passes

The Lyons City Card is valid for one, two or three days at a cost of FFr90, FFr160 or FFr200 respectively. This card allows free use of city transport, free access to museums, guided tours and river cruises.



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GENERAL
City Overview
City Statistics
Cost of Living
 
GETTING THERE
Air
Road
Rail
 
GETTING AROUND
Getting Around
 
BUSINESS
Business
 
SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing
Key Attractions
Further Distractions
Tours of the City
Excursions
 
ENTERTAINMENT
Nightlife
Sport
Shopping
Culture
Special Events