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Lyon is beautifully located city where the north and south meet in France and where the rivers Rhône and Saône have their confluence. It is considered one of France’s top places of gastronomy, and there are a lot of heritage and modern sights to enjoy between the meals.
Lyon is one of France’s largest cities, and it has always been significant in the area and under the rule of Gauls, Romans, Germans and Burgundians before becoming part of France. Throughout time, the many different cultures have left their mark on the city, and you can still see remains from the time as Ludugnum in the Roman Empire.
For centuries, Lyon has been the center of French silk production, and silk is still produced in the area. Printing and graphic production have been other economically lucrative crafts, and they are examples of what you can experience at the city’s museums, which also feature fine art, West African cultures and other topics.
The old streets and neighborhoods of Vieux Lyon and the modern city around Part Dieu are the extremes of many centuries of architectural art, and it’s just about exploring; stroll and enjoy the interesting urban plan that Tony Garnier created in the 1920s-1930s.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Fourvière stands almost at the top of Lyon and can be seen from afar. It was built on a ridge at a height of 175 meters, which also provides a breathtaking view of the area. In Roman times, the forum of Lugdunum was located on this very site.
The construction of the basilica lasted from 1872 to 1896. Financed by private donations, the building was erected to commemorate the triumph of Christian values over socialist ones in the Lyon commune in 1870. The church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary as a sign that she knows more apartments are believed to have saved and protected the city; for example when the plague raged in 1643 and during a cholera epidemic in 1832.
It was the architect Pierre Bossan who designed the basilica, which architecturally draws on many styles. The appearance of the church is extremely mixed and a very good example of this trend in the latter half of the 19th century. There is Byzantine inspiration, a neo-Gothic facade, glass mosaics like those of the Symbolists, neoclassicism and also art nouveau.
The basilica was furnished with two churches, of which the largest and upper church is richly ornamented and decorated on both walls and on the vaulted ceilings. Among other things, there are impressive mosaics and elegant glass art.
Immediately south of Our Lady’s Basilica, you can see a smaller church building that functions as a chapel for the basilica. The chapel is divided into two with the names Chapelle de le Vierge and Chapelle St Thomas and dates back to 1168 when it was established. On top of it you can see a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary. This is 5.50 meters high and weighs a good 3 tonnes.
The Roman theaters in Lyon cover two buildings from the city’s Roman era. It is partly the Antique Theater/Théâtre Antique and partly the Antique Odeon/Odéon Antique. The area is known as the neighborhood of Fourvières archaeological park, and it is here that the Roman city of Lugdunum was once founded.
The Ancient Theater is a large Roman theater that was built in the years 17-15 BC. It is thus the oldest theater of this kind in France, and it is believed to have been able to accommodate 10,700 seats. It is extremely well preserved, and concerts are held here every summer, where there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy the atmospheric setting during the performances.
The Ancient Odeon can also be called the site’s small Roman theatre. It is located immediately south of Det Antikke Teater, and it is believed to have been roofed. Unlike theatres, an odeon was used for performances with music and reading aloud.
The Ancient Odeon was built in the 100s, and the diameter of the theater measured 73 meters. About 3,000 guests could sit around the arena itself. The complex with a theater and an odeon right next to each other is a rare sight in France. It is only here in Lyon and in nearby Vienne that you can experience it.
Lyon’s centrally located art museum houses one of France’s largest and finest collections of various works of art. Here are archaeological finds from ancient Greece and Egypt, medals, sculptures and paintings from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Most visitors find the museum’s extensive painting collection particularly interesting. It contains works by artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, Picasso and Tintoretto, among others.
Opened in 2014, this museum is a cornucopia of science, natural history and anthropology. Furthermore, the museum building itself is architecturally interesting in its deconstructivist form of expression.
The name Musée des Confluences refers to the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône. The museum is also located at the tip of the isthmus that leads to the very outlet of the Saône in the Rhône.
At the museum there are different themes. You can experience more about where we come from, who we are and what we do. In the well-presented exhibition, there is evolution, biodiversity and much more for curious visitors. Effects include everything from dinosaurs to works of art.
The impressive Place Bellecour was formerly Place Royal, and with a size of 312×200 metres, it is one of the largest open squares in Europe. Place Bellecour is located in the heart of Lyon between the Rhône and Saône rivers.
The name Bellecour comes from the archbishops’ vineyards, which were located here at the end of the 12th century. They were called beautiful gardens or bella curtis, which later became the current name. In the 16th century, the area was used for military installations, and later the city government acquired the site to lay out a public open area.
In the center of Place Bellecour stands François-Frédéric Lemot’s 1825 equestrian statue of Louis XIV. The first statue of the Sun King was erected here following the king’s purchase of the site in 1708. Seven years later, the square’s name was changed to Place Royale, and it lasted until the French Revolution, during which the Louis XIV statue was destroyed.
To the west on Place Bellecour you can see another statue. It depicts The Little Prince/Petit Prince and the author of the same, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Some of Lyon’s main pedestrian streets and business districts also start from the square.
Saint-Jean Baptiste is a Catholic cathedral and thus the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon. As such, the church is also called primatial, as the Pope in 1079 awarded the Archbishop of Lyons the title of Primate of all Gauls, which ranks above an archbishop in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
The first church building on the site was erected in the 5th century, and the current one was built in the period 1180-1476. Due to this long construction period, the cathedral is a good example of style elements that extend from the Romanesque to the Gothic period.
Of the attractions, Saint-Jean Baptiste contains, among other things, two crosses from 1274 at the altar. They were erected as a symbol of ecclesiastical union. You can also experience the Bourbon Chapel, which was built by Cardinal de Bourbon and his brother Pierre de Bourbon in the 15th century. In the church, there is also an astronomical clock in a 17th-century reconstruction of a clock from 1383, which had been used in 1582, and the building also contains fine glass mosaics in the rose window.
This museum depicts the history of Lyon through a fine collection presented chronologically from ancient times to the present. The museum has over 100,000 objects in its collection, and through many halls you can experience the city’s development and thereby go in depth with, for example, themes or eras.
The museum is housed in the Renaissance mansion Palais Gadagne, which was built by the Pierrevive brothers in the years 1511-1527. In 1545 it was rebuilt by the Gadagne family, after whom it was later named. Since 1921 it has housed the Musée Historique de Lyon.
This is a metal tower located at the top of the ridge in Fourvière, and with a height of 372 meters, the top is the highest point in the city. The tower itself measures 86 meters and looks confusingly like a smaller version of the top of the Eiffel Tower.
The metal tower was built in 1892-1894 with a location that was intended to ensure a visible secular building next to the newly built basilica that is next to the tower. At the World Exhibition in Lyon in 1914, a restaurant was set up at the top, and until 1953 there was also a viewing platform. Today there is no access to the tower.
The Opera in Lyon is also called the New Opera/Opera Nouvel, which is the name of the modern opera building, which hides behind the original facades of the city’s theatre, which was inaugurated on 1 July 1831. In 1985, it was decided to build a new and up-to-date opera building, and it had to be built so that the streetscape with the walls of the old theater remained standing.
In this large-scale conversion, in addition to the facade, the original foyer was also retained, and in addition, the building area was made much larger by both digging, for example, upper rooms underground and increasing the height of the building. All in all, this has resulted in an exciting opera building that stands as one of Lyon’s cultural flagships.
When you are at the opera, you should also take a walk around the Place Louis Pradel, which is located by the northern facade of the opera house. The square is an exciting urban space with different surfaces and levels, and here you can also see the beautiful Fountain of the Sun/Fontaine de Soleil. The fountain was created by the artist Ipoustéguy and placed on the square in 1982 together with four sculptures.
Lyon’s town hall is one of France’s most beautiful town halls and at the same time one of Lyon’s major public buildings from recent centuries. The town hall was built in the years 1645-1651 by Simon Marpin and renovated after a fire in 1674. The facade dates from the year 1700, and the interior and the town hall yard were both elegantly decorated.
In front of the town hall is the Place des Terraux, and here you can enjoy one of Lyon’s most elegant and cozy urban spaces. The square is surrounded by beautiful buildings, and in the center there is a large 19th-century fountain that was created by the sculptor Bartholdi. Bartholdi was also behind the Statue of Liberty in New York, which was a French gift to the United States.
In the 12th century, a hospital was built on land that belonged to the Archbishop of Lyon. For the first centuries of the site’s history, it was a monastery with a church, which took care of the needy, while it was until the middle of the 15th century that an actual permanent doctor was employed.
With the city’s increasing population, the city of Lyon acquired the hospital later in the 15th century, and a new and larger building was built as a hospital that could house 200 patients. The hospital opened in its new version in 1493.
The large and current historic hospital, Hôtel Dieu, was built from 1637 as a large complex with a central domed building. The hospital was continuously expanded over the following centuries, and the impressive and antique-inspired classicist facade along the Rhône River measures several hundred meters and was completed in 1842 after 101 years of construction.
The hospital was expanded in 1933, and it contains, among other things, the museum Musée des Hospices Civils, which depicts medical history and the development of various aids in hospitals from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the place no longer functions as a hospital, but has been refurbished as a luxury hotel.
Lugdunum is a museum from 1975 located in the archaeological park of Fourvières, which is worth a stroll in itself. The museum’s archaeological collection is one of France’s finest, and the natural starting point is Lyon’s Roman past, from which you can see, among other things, fine mosaics, statues and bronze works. From the Gauls there are several effects, the finest of which is a quite well-preserved bronze chariot.
The museum’s exhibition also provides an overview of the Roman Lugdunum, which was the forerunner of the French Lyon. Models of the city and several of its significant buildings can be seen among the archaeological effects.
The Tête d’Or park is one of the largest city parks in Europe and is a popular place for the city’s citizens. The park is beautifully located along the Rhône River, and there are plenty of beautiful experiences to be had here. The park’s main entrance is in the south-west part of the area, where you can see the lattice gate from 1901, the Porte des Enfants du Rhône.
In the park, you can visit the city’s botanical garden, Jardin Botanique de Lyon, where the rose garden in season is a fantastic experience. The city’s zoo, Zoo de Lyon, is also located here, and in it you can see, for example, the animals of the African savanna and hundreds of other species.
The park’s history goes back to the Lambert family, who owned the land in the 16th century. Even then, the place went by its current name, which refers to a tradition that tells that a treasure with the head of Christ is buried here. The city of Lyon acquired the area in 1856 to create a park, the first part of which opened the following year.
In 1894, the Parc de la Tête d’Or made its way into the history books, as a world exhibition was held here. It was the Exposition Universelle, Internationale et Coloniale, where many French achievements were displayed. There were also pavilions for the French colonies of Algeria, Tunisia, French Indochina and French West Africa on the exhibition grounds. French President Sadi Carnot visited the exhibition on 24 June, and in connection with the visit the city’s Chamber of Commerce organized a banquet. There he was assassinated, and he died the next day as a result.
South of Lyon, the city of Vienne with its approximately 30,000 inhabitants lies beautifully in the Rhône valley. The city has a past as one of the most important in Roman Gaul. Later, in the 4th-8th centuries, the city was the residence of several of the Burgundian kings. Today there are several fine sights to see from the city’s rich history. A walk in the old town is also very pleasant, and here the distances are pleasantly small.
In the middle of Vienne stands the Temple of Augustus & Livia, which was built in two stages. The first period was around the year 25 BC, when the building was dedicated to Roma and Augustus. The goddess Roma was supplemented by the emperor cult around Augustus. The second period was around the year 40, when the temple was also dedicated to Augustus’ wife Livia.
The temple is unique in that it is almost perfectly preserved as it was in Roman times. This is not least due to the fact that it has been in use throughout the many centuries; from the 5th century as a church and later as a courthouse, before the temple was restored in the 19th century and turned into a museum.
You can also see the Ancient Theater of Vienne, located at the foot of a ridge on the edge of the old town. At 130 meters in width, the semi-circular theater is one of the largest in France, and it is still used for various performances. The theater was built in the first century AD and its 46 rows of seats could seat around 13,000 spectators.
The theater went into oblivion during the Middle Ages, when it was thus not in use. The theater was found and excavated in 1908. In Vienne there was also a smaller theater in Roman times, a so-called odeon. The very few remains of it lie a short distance south of the Ancient Theatre, but there is no public access to it.
In the city, you can also visit Saint Mauritius Cathedral/Cathédrale, which has its historical background in the 200s, when Vienne was established as an archbishop’s seat. In the 4th century, the first group of religious buildings was erected on the site where the current cathedral is located. The construction of the church went on for many centuries, where it was often extended or rebuilt to a lesser extent. The consecration of the current cathedral took place on 20 April 1251 by Pope Innocent IV.
Finally, it is also worth seeing Our Lady Salette Chapel/Chapelle Notre Dame de Salette. It is a church that towers over the old town and is worth a visit for the particularly beautiful view from the square in front of the church. From here there is a view of the entire old town, the Rhône river and a part of the Rhône valley.
Chambéry is a medieval town with a cozy old quarter. The city was formerly the country residence of Savoy with a strong Italian touch, and this atmosphere and history can be felt in today’s Chambéry, where there are several sights in the streetscape.
One of the city’s best-known places is the Elephant Fountain/Fontaine des Éléphants, which was erected in 1838 in memory of Benoît de Boigne, who was the first from the city and all of Savoy to go to India as a soldier. Hence came the elephants, which were otherwise not a natural element in Chambéry’s decoration.
You can also see the Duke’s Palace of Savoy/Château des ducs de Savoie, which dates from the time when Savoy played a strategic role in the European balance of power. Chambéry Castle was the center of the Savoy government and ducal family, but in 1559 the dukes moved instead to Turin in present-day Italy. The castle was founded in the 13th century and rebuilt and extended over the centuries.
The Savoyen Museum/Musée Savoisien exhibits the history of Chambéry and the country of Savoy. It is set up in a former Franciscan monastery, and you can see many objects from centuries of dukes and the country’s administration, but there are also many archaeological finds and exhibitions about ethnography and art.
Saint François de Sales Cathedral/Cathédrale Saint-François-de-Sales is Chambéry’s cathedral. It was built in the 15th century by the Franciscans. It is the church in Europe that offers the biggest painted optical illusion, the so-called trompe l’oeil, and there are also several other beautiful effects and decorations in the church.
From slightly more recent times, you can see the Carré Curial barracks, which is a barracks from the Napoleonic era. It was built in 1802 and built after inspiration from the Invalides in Paris. There is an inner courtyard, colonnade and stables for the cavalry in the building complex, which is now beautifully restored.
In the area north of Chambéry lies Aix-les-bains on Lake Bourget. The city is a fashionable spa town with a very idyllic atmosphere and a historical touch. The town is very beautiful by the lake, and it is worth taking a walk along the promenade.
Aix-les-bain’s history goes back to the Romans, and in the city you can see the Arch of Campanus/Arc de Campanus (Place Maurice Mollard) and the Temple of Diane/Temple de Diane (Avenue du Temple de Diane) as some of the most famous attractions.
At the Temple de Diane is the city’s town hall from the 16th century, which was originally built as a castle. The city is of course also home to the famous thermal baths that have attracted tourists to Aix-les-bains for centuries.
Grenoble is the gateway to the French Alps and historically the city was founded by Celtic settlers. Later, in Roman times, it was called Cularo, where the city grew and in 286 had city walls built as a defense. The wall was over a kilometer long and had 38 towers built into the structure. In the year 377 Cularo was renamed Gratianapolis after the Western Roman Emperor Gratian.
The city became a bishop’s seat in the 4th century, and it became part of the Holy Roman Empire in 879. In 1242, Grenoble obtained city rights, and the name Grenoble developed from the 14th century, when the city was called Greynoble.
Place de Cordeliers 6 & Part Dieu Commercial Center
galerieslafayette.com
Rue du Dr. Bouchut 17
Rue de la République 42
printemps.com
Rue Victor Hugo, Rue de la République, Rue Emile Zola, Rue Gasparin, Rue President Herriot
Aquarium du Grand Lyon
Rue Stéphane Déchant 7
aquariumlyon.fr
Lyon Zoo
Le Parc de la Tête d’Or
Musée de l’Automobile Henri Malartre
Château de Rochetaillée, Rochetaillée-sur-Saône
musee-malartre.com
Planetarium
Place de la Nation, Vaulx-en-Velin
planetariumvv.com
Lyon was until the founding of the city by the Romans 2,000 years ago a marsh and swamp area where the area’s rivers regularly flooded. With the Roman campaign against the Gauls, a Roman camp was established on the ridge Fourvière in today’s Lyon.
In 43 BC the city of Lugdunum was founded by Lucius Munatius Plancus by order of the Senate of Rome, and in the year 16 BC became the Lugdunum area’s provincial capital.
Lugdunum developed rapidly and became one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire. Thus it was also from the Lugdunum that the campaigns against today’s England and Germany ceased.
That strategy was, among other things, emperor Augustus, and already during the first decades after its founding, Lugdunum acted as administrative center. Augustus himself visited the city three times between 39 BC. and 8 BC, and he established, among other things, better road connections and founded one of the kingdom’s coin mines here.
Through the successful expansion of the Roman Empire, aqueducts were built in Lyon, which also gained many monuments as well as institutions such as an amphitheater and odeon. The city center was at the top of Fourviere and the population reached over 70,000 during this period.
As the fall of the Roman Empire diminished the importance of Lyon, and the city experienced recession in the coming many centuries when both Burgundians and Germans settled in or invaded the area.
However, the recession was relative to growth during the Roman Empire, for Lyon maintained its position as a regional center.
From 1032 and about 300 years onwards, Lyon was part of the German-Roman Empire, and many ecclesiastical orders settled in the city, which as part of the kingdom turned the present France back.
The town was ruled by the Archbishop until a local government was established in 1240; it worked under the protection of the French king.
In 1312, Lyon became part of France and it became the beginning of a new positive era in the city’s history. A rapidly growing trade was created in here and an important silk industry was established with inspiration from Italy. The new industry should have an impact on the city’s economy over the next several centuries.
Lyon’s ability and status increased steadily, and not least the kings’ allocation of many annual festivals to the city made Lyon an important city in France during the Renaissance.
Lyon was at its peak in the Renaissance, and to this day, the city’s old quarter, Vieux Lyon, has Europe’s best-preserved Renaissance district with about 300 remaining buildings.
Lyon flourished, among other things, during the reign of King Louis XI in the 15th century, where it was established as an important international market and trade city whose well-developed banking system attracted commercial stakeholders and investment from all over Europe.
In 1472, the first printing press was founded in Lyon, and the city became one of the leading printing companies in Europe. It was an industry that produced in many languages to large parts of the continent.
In 1601, large parts of the Duchy of Savoy became an integral part of the French kingdom, thereby abolishing part of the existing autonomy.
Thus, the situation changed during the 1600s, when Lyon became a more common metropolitan area in France in economic terms, however, with the silk industry as a locomotive for growth in the city. It was also the one that employed the majority of the inhabitants.
However, Lyon remained a cultural center, with many of the cultural celebrities of the time studying or visiting the city.
In the 18th century there was a lot of construction activity in the city, which is still experienced in today’s Lyon. The city was on its way back to the French Revolution in the late 18th century, and it was definitely a city worth visiting.
The French Revolution put a temporary stop to the development of the city, but already during the Napoleonic era, a boom flourished again, not least brought about by a boom in the silk industry.
After Napoleon, the city in the 19th century switched to turmoil in the silk industries. The first of the silk workers’ revolts started in 1831, and there was a revolt over the next several years. The rebellions were often bloody and were only completed in 1870.
By then a major industrialization was already underway, and Lyon’s industries were increasingly employing people from surrounding areas. The silk industry continued to be a very important industry with more than 300 factories and over 200,000 employees in the late 1800s. However, it was no longer Lyon’s only livelihood.
One of the new developments of the time was the Lumière brothers. They had come to Lyon in 1870, where they studied at the La Martiniere technical school. The brothers acquired many patents, of which perhaps the most famous is the cinematographer of 1895. With it, they recorded the first live pictures on March 19 of the same year; it showed workers on their way home from their factory.
Lyon’s urban planning took off, and the city was electrically illuminated as early as 1910. The following decades were marked by the World Wars, with Lyon during World War II being the center of the French resistance movement.
After 1945, Lyon’s development again gained momentum with the establishment of new areas and new industrial and service initiatives, for example in transport and tourism.
The city’s location in the center of the new Coal and Steel Union, the precursor to the European Union, increased investment in the 1950s, and in the 1960s Part Dieu was established as Lyon’s new and modern business district.
Lyon has continued to focus on cultural institutions and tourism, such as the beautiful illumination of the city, which is instrumental in shaping today’s impression.
Lyon, France
Overview of Lyon
Lyon is beautifully located city where the north and south meet in France and where the rivers Rhône and Saône have their confluence. It is considered one of France’s top places of gastronomy, and there are a lot of heritage and modern sights to enjoy between the meals.
Lyon is one of France’s largest cities, and it has always been significant in the area and under the rule of Gauls, Romans, Germans and Burgundians before becoming part of France. Throughout time, the many different cultures have left their mark on the city, and you can still see remains from the time as Ludugnum in the Roman Empire.
For centuries, Lyon has been the center of French silk production, and silk is still produced in the area. Printing and graphic production have been other economically lucrative crafts, and they are examples of what you can experience at the city’s museums, which also feature fine art, West African cultures and other topics.
About the Whitehorse travel guide
Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
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Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English
About the travel guide
The Whitehorse travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Canadian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
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Saint-Jean Baptiste is a Catholic cathedral and thus the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon. As such, the church is also called primatial, as the Pope in 1079 awarded the Archbishop of Lyons the title of Primate of all Gauls, which ranks above an archbishop in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
The first church building on the site was erected in the 5th century, and the current one was built in the period 1180-1476. Due to this long construction period, the cathedral is a good example of style elements that extend from the Romanesque to the Gothic period.
Of the attractions, Saint-Jean Baptiste contains, among other things, two crosses from 1274 at the altar. They were erected as a symbol of ecclesiastical union. You can also experience the Bourbon Chapel, which was built by Cardinal de Bourbon and his brother Pierre de Bourbon in the 15th century. In the church, there is also an astronomical clock in a 17th-century reconstruction of a clock from 1383, which had been used in 1582, and the building also contains fine glass mosaics in the rose window.
This museum depicts the history of Lyon through a fine collection presented chronologically from ancient times to the present. The museum has over 100,000 objects in its collection, and through many halls you can experience the city’s development and thereby go in depth with, for example, themes or eras.
The museum is housed in the Renaissance mansion Palais Gadagne, which was built by the Pierrevive brothers in the years 1511-1527. In 1545 it was rebuilt by the Gadagne family, after whom it was later named. Since 1921 it has housed the Musée Historique de Lyon.
This is a metal tower located at the top of the ridge in Fourvière, and with a height of 372 meters, the top is the highest point in the city. The tower itself measures 86 meters and looks confusingly like a smaller version of the top of the Eiffel Tower.
The metal tower was built in 1892-1894 with a location that was intended to ensure a visible secular building next to the newly built basilica that is next to the tower. At the World Exhibition in Lyon in 1914, a restaurant was set up at the top, and until 1953 there was also a viewing platform. Today there is no access to the tower.
The Opera in Lyon is also called the New Opera/Opera Nouvel, which is the name of the modern opera building, which hides behind the original facades of the city’s theatre, which was inaugurated on 1 July 1831. In 1985, it was decided to build a new and up-to-date opera building, and it had to be built so that the streetscape with the walls of the old theater remained standing.
In this large-scale conversion, in addition to the facade, the original foyer was also retained, and in addition, the building area was made much larger by both digging, for example, upper rooms underground and increasing the height of the building. All in all, this has resulted in an exciting opera building that stands as one of Lyon’s cultural flagships.
When you are at the opera, you should also take a walk around the Place Louis Pradel, which is located by the northern facade of the opera house. The square is an exciting urban space with different surfaces and levels, and here you can also see the beautiful Fountain of the Sun/Fontaine de Soleil. The fountain was created by the artist Ipoustéguy and placed on the square in 1982 together with four sculptures.
Lyon’s town hall is one of France’s most beautiful town halls and at the same time one of Lyon’s major public buildings from recent centuries. The town hall was built in the years 1645-1651 by Simon Marpin and renovated after a fire in 1674. The facade dates from the year 1700, and the interior and the town hall yard were both elegantly decorated.
In front of the town hall is the Place des Terraux, and here you can enjoy one of Lyon’s most elegant and cozy urban spaces. The square is surrounded by beautiful buildings, and in the center there is a large 19th-century fountain that was created by the sculptor Bartholdi. Bartholdi was also behind the Statue of Liberty in New York, which was a French gift to the United States.
In the 12th century, a hospital was built on land that belonged to the Archbishop of Lyon. For the first centuries of the site’s history, it was a monastery with a church, which took care of the needy, while it was until the middle of the 15th century that an actual permanent doctor was employed.
With the city’s increasing population, the city of Lyon acquired the hospital later in the 15th century, and a new and larger building was built as a hospital that could house 200 patients. The hospital opened in its new version in 1493.
The large and current historic hospital, Hôtel Dieu, was built from 1637 as a large complex with a central domed building. The hospital was continuously expanded over the following centuries, and the impressive and antique-inspired classicist facade along the Rhône River measures several hundred meters and was completed in 1842 after 101 years of construction.
The hospital was expanded in 1933, and it contains, among other things, the museum Musée des Hospices Civils, which depicts medical history and the development of various aids in hospitals from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the place no longer functions as a hospital, but has been refurbished as a luxury hotel.
Lugdunum is a museum from 1975 located in the archaeological park of Fourvières, which is worth a stroll in itself. The museum’s archaeological collection is one of France’s finest, and the natural starting point is Lyon’s Roman past, from which you can see, among other things, fine mosaics, statues and bronze works. From the Gauls there are several effects, the finest of which is a quite well-preserved bronze chariot.
The museum’s exhibition also provides an overview of the Roman Lugdunum, which was the forerunner of the French Lyon. Models of the city and several of its significant buildings can be seen among the archaeological effects.
The Tête d’Or park is one of the largest city parks in Europe and is a popular place for the city’s citizens. The park is beautifully located along the Rhône River, and there are plenty of beautiful experiences to be had here. The park’s main entrance is in the south-west part of the area, where you can see the lattice gate from 1901, the Porte des Enfants du Rhône.
In the park, you can visit the city’s botanical garden, Jardin Botanique de Lyon, where the rose garden in season is a fantastic experience. The city’s zoo, Zoo de Lyon, is also located here, and in it you can see, for example, the animals of the African savanna and hundreds of other species.
The park’s history goes back to the Lambert family, who owned the land in the 16th century. Even then, the place went by its current name, which refers to a tradition that tells that a treasure with the head of Christ is buried here. The city of Lyon acquired the area in 1856 to create a park, the first part of which opened the following year.
In 1894, the Parc de la Tête d’Or made its way into the history books, as a world exhibition was held here. It was the Exposition Universelle, Internationale et Coloniale, where many French achievements were displayed. There were also pavilions for the French colonies of Algeria, Tunisia, French Indochina and French West Africa on the exhibition grounds. French President Sadi Carnot visited the exhibition on 24 June, and in connection with the visit the city’s Chamber of Commerce organized a banquet. There he was assassinated, and he died the next day as a result.
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