Departure from the campsite
2 possibilities :
By car: The easiest way is to park at Galeries Lafayette (50 minutes). Take the metro opposite “Mermoz Pinel” towards « Gare de Vaise ». Get off at the « Bellecour » stop (about 12 minutes by metro). I advise you to take the 24h metro ticket at 6.20€!
By train : Go to the Tour du Pin station (15 minutes from the campsite). Take the train towards Lyon Perrache. Leaving the station, take rue Victor Hugo (straight ahead) to Place Bellecour (15 minutes walk).
In any case, our itinerary begins at Place Bellecour.
Morning map
From Bellecour take rue “President Edouard Herriot”, you will pass in front of the Official Store of Olympique Lyonnais. Rue Edouard Herriot is one of the most important shopping streets in the city, with prestigious stores such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Lacoste… Turn left on Rue des Archers, you will arrive at Place des Célestins.
Imagine a square bordered with magnolias in bloom, the majestic facade of a 19th century theater, terraces and a riverside market... Head to the Place des Célestins to discover a haven of peace in the middle of a bustling city.
Photo taken in January
Continue on rue Montcharmont and Jean Fabre to reach place des Jacobins. One of the most beautiful squares in Lyon, within the Unesco perimeter. Place des Jacobins is one of the oldest in the city of Lyon.
From Place des Jacobins, take Rue Jean de Tournes to reach Place de la République.
Before ; it was called Place de Lyon, but in 1878 this name changed to Place de la République. We are in one of the most commercial districts of Lyon, with dozens of shops, but not too lively at night.
Then take the direction of the town hall via rue de la République. You will pass in front of the Palais de la Bourse (also called the Palais du Commerce), classified as a Historic Monument in 1994. After going up the entire rue de la République (lined with restaurants and shops), you will arrive at the Place de la Comédie. This square includes 2 of the most beautiful buildings in the city: The Lyon Opera on your right dating from 1829. An emblematic building of Lyon thanks to its characteristic dome visible from any place in the city.
©-Patrick-Tournebœuf
On your left, facing the Opera and overlooking the Place des Terreaux, the City Hall, which has been ravaged by fire several times, is today one of the most remarkable monuments in Lyon.
From Place de la Comédie, take Rue Puits Gaillot or Rue Joseph Serlin which will take you to the magnificent Place des Terreaux.
This huge place surrounded by some of the key landmarks of the city, including City Hall and the Museum of Fine Arts is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are also plenty of bars and restaurants, but the best part of this square is the famous Bartholdi Fountain, a work of art by a sculptor of the same name; it represents a carriage drawn by four horses that almost seem to be alive.
From Place des Terreaux, follow Rue Sainte Marie des Terreaux and take the stairs leading to Place des Capucins. You are currently at the bottom of the slopes of la Croix-Rousse. Start walking the Grande Côte until the intersection with rue Burdeau.
Turn right and walk to the intersection with rue Pouteau, go down the stairs on your right which lead to Passage Thiaffait. Here sits the Village des Créateurs, which since 2001 has supported more than 70 artists in the fields of fashion, decoration and design.
We continue the visit by retracing our steps via rue Burdeau toward the plant garden located at the intersection with rue Lucien Sportisse. Here you will find the ruins of the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre. It dates from -12 BC and was erected by Drusus. It was used both for Gladiator fights and for festive gatherings.
Go around the botanical garden and the amphitheater then take rue « des Tables Claudiennes » until crossing again « La montée de la Grande Côte ». Continue uphill to la Grande Côte garden and cross the garden to the right to reach Rue Diderot and continue to Place Colbert. At number 9 of the square, is the most beautiful traboule of the Croix-Rousse called the Traboule de la Cour Vorace. (Remember that the traboules are secret passages typical of Lyon which allow you to reach parallel streets via these passages through the buildings.)
The visit continues with the final climb to the Croix Rousse plateau. Take the « Montée Saint Sébastien » to the « Boulevard de la Croix Rousse », you will arrive on a large esplanade from which I invite you to admire from the heights, the east side of Lyon, you will see obviously the Gros Caillou which has become one of the symbols of the district. Its discovery dates back to 1862.
Join Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse toward Place de la Croix-Rousse. On this square sits the imposing statue of Joseph Marie Jacquard, French inventor of the Jacquard loom, which served as the impetus for the technological revolution of the textile industry and is the basis of the modern automatic loom.
Then from place de la Croix-Rousse, reach place des Tapis via boulevard de la Croix-Rousse. On this square, you can admire the statue called “Le Chant des Canuts”. Inaugurated at the end of the 1980s, it is the work of sculptors Georges Salendre, Da Fonseca and Hamelin and evokes the song of the Canuts, composed by Aristide Bruant. This song exalts the misery and revolt of Lyon's weaving workers, the Canuts.
Continue north on boulevard des Canuts to the intersection with rue Denfert Rochereau. Prepare your camera to admire one of the most beautiful painted walls in Lyon with the Canuts fresco, a painting work that covers an area of 1200m2, the largest in Europe.
Retrace a little bit on your steps and take rue Pelletier on your left. Continue straight to rue de Cuire, turn left and immediately turn right onto rue Calas. Continue straight until Grande Rue de la Croix-Rousse, turn right then the 2nd street on the left: rue d'Ivry. At number 10 of this street is on your right you will find "la Maison des Canuts" which retraces the whole history of Lyon silk and its technical advances over time. This museum is really rich in information, I highly recommend it!
The visit of the exhibition halls does not require reservations, however it is necessary to reserve for the guided tour with weaving demonstration.
La Maison des canuts is also a completely renovated design shop offering a wide choice of textile items made in Lyon!
Meals according to your preference in the Croix Rousse district (see restaurant list below),
Or in the 1st arrondissement rue de la République, or even rue Mercière in the 2nd arrondissement.
Then return to Métro Croix Rousse (5 minutes on foot), direction Hôtel de Ville to get off there.
Afternoon plan
From the Hôtel de Ville metro exit, head towards Place des Terreaux, then take Rue Constantine to reach the Quai de Saône. Cross the bridge and continue to rue Juiverie.
You are now in Old Lyon.
In fact, the Lyon Old Town is my favourite part of town… and I’m very pleased to reveal it to you!
Let’s start the visit!
Start with rue Juiverie, and go to 10 rue Juiverie: push the door and you will discover a magnificent courtyard.
Do not miss the traboule at 8 rue Juiverie: This building houses the famous gallery built by Philippe Delorme in 1536.
At the end of the street turn left on rue de la loge, and left again to arrive in rue de la Lainerie. At number 10 of this street, push the door. This 16th century house has a remarkable inner courtyard, known for its staircase, one of the most beautiful staircases in Lyon!
Retrace your steps to take Rue St Jean, you will find a fabulous traboule at number 2 Place du Gouvernement. Then at number 18 rue St Jean you will have a magnificent courtyard with very pretty balconies, you will find another traboule at 54 rue St Jean, the longest in old Lyon, this traboule will take you through the buildings and you will arrive at 27 rue du Boeuf. Continue on rue du Bœuf and turn left on rue de la Bombarde.
Copyright weekend desk
Go back up only to see the pink tower at 16, rue Du Bœuf.
Retrace your steps, and continue on rue du Bœuf and turn left on rue de la Bombarde.
In this street you will find on your left the Museum of Miniatures and Cinema.
Two unique collections by the artist Dan Ohlmann: the 120 miniature scenes produced and more than 450 legendary film props give the visitor an insight into the special effects techniques of their leading film studios. From "Spiderman" to "Mrs Doubtfire" through "The 5th Element" and "Gremlin's", more than 450 mythical pieces of film delight us throughout this dive behind the scenes of secret cinema.
Discovering the magical world of Dan Ohlmann and his own workshop, visible from the outside, you will leave for a trip to another dimension.
Opening Times: Open every day From 10AM to 6:30PM ***Warning: Tickets office closes at 5:30PM.*** Useful tip! On week-ends, avoid busiest hours (from 2PM to 5PM)
Admission rates Adults 9,50€ / Children 6,50€ (from 5 to 15 years old, free under 5) Senior 8€ (over 60 years old, id required)
Then take “rue St Jean” on your right and stroll down in this typical street of old Lyon toward St Jean square. It is the oldest square in Lyon, dominated by the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral. In addition to being the forecourt of the Cathedral, its central position in the Renaissance district as well as the Fountain which was built there in 1844 make this square an essential historic site in the city.
From Place St Jean, take Rue du Doyenné to get to the Vieux Lyon Metro station. Here you will take the F2 funicular (the one on the right) in the direction of Fourvière.
You are welcome on the hill that prays, the hill of Fourvière to discover the basilica, a historic place in Lyon.From its dominant position, looming over the city below with vantage points aplenty, Fourvière has become a symbol of Lyon, attracting over 2 million visitors annually.
Go down rue Roger Radisson to reach the top of the Roman theater where you will have again a very beautiful view of the city.
An exceptional site, the theater area includes the large theater and the odeon, listed as Historical Monuments in 1905.
Return back
Once in old Lyon, you can take the metro towards Vénissieux station, and get off at Bellecour if you came by train to return to Perrache station (15 mins walk) via rue Victor Hugo. Or stay in the metro until the "Mermoz Pinel" stop to reach your car. (about 15 minutes)
The possible alternatives to discover the city according to your preferences
Morning: Visit only one of the two hills according to your preference
Either Visit the Croix Rousse district
Metro from Bellecour to Hôtel de Ville then change direction Cuire and stop at Croix Rousse.
or
Visit the Old Lyon district with the hill of Fourvière:
Direct metro from Bellecour towards Vaise station, and stop in Vieux Lyon.
Lunch time
Head towards the Part Dieu district (known for its large shopping center) to eat at the Paul Bocuse halls:
From Bellecour take the green line towards Vénissieux station, get off at Saxe Gambetta to take the blue line towards Charpennes and get off at la part dieu. From the metro you are a 10-minute walk from the halls. And there await you: Tasting, catering, discovery of traditional or contemporary flavors in a friendly and warm setting. This 13,500 m2 covered market, with around sixty traders and restaurants, is one of the emblematic high places of Lyon cuisine, dedicated to Lyon mothers, and to the famous emblematic Lyon chef 3 stars in the Michelin Guide Paul Bocuse
Afternoon
For Shopping :
Centre Commercial la Part Dieu :The Part-Dieu is a high street lover’s paradise in Lyon 3rd. It’s completely indoors so perfect for all seasons, letting you avoid both sunburn and the freezing cold! Opened in 1975, it is one of the largest shopping centres in France. Spread across 5 floors, you can find shops such as Primark, Zara, FNAC, Galeries Lafayette and Hema. There’s also plenty of places to grab a bite to eat
Le centre commercial de Confluence
Confluences shopping centre is one of the newest shopping centre in central Lyon. A stone’s throw from the sparkling new Confluences museum, the Confluences shopping centre matches the museum in its modern architecture. You can get there by tram or bus, or if you’re feeling really experimental, get the boat!
Shopping in Lyon Presqu’ile : Rue Victor Hugo, rue de la République, Rue du Prédisent Edouard Herriot. There are plenty of shops for bargain lovers and fans of haute couture alike. Head to Rue de la République if you’re looking for high street brands such as FNAC, H&M or Brandy Melville (just off Rue de la République at 14 Rue Confort).Or if you’re looking for some more upmarket shops, they are dotted around the streets surrounding Place Bellecour (rues Victor-Hugo, Emile-Zola, Edouard-Herriot, rue de la République…). Examples include Sandro, Gant, and Louis Vuitton. It’s also a great area for sports fans due to its plethora of sports shops including JDSports, SO sport, FootLocker, Decathlon, and for Nike, Courir…
Le Parc de la Tete d’Or: Lyon’s magnificent urban park.
Influenced by the style of an English garden Le Parc de la Tete d’Or is the largest urban park in France and contains numerous attractions for all the family including a zoo, boating lake, botanical gardens, miniature railway, pony rides for children and more. It’s an excellent place to relax and enjoy the natural beauty and includes dozens of trails for walking, jogging or bicycling and large open spaces for activities and picnics. Fun for everyone.
SIGHTSEEING CRUISES on the Saône river
Let yourself be guided on an in-depth sightseeing tour of Lyon and discover the city's symbolic monuments from another angle.
Admire the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, be surprised by the bold architecture of the Confluence area and escape as you behold Ile Barbe, a genuine oasis of greenery at the gateway to the city.
Accompanied by a guide, relive the exceptional moments that have shaped Lyon's destiny through the centuries.
These are outstanding tours, for an exhilarating experience.
Book online and benefit from a reduced price!
Where can you find restaurants?
Mercière Street (2nd arrondissement), Marronniers Street (near bellecour) in Old Lyon for the famous Bouchon Lyonnais, Les Halles de Paul Bocuse, in La Croix Rousse area (see map before) !