Lyon
About
Discover the history of Lyon
UNESCO World Heritage-listed Lyon centers around Vieux Lyon, the Fourvière basilica hill, and its traboules passageways connecting Croix-Rousse and Presqu'île. The city boasts dense Renaissance architectural heritage, museums including the Musée des Beaux-Arts and Musée des Confluences, and a vibrant contemporary art scene featuring numerous galleries. The confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers structures the urban landscape and provides access to landscaped riverbanks ideal for strolling. Beyond the city gates, the vineyard hills of Beaujolais and wooded peaks of the Pilat regional nature park offer vineyards, hiking trails, and viewpoints over the Rhône valley, complementing the urban experience with accessible natural escapes.
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Discover the best attractions in Lyon and its surroundings
Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière
This 19th-century basilica overlooking Lyon features stunning Romano-Byzantine architecture and ornate interior mosaics, offering panoramic city views from its dome.
Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Gorges de l'Ardèche
The Ardèche Gorges Nature Reserve features a dramatic limestone canyon carved by the Ardèche River, offering scenic hiking trails and kayaking opportunities through towering cliffs.
Parc naturel régional du Vercors
A vast Alpine nature reserve spanning 1,860 square kilometers with dramatic limestone plateaus, deep gorges, and extensive hiking trails through pristine forests and meadows.
Musée des Confluences
Permanent & temporary exhibitions about anthropology & science amid dramatic, modern architecture.
Lyon Cathedral
Built between 1180 and 1476, Lyon's Saint-Jean cathedral keeps a Romanesque choir under a Gothic nave, 13th-century glass and a 14th-century astronomical clock. It opens onto a square in Vieux Lyon, at the foot of the Fourvière hill.
Parc naturel régional de Chartreuse
The Chartreuse Mountains offer extensive hiking trails through limestone peaks, alpine meadows, and forests near Grenoble, ideal for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels.
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