The City Lyon in France is a perfect destination for a city trip. You can explore the city in multiple days, without having to rush. You will find the most beautiful locations in this guide. Read further to discover it all.
What to know about Lyon
How to get to the City Lyon in France
There are multiple ways to get to Lyon:
- Car/Camper; You can decide to drive towards Lyon and park your car or camper nearby. Make sure to read the environmental zone rules of Lyon. Older vehicles or vehicles without a vignet are not allowed to enter Lyon. To park your car or camper, you can use the Park4Night app to find a place. Always read the reviews to know if a place is secure.
- Train; Another option is to take the train towards Lyon in France. Trains in France are well organized, and you can find high speed trains as well. For example, the high speed train will take you from Paris to Lyon in 2 hours, and you can find tickets ranging from 20-60 euros for an adult single ticket. This way of transport is also the best for the environment!
- Airplane; You can also decide to take the airplane, if a train is not possible from your home country. The airport is still a 37-min tram ride towards the center of Lyon, which cost 16euro per person for a single ticket.
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Highlights of the City Lyon
Lyon has a lot to offer. You will find art, architecture, history, entertainment and amazing views. I will cover most places that are worth visiting in Lyon.
Vieux Lyon
- Passerelle Saint Georges de Lyon; This pedestrians bridge will take you to Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon). From the bridge you will have amazing views of Vieux Lyon and the surrounding area.
- Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste; A medieval cathedral in the middle of Vieux Lyon. Entry is free of charge.
- La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière; An amazing location on the top of the hill in Lyon. It takes some strength to walk up the hill, but you will have the best views of Lyon. It is possible to drive a car towards the basilica, but the parking places are limited, and the roads are small. Another great option is to take a cable car up to hill for only 3 euros for a round trip, but I will advise you to at least walk down if possible because the views are incredible. The basilica is free of charge to enter. If the weather is good, then make sure to look for the Mont Blanc.
- Théâtre Gallo Romain de Lyon-Fourvière; Beautiful old Roman theater which is free of charge to visit. It is located on the hill close to the Basilica. You can wander around in this area and sit down.
- Traboules; In the city Lyon, you will find multiple traboules. These are secret passageways in the town. You can find them yourself or with a guided tour. Here you can find a map of the traboules available in Lyon, also signs will indicate if the passageway is open for public.
- Fresque des Lyonnais; This is a beautiful wall painting with the 30 most known people in Lyon. You can find more paintings on buildings along the city Lyon.
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Parc de la Tête d’Or
Parc de la tête d’Or is an enormous park in Lyon. You can spend your entire day exploring this park and have a picnic for lunch. It is an ultimate location to relax after wandering around the old town the day before. You can find a botanic garden with more than 15000 different species of plants. You can find little turtles in the water and enjoy the sights of multiple fountains. There is also a small deer area in the park.
Besides the beautiful plants, you will find a small free zoo in the park. Make sure to check the opening hours, you can find them on Google Maps. There is a savanna with giraffes and flamingos. There are also multiple entertainment options for children and parents. You can take a boat to visit the lake or the kids can enjoy themselves in the mini karts, pony park or carousel.
Since the park is big, there are two other ways to visit the park without walking. You can hire a bike or take a bike tour at the entrance of the park, or you can take a ride in the small train that goes through the park.
As you can read, this park is already a full day experience in Lyon.
Place bellecour
Big public square where you will find the statue of Louis XIV. The square is wide open, but you will find fountains on the side and have a view of the basilica on the hill. Around this main square of Lyon, you will find shops and restaurants.
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Palais de la Bourse de Lyon
You can walk along this beautiful building, but you are not allowed to go inside. This venue is perfect for big events and the views from the outside are amazing already. It is a former stock exchange building in Lyon.
Mur des Canuts
This is one of the most incredible paintings that you will find on a building. It represents the silk workers who protested against their working conditions in the 1800s. It is definitely worth to check this out while visiting Lyon.
Place des Terreaux
Last but not least, this public square will give you amazing views of the hotel de ville de Lyon. The building is stunning. You will also find the Bartholdi fountain at this square. The museum of fine arts of Lyon is next to this square, but I will tell you more about the museums next.
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Museums in the city Lyon, France
Lyon has a lot of museums to offer, here I will tell you shortly about the unique and popular ones in Lyon.
- Musée de l’illusion LYON; Museum with optical illusions which will make you laugh and amaze you at the same time. The entrance fee is 18 euros for adults and 12 for children, but you can find prices here.
- Musée Cinéma et Miniature; You will find miniature scenes of everyday life here, but also props and costumes from some of the biggest movies. For example, you can find the original hammer of the Thor movie, the glasses and magic wand stick from Harry Potter. The price is 12.50 for an adult, some areas of the museum are not suitable for children.
- MAM – Musée des Arts de la Marionnette; Puppetry museum in Lyon. Unique experience in Lyon. You can find more information here.
- Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon; Large art museum in Lyon. You will find painting, sculptures and artifacts in the museum. Find current exposition and prices here.
- Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière; This is the museum next to the Théâtre Gallo Romain de Lyon-Fourvière that I mentioned in the vieux Lyon part. The museum is only 4 euros and will show you more artifacts of the area. It also provides more information about this area in Lyon. Some parts are not translated to English, so make sure to have Google Translate on your phone to get all the information.
- Musée des Confluences; The architecture is already worth the visit. It is an anthropology, natural history and science museum. It is a perfect museum to visit for every age and get to know more about the history of humans. Furthermore, it is 9 euros for adults and free under 18 years. Find prices and information here.
Where is the city Lyon in France?
The exact location of the city Lyon in France can be seen on the map below. You will also find locations nearby that you can discover.
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