Things to do in Lyon
Attractive sites showcasing Lyon's long history of culture and industry, such as the Textile Museum and Fine Arts Museum, cluster on central Presqu'île and just across the Saône and Rhône. Most are open 10am to 5.30pm, except Monday. Delve into the narrow streets and Traboules Trail (covered alleys) in the atmospheric silk-workers' quarter Croix-Rousse or the smarter medieval and Renaissance Vieux Lyon district. Take a funicular up the landmark Fourvière Hill for panoramic views.
Museums and Galleries
Expand all1. International Museum of Miniatures - Exquisite scale models
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A homage to small things, the International Museum of Miniatures was founded by the miniaturist Dan Ohlmann. It is filled with tiny versions of all sorts of things and housed in the fully-sized Maison des Avocats in old Lyon.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€7; concessions €5.50; children free-€5.50
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-6.30pm (until 7pm weekends)
Address
60, rue Saint Jean, Lyon, 69005
Telephone
+33 (0) 4 72 00 24 77
2. Museum of Fine Arts - World-class art gallery
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Lyon's Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon) is known as Little Louvre. Its collection includes over 1,800 paintings, objects and sculptures from Ancient History to the Renaissance, and the only Islamic art collection in France outside Paris.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€7; concessions free-€4; exhibitions free-€9
Opening Hours
Daily except Tue 10am-6pm (from 10.30am Fri)
Address
20, Place des Terreaux, Lyon, 69001
Telephone
+33 (0) 4 72 10 17 40
3. Fabrics Museum - Rare historic silks
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Lyon's Fabrics Museum on the Presqu'île displays one of the world's richest collections of historic silk tapestries and other precious fabrics. The 18th-century mansion also houses fine furnishings and silverware in the Decorative Arts Museum.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€7; concessions €4.50; under 3s free
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-5.30pm (Decorative Arts closed 12pm-2pm)
Address
34, Rue de la Charité, Lyon, 69002
Telephone
+33 (0) 4 78 38 42 00
4. Museum of Roman Gaul - Treasures of Roman Lyon
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In ancient times Lyon, known as Lugdunuum, was the biggest city in Gaul. The Museum of Roman Gaul (Musée Gallo-Romain) has a huge collection of sculpture, art, coins, pottery and other items from the times of the Roman Empire.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€4; concessions €2.50
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-6pm (closed Mon)
Address
17, Rue Cléberg, Lyon, 69005
Telephone
+33 (0) 4 72 38 49 30
Attractions
Expand all5. St Jean Cathedral - Masterpiece of medieval architecture
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Dominating Vieux Lyon, the majestic St Jean Cathedral includes architectural styles from a 12th-century Romanesque apse to an elaborate 15th-century Gothic façade decorated with medallions. Inside is fine stone carving, beautiful stained glass and an intricate 14th-century astronomical clock.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 8.15am-12.05pm & 1.45pm-7.30pm; Sat & Sun 8.15am-12.05pm & 1.45pm-7pm
Address
8, Place St Jean, Vieux Lyon, Lyon, 69005
Telephone
+33 (0) 4 78 92 82 29
6. Place des Terreaux - Lively main square
Show more Grandiose 17th-century Place des Terreaux, focal point of the Presqu'île, once witnessed mobs and guillotines, but today is lined with parasols and café tables. Magical pavement water sprays and lights complement Bartholdi's imposing fountain of horses emerging from foaming water.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily all day
Address
Lyon, 69001
Special things to do
Expand all7. Fourvière Hill and Basilica Notre-Dame - Spectacular city views
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A funicular climbs from Vieux Lyon to the top of Fourvière Hill, where the ornate 19th-century Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière stands. The esplanade behind the city's imposing landmark has a panoramic vista across Lyon which is especially lovely at night.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Panoramic tower: €2; children €1 Esplanade: free
Opening Hours
Basilica: Daily 8am-7pm; Esplanade: Daily 6am-9.30pm (until 10pm 15 May-30 Sep)
Address
8, Place de Fourvière, Lyon
Telephone
+33 (0) 4 78 25 13 01
8. Resistance and Deportation Museum - History of the Resistance
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Located in former Gestapo premises on the Saône's East Bank, the Resistance and Deportation History Centre (Centre d'Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation) vividly recalls the wartime suffering of Lyon, which was a centre of the Resistance.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€4; concessions €2
Opening Hours
Wed-Fri 9am-5.30pm; Sat & Sun 9.30am-6pm
Address
14, Avenue Berthelot, Lyon, 69007
Telephone
+33 (0) 4 78 72 23 11
Transport
Métro to Jean Macé or Tram T2 to Centre Berthelot.
Website
9. Traboules Trail - Secretive covered alleys
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Follow the signposted traboules on a trail through Vieux Lyon or Croix Rousse. These hidden covered shortcuts dart through the inner courtyards and stairwells of large houses. Originally for workers carrying precious silks, they proved invaluable to the Resistance.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Mostly always open
Address
Start from Gros Cailloux (big rock), near Place de la Croix-Rousse and Place des Terreaux, Lyon, 69005
