11 Best Things to Do in Lyon

Place Bellecour is one of the largest pedestrian urban squares in Europe. Located on the Presqu’île, it’s considered to be the center of the city. Hosting the tourist information office, an art gallery, and the Lyon Ferris wheel, it’s surrounded by the main shopping streets of the city.

Here, you can enjoy a drink and snack before exploring some the most popular areas of the city that include the delightful Old Lyon and Fourvière Hill with its Roman ruins, located a kilometer away.

Located at the foot of Fourvière Hill, along the Saone River, Lyon Old Town is a very pleasant medieval area to explore on foot. Lose yourself along the cobblestoned streets of this scenic district.

From Saint-John-the-Baptist Cathedral to the traboules, a maze of "secret" pedestrian alleyways linking buildings to each other, to the many museums located in this area, there’s a lot to see in Vieux-Lyon district. For lunch, stop by one of the many bouchons located on Rue Saint-Jean.

Fourvière Hill rises just west of Vieux-Lyon. It was the site of the first Roman settlement during antiquity, and nowadays it's famous for the amazing views it offers of Lyon, as well as the Catholic Basilica of Fourvière that sits at the top.

Part of the UNESCO World Heritage site designated for the whole city, it hosts 2 of the oldest funiculars in the world. From the ruins of a Gallo-Roman theatre to the Metallic Tower of Fourvière, this area boasts a fair deal of city landmarks, as well as museums and beautiful religious buildings.

The Croix-Rousse, the "ginger cross" in English, is a hill that rises between Saône and Rhône Rivers in the center of Lyon. This historic neighborhood hosted the silk manufacturers Lyon was famous for during the 18th century. 

Here, you can explore the traboules, covered passageways used by silk workers to transportation their products. You can also visit the Maison des Canuts, or "silk worker's house," a museum dedicated to Lyon’s bygone silk industry. You can lose yourself in la Croix-Rousse and enjoy plenty of quaint boutiques and coffee-shops.

Parc de la Tête d'Or, that's Park of the Golden Head in English, is one of the largest urban parks in France. Measuring almost half a square kilometer and facing the La Croix-Rousse district on the other side of the Rhône River, this urban park features a boating lake and is home to the Lyon Zoo.

Parc de la Tête d'Or is the perfect place to take a breath of fresh air in the center of Lyon. Besides the zoo, the park features botanical and rose gardens, kids’ playgrounds, pony rides, a miniature railway, and more. It’s a great place whether you want to enjoy a picnic with your family or spend an hour jogging or cycling to stay fit.

Installed in a former Benedictine convent of the 17th century, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon boasts 70 rooms of art that range from Egyptian antiquities to modern art. Located in the trendy Presqu’île district, it’s perfectly in line with the artistic and fashionable atmosphere of the area.

Paintings, sculptures, works of art, coins, and medals are carefully classified and stored in this well thought out museum. You can enjoy snacks and refreshments at Les Terrasses Saint-Pierre, a restaurant located on the first floor of the museum.

Dedicated to Saint-John the Baptiste, Lyon Cathedral is a splendid building located in the heart of quaint Old Lyon. Built between the 12th and 15th centuries, Lyon Cathedral blends Romanesque and Gothic styles.

Housing historical items such as the Lyon Astronomical Clock and a 19th-century organ, to name a few, this architectural work of art  will make you feel like you made a giant step back into the past. Don't miss the museum attached to the cathedral. It has relics of Saints on display.

It was in Lyon, in 1895, that cinematography was invented by the Lumière brothers. Head to Rue du Premier Film, literally “The First Ever Film Street”, to visit the Lumière Museum and Lumière Institute next door.

It was in their family home, a splendid 19th-century mansion, that the 2 genius brothers developed ground-breaking technologies for photography and motion pictures, technologies that would change the world. Discover the first steps of the creation of what would become one of the major discoveries of the 19th century.

La Presqu’île is a neighborhood that faces Vieux-Lyon, on the other side of the Saône River. It was developed during the 15th century as the printers’ and booksellers’ quarter.

Today, it’s a lively district that hosts a trendy scene of cafés and restaurants, fashionable boutiques, luxury shops, and cultural institutions. Many of the old buildings are renovated and converted into upscale hotels or department stores. This vibrant area also hosts 2 theaters and the Lyon Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Printing and Graphic Communication.

Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse is the place to go if you’re a foodie. Lyon is often considered the gastronomy capital city of France, and this market and food court offers an impressive collection of food-stores and restaurants.

Skip breakfast and head to les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse for brunch. The variety and quality of the products and dishes served here is truly second to none. Choose from the delicatessen or sample fresh seafood, pastries, and cheeses. You’ll find many of the dishes that have made France one of the most famed food cultures in the world. Prices may be steep, though perfectly in line with what’s on offer.

Forget your diet and head to one of the Bouchons de Lyon for an unforgettable treat. Unpretentious and friendly, a bouchon is a particular type of bistro that serves hearty meat dishes. From chicken liver salad to pork offal sausage, and from ground fish dumplings to pot roast, without forgetting a lemon meringue pie for dessert, you’ll have a great meal at any of the 20 or so Bouchons Lyonnais.

Try Chez Paul in Rue Major Martin, or A Ma Vigne in Rue Jean Larrive. A visit to Lyon isn’t complete without a lunch or dinner at one of these worthy representatives of French gastronomy.