Sightseeing in Lyon - what to see. Complete travel guide

Lyon is a large city in France that is located near Saone and Rona Rivers. The population of Lyon estimates over 1 million of inhabitants with suburbs. The city was founded yet during ancient Roman times. At that time Lyon was called the capital of three Gauls. Such high political importance of this place has quickly led to economic, religious, military and political development. As Lyon was one of the well-developed industrial regions, it also became an important trading center with developed banking system. At the end of the XV century the biggest part of art, social and intellectual elite of the country had residences in the city. Only during post-war time the development of Lyon targeted on reaching European scale. At that period in Lyon were built numerous hotels, cultural and tourism facilities, transport system routes and more.

Modern Lyon is still the center of the industrial region, but the city is mostly known by large number of historical places of interest. This place is also famous for its aesthetic cuisine, numerous museums that feature wide choice of pieces of art, ancient paintings, textile, furniture and other antiquities.

The old part of Lyon is located on the Fourvière hill. This place is a true beauty with its old parks, archeological park of Fourvière, the ruins of the Roman theater and amphitheater, a huge park and garden Tet d’Or, Bellecour Square, old Croix Rousse quarter specializing in silk weaving with its labyrinth streets, Terro quarter, Saint Marten d’Ene Church and more. Tourists will also not forget their visit to the museum of dolls in Hotel de Gadagne – one of the most amazing mansions of the city built in the Renaissance style. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

One of the most majestic architectural monuments of the city is the Town Hall building. It was built in the middle of the 17th century. In front of the Town Hall building you can see the historic Place des Terreaux, which, prior to its construction, was the permanent location for a small market. After the emergence of the town hall, this square was expanded. Now, it is surrounded by outstanding historical monuments. Several days a week, the town hall is accessible for excursions. A rich collection of ancient works of art is kept in its walls.

The main decoration of the Place des Terreaux is the Bartholdi Fountain, which was named after the sculptor who built it. The artisan worked on the sculptural composition for this fountain for several years and expected that it would be installed in the city of Bordeaux. However, after the completion of the work, the city authorities did not have enough funds to install this fountain. Then it was decided to install fountain in Lyon.

There are many ancient religious buildings in the city, among which is worth noting the Eglise Saint-Nizier. It was built in the era of the early Middle Ages. The church was erected on the remains of a ruined Roman temple. After the official opening, the church was rebuilt more than once. The last large-scale reconstruction was completed in the 16th century. This church has a very interesting feature. It retains the oldest underground part, which dates back to the 6th century which contains an ancient crypt.

One of the most visited cultural institutions is the Lyon Museum of Fine Arts. In terms of the diversity and value of the works of art collected in it, this museum is comparable to the Louvre. The museum occupies a very beautiful historical building, which until the 17th century was run by a Benedictine monastery. After a while, it housed an art school. Now, in the museum, there are many unique exhibits dating back to the times of Ancient Rome and Greece.

The most unusual museum in Lyon is the house-museum of the Lumiere brothers. It is housed in a luxurious historical building and is entirely dedicated to the discoverers of cinema. The building in which the museum is housed was previously owned by the Lumière family. The brothers opened their first workshop and conducted the first experiments on image transmission here. Among the exhibits of this museum are the world's first films, photographic plates, as well as old cinematographic equipment and belongings of inventors.