Top Cool Things to do in Lyon, France

Lyon is one large World Heritage Site, with a big renaissance old town, Roman ruins, historic industrial districts and the regal 19th century Presqu’île quarter. The city was founded 2,000 years ago at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers, and built its fortune on the silk trade. This industry furnished it with beautiful renaissance architecture in Vieux Lyon, where semi hidden passageways called Traboules connect courtyards with the Saône.
Get the Lyon City Card for free entrance to lots of museums, discounts and unlimited use of public transport. You can’t talk about Lyon without mentioning the food, as the gourmets agree that Lyon is the world’s culinary capital. It’s the city of the chef, Paul Bocuse, revered as a god of French cuisine. Let’s exploce Top Cool Things to do in Lyon, France below.

Top Cool Things to do in Lyon, France

Vieux Lyon

You can set foot in one of the largest renaissance old quarters in Europe. In the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries Lyon’s silk industry was thriving, and rich merchant families from across France, Flanders, Germany and Italy settled in the city.
They built sumptuous homes, in the gothic, Italian renaissance and French renaissance styles, and there are still 300 of these remaining in the districts of Saint Jean, Saint Georges and Saint Paules. During the 16th century it was estimated that there were 180,000 looms in the city, and you can see the resourceful ways this industry combined with the fabric of the city in Vieux Lyon’s characteristic traboules.

Traboules

In Vieux Lyon and La Croix Rousse Saône are an architectural feature unique to this city: Traboules are delightful renaissance passageways, some 40 of which are open to the public, running beneath buildings in the direction of the Saône River.
They gave the city’s silk workers direct access to riverbank, making it quick and easy to transport textiles, while also offering shelter from the elements. Nearly all of these passageways are part of residential properties, so it’s a good idea to go quietly.The best place to start your adventure is around Quai Fulchiron Rolland and Rue des Trois Maries.

Fourvière Basilica

This magnificent church, ever visible on the Fourvière hill to west of the city is one of a series of iconic hill top churches built in major French cities in the late-19th century. The basilica is in the oldest part of the city, Lyon’s pilgrimage site and where several Roman sites have been discovered.
Go inside to see the extravagant interiors and the Museum of Sacred Art, and to ascend the north tower for one of Lyon’s best photo ops. The church is the focus for the famous Fête des Lumières, which takes place at the start of December every year. This is in praise of the Virgin Mary, to whom Fourvière is dedicated, for protecting the city from the bubonic plague in the 17th century.

Le Kitchen Café

For something a little more sophisticated, Le Kitchen Café in the 7th arrondissement is the place to be. It opened in 2014 and immediately became a giant in the local culinary scene (ironic, because the restaurant itself is tiny!). This is once of Top Cool Things to do in Lyon, France.
They offer a few seasonal options for lunch that change frequently, and their café or thé gourmand (coffee or tea with four mini desserts) is to die for. Seriously exquisite desserts! (Open Wednesday through Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Reservations recommended for lunch.)

Get lost in Lyon

Les Pentes de la Croix Rousse is the neighborhood of winding, hilly streets that lead up to the Croix Rousse neighborhood. You’ll find lots of independent boutiques and street art around here.
The pedestrian street Montée de la Croix Rousse leads straight up the hill, but it’s worth wandering a little from side to side to check out the stores and cafés, and hidden spots like the colorful stairs on Rue Prunelle. Alternatively, you can go right under Les Pentes ride your bike or walk through the Tunnel de la Croix Rousse and you’ll be greeted with tinkling music and colorful images projected on the walls of the tunnel.

Presqu’île

A finger of land between the Rhône and Saône, Presqu’île was man made by a humungous 18th century urban engineering project, draining marshes and connecting what was once an island with dry land. It’s where most things “happen” in the city, a district of glorious 19th-century architecture, wide plazas, shops, cultural institutions, restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs.
Lyon’s opera house and city hall are located here, while if you’re peckish Rue Mercière is basically one long line of superb restaurants. If you’re here for the shopping, start at the pedestrianised Rue de la République where all the high street brands await.