Lyon history

The history of Lyon begins on Fourvière Hill, where vestiges of the original Roman city (Lugdunum, meaning the 'city of light') are still evident. This tradition continues to the present day - every evening, more than 100 sites throughout the city are lit to show the splendour of Lyon's architecture.

Old Lyon contains the largest display of Renaissance architecture in France, dating back to the end of the 15th century, when the city became an important and wealthy trade centre, famous for its fairs and its silk industry. Strolling around Lyon is also the only way for visitors to discover the traboules, covered passageways created during the Renaissance, initially as shortcuts, although they later became escape routes for the French Resistance during WWII.

The area of Croix-Rousse is the quarter where the canuts (or silk-weavers) worked; you can discover the last authentic family silk weaving workshops in the Croix-Rousse area with Soierie Vivante, 21 rue Richan. At the centre of the place de la Croix-Rousse is a memorial to Joseph-Marie Jacquard, who developed a new type of silk loom at the beginning of the 19th century, which cemented Lyon's place as a centre for the silk trade.

The Presqu'île area is home to the Museum of Fine Arts, as well as luxurious boutiques, such as Cartier and Hermès, which can be found on rue du Président Herriot.