Tourist Information

In short

• Lyon is an old town: founded by the Romans under the name of Lugdunum, it used to be the Gauls capital. It has kept traces of its Roman past, especially on Fourvière hill.
• Lyon has a wonderful architecture style: Haussmannian buildings in the 6th district, medieval streets in the Vieux Lyon, the traboule passageways: so many ways to be truly amazed. Then go and relax in the Parc de la Tête d'Or.
• Lyon is a cultural and student town; hence, many festivals take place there. The Quais du Polar (at the end of March) celebrate detective literature; the Nuits Sonores ("Sound Nights", at the end of May) honour electronic music; the Nuits de Fourvière ("Fourvière Nights"), during summer, are also interesting. The Biennales de la Danse et d’Art Contemporain ("Contemporary Art and Dance Biennales") make the city even more vibrant.
• Last but not least, the most popular event of all is the Fête des Lumières (literally, the "Light Festival"), which occurs in December and gathers millions of curious tourists and visitors.
• Lyon's gastronomy revolves around delicatessen, which is served in "bouchons lyonnais", small specialized restaurants mostly located in the Vieux Lyon.
• The Alps, where you will either ski or hike, are not far, only 2 hours by car, go there while you can!

Climate

Our best tips

• The Parc de la Tête d’Or is amazing, you cannot skip it !
• Why don't you try the "bouchons lyonnais", Lyon's typical restaurants? You'll taste new meals you would have never guessed existed!

Average prices for hotels

• Low budget: 42€ per night in low season, and 100€ in high season.
• Mid-range: 70€ per night in low season, and 126€ in high season.
• Luxury: 212€ per night in low season, and 217€ in high season.

Recommended areas for your hotel

• The area of La Part-Dieu, in the 3rd district, near the railway station, is ideal for travelers.
• Fourvière hill, the perfect spot to contemplate Lyon from the heights.
• The presque-isle, which extends from the Place des Terreaux up to the Cité de Confluence, is a central place.

Need more information about this place?

We wrote un mini guide for our readers that we hope is coming as handy as possible (also available in PDF format to download, useful while traveling without an internet connexion) :

Lyon : Handy Mini Travel Guide

Our articles about Lyon

• The 10 Best Things To Do In Lyon
• Lyon Area Guide: Where To Stay In Lyon?
• Top 10 Best Hotels In Lyon We Recommend
• Handy Lyon Travel Mini Guide

Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière


Fountain Bartholdi

City Hall


Park of the Golden Head


Temple du Change


Théâtre des Célestins


Gallo-roman theatre


Gallo-roman theatre


Place Bellecour


Festival of Lights