Car Hire Lyon

Mini guide to Lyon

France’s second most populous city is more of a stop off point than a tourism magnet, yet it has a long and esteemed history and is an important French city.

Originally prospering on silk - resulting in many lovely Renaissance buildings about town - the town is more industrial today and a good example of a typical working French city. It’s also home to interpol’s HQ, a transport hub and base for many French/European companies.

The old town is somewhat detached from the CBD and sits squashed beneath the hill of Fourvière. It’s a maze of narrow streets and traboule (passages) centred around the pedestrianized rue St-Jean which ends at the twelfth- to fifteenth-century Cathédrale St-Jean. Just beyond the cathedral, opposite avenue Adolphe-Max and pont Bonaparte, is the funicular station and the Vieux Lyon métro, from where you can ascend to the town's Roman remains. These include two impressive excavated theatres. The Musée Gallo-Romain et Parc Archéologique de Fourvière is also located here. One of the most impressive buildings at the northern end is the sixteenth-century Hôtel Paterin. The Basilique de Fourvière also stands out and offers great views from the top.

Other attractions in Lyon include; the Musée d'Art Contemporain, Musée Historique de Lyon and Musée de la Marionnette (puppet dolls), also check out the charming puppet performances at the Théâtre de Guignol.

Lyon also has a very modern face, as reflected by the magnificent Palais des Congrès Institut Lumière.