Social program > Excursion

This unique area of Gothic and Renaissance architecture has been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage. It covers 24 hectares along the banks of the river Saône.

After visiting the gothic cathedral, wander through the narrow cobbled streets and "traboules"...

These famous covered passageways going from one street to the next via corridors through houses hide superbly renovated architectural treasures: inner courtyards, spiral staircases, galleries "à l’italienne", etc.

The esplanade of Fourvière offers a magnificent uninterrupted view of Lyon. The basilica of Notre Dame, built at the end of the 19th century, is a real eye-catcher. Don’t walk by without taking a look inside, because the interior is just as remarkable as the outside.
Your walk then takes you down towards Old Lyon, either through the Rosaire gardens or via the Roman theatres.
Do not forget that Lugdunum was founded on the hill of Fourvière in 43 BC.
At the bottom of the hill, the Renaissance town stretches out along the banks of the river Saône. Walk through a few of the narrow streets and the squares and delve into the "traboules" to discover hidden courtyards, galleries and wells...

On each side of the river Saône, two different districts, two different atmospheres...
On the right bank, Old Lyon, colour fully Renaissance with its narrow cobbled streets, lined with Renaissance town-houses, criss-crossed by "traboules".
And, on the left bank, the Presqu’île, the heart of Lyon where the city hall, the Fine Arts Museum and the Hall of Trade stand side by side with luxury boutiques, restaurants and extremely handsome squares: Bellecour, les Célestins, les Jacobins, République, les Cordeliers or les Terreaux.

Ideal for discovering the Lyon atmosphere and way of life, in both past and present..

The "Canuts" or silk-workers used to live in the Croix- Rousse. The "traboules" were very important for them. You will see just why!

History is everywhere on the bustling slopes of the Croix-Rousse: here you will find the ruins of the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre where the first Christians died as martyrs.

Professionals show you how screen printing is done and you will be given a demonstration of painting by hand on a length of silk velvet.

Enter the world of Silk through the "Traboules" passageways...

In the heart of the silk- weavers’ district, watch the demonstration on looms used in days gone-by and see how the sumptuous figured drill fabrics and Genoa velvets were made.

Discover the silk-worm’s life cycle, the contribution made by silk-workers to social life in the 19th century and the present- day realities of textile industries in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes area today.

Stroll through the Traboules to discover the history of the "canuts", the silk workers of Lyon.

Discover the silk-workers’ daily life by visiting a real weavers’ workshop kept going by the Living Silk-work Association with its kitchen, its attic and its mechanical looms.

The Croix-Rousse is the district where the "canuts", the silk-workers of Lyon, lived in the 19th century. The famous Traboules passageways were very important for them as well as their livelihood.

Down the slopes of the Croix-Rousse hill, cross the Place des Terreaux where you can admire the City Hall, the Fine Arts Museum and Bartholdi’s fountain to get to the "Famous people of Lyon mural", that depicts the illustrious citizens of Lyon.

You will see portraits of the great men who have lived in Lyon from Roman times to the present day.

The Croix-Rousse district is known for its numerous stairways and passages, and boasts a rich past intimately related to Lyon’s silk industry. If you already know about the canuts, let us tell you about the soyeux.
These ‘middlemen’ played a commercial role in the business, providing the canuts with the raw materials they needed for the weaving process. As they lived mainly at the bottom of the slopes, the canuts had to walk down through the covered traboules to deliver the fruits of their labour, and to submit their fabric for inspection.
During a tour that will take you from the banks of the Rhône to the banks of the Saône, take a short cut through the traboules to discover the religious orders and influential families of soyeux. On the Saône side, discover the little-known Martinière district and its Art Nouveau buildings.