Excursions in Lyon

Lyon, founded in 43 BC, used to be called the city of print workers and later the city of weavers: it produced the best silk fabrics in the entire France. Nowadays it could be called a city of tourists: hundreds of thousands of French and foreigners come here every year to take tours of the historic part of Lyon. With a large number of well-preserved medieval and Renaissance buildings, Lyon's Old Town was inscribed on the UNESCO Heritage List. Tour guides can spend hours telling its story. Most often, a sightseeing tour of the city with an English-speaking guide begins with the charming Bellecour Square and includes a tour of monuments such as:

• the ancient amphitheatre on the Fourvière Hill;
• snow-white Fourvière Basilica, known for its beautiful stained glass windows;
• a metal tower near the basilica, built in the late 19th century;
• the medieval Cathedral of John the Baptist: besides the interiors, it is of particular interest because of the astronomical clock of the 14th century;
• Hotel Dieu is a hospital complex founded back in the 12th century;
• Place of Terreaux. There are several attractions on the square and around the square (19th century fountain, Palais Saint-Pierre, Hotel de Ville, Opera House);
• Mercière street;
• ancient Lyon bridges

One can not forget the traboules – small inner courtyards, typical for houses in the old part of town. A tour of traboules will bring you to the world of medieval Lyon, and the guide will tell you about their origin. It is worth visiting the museums of Fine Art, the Lumière brothers museum and the Gallo-Roman civilization museum.