Begin at Place des Terreaux, one of Lyon’s most iconic squares, surrounded by the City Hall and the Museum of Fine Arts. Admire the famous Bartholdi Fountain, created by the same sculptor behind the Statue of Liberty, and learn how this monumental square became one of the city’s historic and political centres. Continue into the Pentes de la Croix‑Rousse, the steep slopes once home to the Canuts, Lyon’s silk workers. Walk along the Montée de la Grande Côte and discover the district’s distinctive 19th‑century architecture, built specifically for silk production with high ceilings and large windows designed to bring natural light into weaving workshops. Today, the area blends its working‑class history with a lively artistic atmosphere filled with galleries, cafés and independent studios. Explore Lyon’s famous traboules, the hidden passageways connecting streets through buildings, originally used by silk workers to transport precious fabrics protected from the rain. Visit the Cour des Voraces, one of the city’s most emblematic courtyards, known for its monumental staircase and its role during the Canut revolts and the French Resistance. The route continues to the Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls, the oldest Roman amphitheatre in Gaul, founded in 19 AD, and concludes at the Mur des Canuts, one of Europe’s largest trompe‑l’œil murals that recreates everyday life in Croix‑Rousse. Stories combining history, architecture, art and local culture provide a richer appreciation of this fascinating neighbourhood.
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