Duration:
2h
Group:
Max 10 people
Oct 23, 2026
This walking tour traces the extraordinary transformation of Lyon across two millennia. Begin your journey atop Fourvière Hill, where Roman soldiers once watched over their empire, and stand within the ancient Roman theatres that once held thousands of spectators. Step inside the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, a 19th-century masterpiece combining Byzantine and Romanesque influences, its interior lavishly decorated with mosaics and gilded ceilings that reflect the city’s religious and artistic prominence. Descend into Vieux Lyon, one of Europe’s most complete Renaissance quarters, characterised by narrow lanes, ornate facades and atmospheric courtyards. Explore the traboules, the secret covered passageways that provided discreet routes between streets and riverside workshops, and learn how these hidden corridors served silk workers—the Canuts—who shaped Lyon’s industrial and social history. Hear tales of emperors, merchants and artisans, and the courageous Resistance who used the city’s labyrinthine paths in wartime. The narrative draws connections between Roman origins, Renaissance commerce and the silk industry’s influence on modern Lyon, explaining why this ensemble of architecture and urban fabric is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
