10 Iconic Buildings and Places in Lyon

Fourvière Basilica is a massive church dedicated to the Virgin Mary that sports an impressive architectural structure that's uniquely non-Gothic. Instead, it implements a combination of Romanesque and Byzantine architectural styles with 4 main towers and a bell tower that has a gilded Virgin Mary statue.

When you visit, you can see its aesthetic brilliance first hand with stunning stained glass and mosaics throughout the interior. The locals call it the upside-down elephant because the building itself looks similar to the creature's body with the 4 towers being its legs. You'll find it all right across from Fourvière Station.

The Bartholdi Fountain is an impressive fountain made from lead that depicts a woman sitting on a chariot controlling 4 powerful horses. The woman is meant to be a personification of France, with the horses representing France's most iconic rivers.

The statue itself is largely symmetrical, yet each aspect of it tends to be unique in its own way. It's crafted from lead, though it's supported by an iron frame, and it is classified as monument historique. You'll find it at Place des Terreaux in Lyon's 1st Arr.

Place Bellecour is a prominent open square in the center of Lyon that features 2 pavilions and intricately designed statues. The first statue is in the middle of the square representing King Louis XIV on a horse, while the other on the west end represents the Petit Prince and Antoine de Saint-Expery.

The pavilions within this large pedestrian square are locations you won't want to miss out on during your visit. The first is designed to offer information for travelers, while the second is an art gallery. You'll find it all in the center of town around Carnot - Gailleton between the Rhone and the Saone.

Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste (or the Lyon Cathedral) is a massive Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and it sports Gothic-style architecture. The church was built over 3 centuries from 1180 to 1480.

When you visit, you can explore its stunning craftsmanship in person, but keep in mind that it still holds regular services that you shouldn't disturb. Additionally, it hosts the annual Festival of Light every December, with lighting displays shown on the cathedral's facade. You'll find this church just a few steps southwest from Jardin Archéologique by the riverbanks.

Teatro Galo-Romano is an ancient Roman amphitheater in town located in the center of where the old Roman city used to be. It dates back to 15 BCE when it was just 90 meters in diameter, but its construction on its final iteration was completed at the beginning of the 2nd century.

This theater is one of the oldest and most well-preserved of its kind despite being abandoned for use by the 3rd century. When you visit, you'll find yourself within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's built into the hill of Fourviere in the 5th Arr.

The Lyon Opera House (or Opera Nouvel) is an impressive architectural accomplishment that's home to the National Opéra of Lyon. This building is unique in that it had multiple forms throughout history. When it was first built in the 19th century, it was a rectangular Italian-style house with a horseshoe-shaped auditorium.

When you visit this house today, you can see the additions Nouvel the latest architect made. It features a steel and glass barrel vault on top now along with excavated below ground space tripling the interior size. You'll find it on the east side of Pentes de la Croix Rousse south of Place Louis Pradel.

The Canuts Painted Wall is a massive mural that depicts an entire landscape with hyper-realistic imagery depicting what ordinary life is like in the La Croix-Rousse neighbourhood. The details are intricate, leaving viewers studying it for quite a while to see if they can spot everything.

When you visit, you'll find yourself at one of the largest displays of public art in all of Europe. It's located near the center of the La Croix - Rousse neighbourhood at the intersection of Bd des Canuts and Rue Denfert-Rochereau.

Tête d’Or Park (or the park of the golden head) is a 290-acre urban park that features vibrant greenery, walking paths and its own lake. If you visit during the summer, you can even go boating on the lake to see the impressive sights of this park from a different kind of perspective.

Within this park, you'll find quite a few different things to do, including a velodrome, mini-golf and a mini-train. There's even a small zoo housed within. You'll find it all on the north side of the 6th Arr.

Institute and Villa Lumière is an organization and museum dedicated to preserving important aspects of French filmmaking, and it is housed within an extravagant building. As the name suggests, it's housed within the former home of the Lumière family, who invented the cinematographe.

When you visit, you can tour some of the most important artifacts about filmmaking anywhere in the world, though the house itself is impressive in its own right. You'll find it on the northeastern side of Monplaisir just steps away from the Monplaisir - Lumière Metro Station.

Hôtel Dieu is an impressive hospital building on the river, and it dates back to medieval times when it was first opened in the mid-15th century. Inside, you'll find a permanent exhibit called Musee des Hospices Civils, which showcases the history of the practice of medicine.

When you visit the building itself, you'll find it adorned with an alluring dome among countless windows as it spreads out in both directions from that central spire. You'll find it all by the Rhône on the east side of Place Bellecour.