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Lyon is lively. Prosperous citizens and numerous students give life to strong traditions of cooking, Guignol puppetry, film, and classical music and drama.

The Presq'ile peninsula and the Terraux make up the heart of modern Lyon. Theatres jostle with the opera house for street space. Restaurants, bars and cafes compete for custom.

Nearby, across a river, is the medieval quarter, Vieux Lyon, a haven of stylish charm. Bouchons, traditional Lyonnais restaurants, serve the city's rich cuisine.

Centuries of history and a strong tradition of silkmaking have gifted many of the city's neighbourhoods with fine buildings and intriguing museums.


Lyon Attractions

Vieux Lyon (neighborhoods of Saint Jean, Saint Georges and Saint Paul)
Lyon
Along the banks of the Saone river, underneath the steep slopes of the Fourviere hill is the centrepiece of old Lyon. Rue St Jean, the main street, is lined with Gothic and Renaissance housing, the whole being a fine ensemble of 16th and 17th century urban building.

Fourviere neighborhood
Lyon
Historically speaking, the top of this impressive hill is the original Lyon: it is here that the Gauls and Romans built their city more or less two thousand years ago, putting a (still partially extant) temple of Cybele at its center. Nowadays the hill is crowned by a nineteenth century cathedral, the Basilica of Notre Dame-de-Fourviere, built to an unusual design and affectionately referred to as the "upside down elephant".

Museum Of Gallo-Roman Civilization
17 rue Cléberg, Lyon
Tel. 33(0) 4 72 38 81 90
Classical ruins and a large collection of Roman inscriptions.

Gallo-Roman Amphitheatre
Fourviere, Lyon
Large amphitheatre of the classical period.

Croix Rousse neighbourhood
Lyon
Lyon's silk industry was once based on this precipitous hill above the river Rhone: now its streets make a charming cityscape.

Presqu'île peninsula
Lyon
Between the two rivers of the Rhone and the Saone, Romans, medieval traders and, more recently, modern builders have put together an impressive center for Lyons.

Lyon Opera House
Mainstay of the city's musical tradition, Lyon's opera company is housed in a remarkable 1990s rebuilding of a neo-classical original.
1 Place de la Comédie Lyon
Tel. +33 (0) 4 72 00 45 45

Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des Beaux Arts)
Palais Saint-Pierre 20, place des Terreaux, Lyon
tel: + 33 (0) 4 72 10 17 40
Peace reigns in this converted convent at the busy heart of the city. Greek and Roman sculptures, well-known medieval and Renaissance artworks, ornate craftwork, Islamic art and Impressionist paintings work together to make this one of the country's finest museums.

Lumiere Institute
25 rue du Premier-Film, Lyon
Tel. 33(0) 4 78 78 18 95
Lyons was once home to the Lumiere brothers, inventors of an early cinematograph machine. Their "Sortie d'Usine" (Leaving The Factory) is said to be the first movie ever made, and may be seen during the institute's guided tours.

Plan Lumiere (Public Lighting Plan)
Lyon
Carefully planned light shows illuminate more than 250 fine buildings along the riverbanks and hillsides of Lyon. A festival of light takes place in early December.

Part-Dieu and Villeurbanne
Lyon
Neighbouring business areas on the left bank of the Rhone that house offices, an important train station, smart restaurants and a shopping centre.

Cité Internationale
Lyon
The burghers of Lyons chose noted Italian architect Renzo Piano to design the plan for this "development hub" in the north east of the city, a much praised mixture of offices, convention centers, hotels, shops, cinemas and parkland. The international police organization Interpol is based here.

Lyon-Satolas TGV Station
Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport, Lyon
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava has designed an intriguing railway station for Lyon's airport - thought by many to look like a giant hawk with outstretched wings. (25 km [15 miles] from Lyons center.)

Lyon Shopping Neighbourhoods

Vieux Lyon's Renaissance streets are full of upscale shops, many boasting a long history. Marionettes may be found here. But the real centre of shopping is the Presqu'ile peninsula. The major department store Printemps is in the Place de la Republique. Open air markets grace several locations in Lyon. Fresh fruits and vegetables are sold in a market on the boulevard de la Croix-Rousse, and on Sunday mornings on the banks of the Saone at Quai Romain Rolland there is an arts and crafts market.

Lyon Shopping

Fine crafts and fine foods are popular buys for visitors to Lyons. Marionettes are made here as part of a long-lived tradition and antiques abound. Open air markets give visitors the opportunity to browse for gourmets' delights and historic food shops offer some of the most tempting delicacies in France. High fashion may be found in centrally located clothes shops.