Do & See - Lyon | ArrivalGuides.com

Do & SeeGuide was updated: February 15, 2023

Dive into culture, history, fashion and food in the wonderful city of Lyon. Whether you are here for a weekend or a week you will find countless things to do, from historic sights to world-class museums and pleasant city parks. Take your time and discover why it is so easy to fall in love with Lyon.

Musée d’Art Contemporain

This fantastic museum is situated on the border of the Park de la Tête d’Or, adjacent to the newly built Congress Center by Renzo Piano. It regularly beats Paris by gaining sole rights to any Andy Warhol exhibition. Next to the Museum, Renzo Piano’s 3,000 seat amphitheater is worth a visit by itself. One of the most audacious architectural juxtapositions: business, arts and leisure activities, all succeed in mingling together in the same living area.

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Musée des Tissus

French fashion was born and flourished from Lyon’s textile industry. The Musée des Tissus provides a unique collection presenting more than 2,000 years of the history of textile around the world, and more specifically, in the Lyon area, highlighting the influence it had on French fashion.

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Institut Lumière

The Institut Lumière is located in Monplasir, the historic district of Lyon. This is where the Lumière brothers invented the Cinématographe and also where they made history by making the first film in 1895. The four-level Lumière Museum allows you to discover the extraordinary inventions of the Lumière brothers, and within the Hangar Prime-Film there are daily movie screenings.

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Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere

The Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière was built between 1872 and 1884 and has a great position on a hilltop with great views over the city. Today it is a popular attraction for both locals and tourists. The church is decorated with many beautiful details in mosaics, murals and stained glass.

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Musée des Beaux Arts

The Musée des Beaux Arts is one of France’s most elegant art museums with everything from ancient statues to contemporary art. It has acquired a painting by Poussin, "The Flee to Egypt", increasing the collection of 17th- and 18th-century paintings to be one of the most prestigious in France.

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Le Centre d’Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation

Lyon housed the core of the Resistance movement, which fought against the occupying German troops during WWII. Many French Jews were deported from here. Everything is explained at the Centre d’Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportationand, and there are also pictures from the trial of the Butcher of Lyon, Klaus Barbie.

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Walk along the Rhône

There are over 5 km of walkways along the Rhône for leisure and enjoyment. Here you will find lawns, outdoor cafés, deckchairs, pools, barges, concerts and restaurants. For the more athletically inclined, a cycling track, a roller park and a fitness circuit is provided.

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Boat Trips

Explore Lyon from the river Rhône and admire its heritage while the guide tells you the secrets of the city. In the evening you can have a very romantic dinner cruise. From April to October you can take a boat trip on the Rhône. Different companies operate in the evenings.

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Parc de la Tête d'Or

Stroll around at the largest park in France that can be found in the heart of Lyon. This is a great place for the whole family, where you can enjoy the zoological park, which includes 1,000 animals, including birds, reptiles, chimpanzees, Atlas lions, European brown bears, giraffes, Indian elephants and much more. In addition there is also a botanical garden with 15,000 plants as well as a rose garden.

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Aquarium Grand Lyon

Aquarium Grand Lyon is a great attraction for families with children. The aquarium has 40 tanks with 5,000 fishes and other sea creatures and is divided into 5 sectors: temperate freshwater, tropical freshwater, sea water, shark pit and 5 senses (where you can stroke some fish and other animals).

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Opéra de Lyon

Opéra de Lyon is a must-see attraction in Lyon. Here you can take a guided tour, which is highly recommended. This is the modernized version built in 1993 of the original 1831 opera house, and is a place where the ultramodern and classical style is presented throughout the whole building, both inside and out.

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Do & See in Lyon

Musée d’Art Contemporain

Musée des Tissus

Institut Lumière

Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere

Musée des Beaux Arts

Le Centre d’Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation

Walk along the Rhône

Boat Trips

Parc de la Tête d'Or

Aquarium Grand Lyon

Opéra de Lyon