Heritage, visit, Cities and villages dans le RhôneLyonVisite.org Ville 69001 Lyon (Rhône)Lyon has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1998, and is now ranked alongside some of Europe’s greatest cites although it retains all the charm of a French town. Carefully guarding its reputation as a very private city, Lyon discreetly joined the echelons of such beautiful urban sites as Venice, Prague, St-Petersburg and Porto. Lyon has restored its old quarters, repainted and lit up its buildings, retained its works of art and preserved its heritage: silk, printing, films, cars... Lyon has brought new life to its squares using the magic of water and has improved on its green spaces and flowered areas. The city has called upon the talents of some of the greatest architects in the world to build new districts, such as the Cité Internationale, Gerland and sometime soon the “Confluence” where the rivers Rhône and Saône meet. The legacy of great Florentine families in the 16th C, the Vieux Lyon proudly shows off its Renaissance buildings and reveals its “traboules” (narrow passages between streets). The Fourvière hill, with its Basilica, offers a stunning view as far as the Alps . Ancient theatres (1st C) and the Musée de la Civilisation Gallo-romaine together with the site at St-Romain-en-Gal form one of France ’s most significant archeological sites. The elegant boutiques in the “Presqu’île” district easily rival those in major capital cities. Twenty four musems, including the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the Musée des Tissus and the Musée d’Art Contemporain located between the Cité Internationale and the Parc de la Tête d’Or, provide an impressive cultural itinerary. For an insight into how the silk weavers lived you have to clamber up to the Croix-Rousse, Lyon ’s other hill. The Orchestre National de Lyon at the Auditorium and the Orchestre de Lyon based at the Opera house perform throughout all the major capital cities. Lyon ’s Biennale d’Art Contemporain and the dance festival which alternates with it both attract visitors from across the globle. In the summer the city enjoys the Nuits de Fourvière, whereas the traditional Fête des Lumières on 8th December brings sparkle to the winter months.
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