Discover Lyon City Centre

Lyon is a beautiful city home to districts with rich history and ancient structures. Today, we will explore Lyon’s majestic first district and discover the key features that make this area a must-see.

This magical city has many different parts, making it one of France’s most beautiful cities to visit. Go to the Terreaux Square, where people can admire the City Hall and the amazing Bartholdi’s Fontaine in the middle of the square. Discover the spectacular Lyon National Opera, among other hidden gems. We have picked some of our favourite sights in Lyon for your next big trip.

Wonders of the 1st Arrondissement

Knowing where to go in new cities can be difficult, but we have selected some of the best features and sights to see when visiting Lyon in the 1st arrondissement. An arrondissement translates, essentially, as a district, a common term for spaces within cities in France.

The Terreaux Square

Built in the 17th century, Terreaux Square has been at the political heart of Lyon for the last few centuries due to the construction of the City Hall right in the middle of it. It takes its name from the French “Les Terreaux”, which refers to the muddy ditches surrounding the city in the Middle Ages.

Today, it remains a culture centre for Lyon and hosts many concerts and performances. It is the central point of Lyon’s Festival of Lights each year.

The Town Hall, facing the square, was opened for purpose in 1672. It was partly destroyed by fire but was restored in the 19th century to be used as a town hall again. On the other side, alongside the square, the Palais Saint-Pierre was built on the site of an old abbey and has housed the Museum of Fine Arts since 1803.

Finally, the famous Bartholdi’s Fountain stands facing the Museum of Fine Arts. Terreaux Square is a very popular hangout spot with native Lyonnais and is lined with restaurants and terraces, where you can enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of coffee with friends in the summer.

Town Hall

The Town Hall is one of Lyon’s most remarkable structures, facing the Opera and overlooking the Terreaux square.

The city architect Simon Maupin built the Town Hall between 1646 and 1672. Due to the new town hall’s location, Terreaux Square became the administrative centre of Lyon.

A devastating fire in 1674 partly destroyed the town hall. Noting the lack of administrative facilities, the king of France, Louis XIV, called Jules Hardouin-Mansart to draw up new plans for the new Town Hall. The consulate hall was transformed into a revolutionary court during the French Revolution.

Tragedy struck again on 14 July 1803, when a second fire destroyed the building after being completely renovated under the Second Empire of France.

Today, the City Hall is home to the city council, which meets ten times a year.

Palais Saint-Pierre: A Museum Built into an Abbey

Saint-Pierre has been listed as a Historical Monument since May 28, 1927. Its facade and roofs were then classified as Historical Monuments on August 8, 1938. According to Ennemond, the Bishop of Lyon in the 7th century, the monastery of “Les Dames de Saint-Pierre” already existed since the 5th century.

Various evidence led archaeologists to conclude that the monastery’s foundation didn’t precede the Carolingian period. During the 14th century, life within the church changed, and nuns began to live within the community. The Sisters defied the norm by living outside the monastery, and the whole Chapter only met once a year outside religious calendar events.

In 1503, Louis XII and Queen Anne of Brittany were passing through Lyon and heard about this unusual behaviour exhibited by the Nuns. Angry at their findings, they ordered the Nuns to resume their religious life in the abbey and comply with the rule of Saint-Benoît.

Supported by their families, nuns called upon the Pope and expressed their discontentment before Queen Claude of France. The decision was then made to expel them and repopulate the abbey with more devoted sisters. Finally, in 1637, the abbey passed under the authority of the Archbishop of Lyon, and the abbesses were to be appointed by the king.

Not just a religious institution, the Bourse de Commerce moved there in 1801 and didn’t leave until 1860, when the Palais de la Bourse was built for them in that same year.

On a prefectural decree, a museum of fine arts in Lyon was installed in the former abbey in 1802, on the first floor of the south wing, in the area used to heat the abbey. The District Executive Board decided to make these buildings a place of conservation for paintings, medals, bronzes and other art monuments from those who fought in the French Revolution.

Today, this museum is where people can discover a huge myriad of artwork and antiques from ancient times to the present day. It is divided into five departments and seventy rooms. Visitors can experience over 5,000 years of history and art, covering an area of about 14,500 metres squared.

Opera of Lyon

The Opera of Lyon is one of the city’s most striking features. It truly displays Lyon’s heritage with modern architectural gestures.

In 1754, Jacques-Germain Soufflot, also the architect of the Pantheon, was entrusted with the project of creating a Grand Theatre. He created an oval performance hall with three balconies that can accommodate 2,000 seats.

In 1826, it was tragically ravaged by a fire. Not to be left, Antoine-Marie Chenavard and Jean-Marie Pollet, both architects, undertook to replace the building, and in 1831, a new opera with 1,800 seats was opened to the public.

In 1986, the architect Jean Nouvel entirely renovated the opera. He wanted to preserve only the original facade of the building and remove anything that was obstructing that heritage. He created eighteen floors: five in the basement, seven in the body of the building, and six in the glass roof.

The Opera’s dome also houses a work of art, painted by the artist Yann Kersalé. On performance evenings, the red lighting of the glass roof varies according to the number of visitors to the building.

Bartholdi’s Fountain

Classified as a historical monument, Bartholdi’s Fountain, built in the 19th century, symbolizes France (Mariane) and its four tributaries (horses). It was created by the sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and shown to the public in 1892.

Originally ordered by the city of Bordeaux, it represented the “victorious tank of the Garonne.” Once completed, the council of Bordeaux found it too expensive for their budget, so it was acquired by the city of Lyon when it was presented at the Universal Exhibition of 1889.

This fountain consists of 21 tonnes of lead and iron. It is 9 meters long, 4.85 meters high, and 15 meters wide in diameter.

Jacobins Square

A stone’s throw from Bellecour Square, Jacobins Square is one of the most beautiful spaces in Lyon. UNESCO considers it a World Heritage site, and it is surrounded by bars, restaurants, and shops.

Jacobins Square extends over the former Convent of the Jacobins, which was destroyed in 1808. It owes its name to the religious order of the Jacobins, otherwise known as the  Preacher Brothers, who were in the Order of St. Dominic. They occupied the building before it was destroyed.

The fountain, carved from white marble, stands in the centre of the square. It was designed by the architect Gaspard André in 1885. Built to celebrate famous Lyonnais artists, it features the architect Philibert Delorme, the sculptor Guillaume Coustou, the engraver artist Gérard Audran, and the painter Hippolyte Flandrin.

Today, people can enjoy a coffee on a terrace with a view of this fantastic fountain.

Bellecour Square

Bellecour Square is the most crucial square in Lyon and the fourth most prominent square in France. It is 310 by 200 meters, or about 62,000 square meters, and it is also the largest pedestrian square in Europe.

Due to the large bronze statue of Louis XI in the centre of the square, it is also known as Louis-le-Grand Square, Federation Square, The Equality Square, Royal Square, and finally, Bonaparte or even Bella Curtis Square—just a few names to say the least.

During the Revolution, the square was known as the Federation Square. A guillotine was installed there in 1792, but by 1793, the Royal statue was destroyed, and the Square became the Equality Square. At the end of June 1800, Bonaparte passed through Lyon after his victory at Marengo and laid the foundation stone for new buildings. This prompted the change of the name Bonaparte Square, which later became Napoléon Square.

It then became Louis-le-Grand Square again until 1830, when it was decorated with a new statue of Louis XIV. Made by the sculptor Lemot, it was unveiled in November 1825. It was only under the Third Republic that the square took its current name of Bellecour Square

As the main square of Lyon, everyone recognizes and defines Lyon through this stunning place. It is one of the first places every visitor will explore when they arrive in the city of Lyon.

Our Local Tip for Visiting Lyon

If visiting during the summer, head towards Terreaux Square in the evening, enter a random bar, order a coffee, and sit on a terrace next to Bartholdi’s Fountain. Enjoy the bustling people, the trickling fountain, the dimmed lights, and your coffee!