Vieux-Lyon

Background

Vieux-Lyon lies on the west bank of the Saône at the foot of Fourvière hill, and preserves medieval lanes and a large number of Renaissance houses. It is part of the “Historic Site of Lyon”, inscribed by UNESCO in 1998; this World Heritage site also includes areas such as the Presqu'île and the slopes of the Croix-Rousse, so the whole site should not be treated as a single street in Vieux-Lyon. The cathedral, merchants' mansions and traboules near Place Saint-Jean show river trade and the city's ways of living. A traboule is a passage through courtyards linking two streets; many courtyards are still lived in today, and which ones are open is decided by signs and management arrangements.

Local customs

• You can walk from Place Saint-Jean through the lanes towards the Saint-Paul or Saint-Georges quarters, looking out for doorways, courtyards and staircases from different periods. The open traboules are not public shopping arcades: keep your voice down, pass straight through, and do not linger outside residents' doors. Churches and shops in the quarter each have their own opening arrangements
• if you come across closed doors or private courtyards, do not push your way in.

Religion & beliefs

• Saint-Jean Cathedral in Vieux-Lyon is still a place of worship. Keep quiet when entering worship spaces and respect any ceremonies in progress
• the quarter itself is a residential area with no uniform religious entry requirements.

Travel tips

• To walk only Place Saint-Jean and the nearby lanes, allow about 45–60 minutes
• if you explore the Saint-Paul, Saint-Jean and Saint-Georges quarters in turn, adding open traboules and the riverbank, allow 1.5–2.5 hours. Vieux-Lyon is right next to the Vieux Lyon metro station and the lower station of the Fourvière funicular, and you can reach it on foot from the Presqu'île over the bridges across the Saône
• the old town has many cobbled streets and narrow lanes, so if you are pulling luggage or using a wheelchair, check an accessible route first. The quarter is an open urban space with no single ticket for the whole area
• individual museums, special areas of churches or guided tours may require separate tickets. Most traboules are inside private buildings
• even where opening agreements have been signed, access may change temporarily for maintenance, residents' activities or safety reasons, so follow the instructions on site when entering. You can split Vieux-Lyon and Fourvière hill into morning and afternoon, using the funicular to save climbing
• if you join a guided tour, book according to the actual meeting point and duration.