Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière sits high atop Fourvière, the steep hill on Lyon’s west side. It’s nicknamed the “upside down elephant.” Fourvière Hill was where the Romans first settled and established a Roman forum and temple. In the 12th century, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary was built on the hill. In the…
On our walk back downhill from the basilica, we came upon Les Théåtres Romains. It turns out Lyon’s Roman theater is the oldest in France, dating from 17 BC. When Augustus commissioned the theatre, which would serve as the community’s social center, it was only fitting to erect it on the highest hill, Fourvière, where…
Lyon’s most unique feature is its intricate system of passageways. Over 300 taboules, or secret passages, run through apartment blocks into sunny courtyards and dark alleyways and underground. Some date from Roman times, but most were constructed by silk weavers in the 19th century to transport the delicate material in inclement weather. They ended up…
France’s third-largest city feels like a combination of a lesser (of course!) Paris and an Eastern European city like Prague. Two rivers flow through the city, which contributes to the slightly schizophrenic feel. The easternmost river, La Rhône, is lined neatly with grand, classic buildings while the westernmost river, La Saône, is flanked by the…