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To start this walk, if you’re coming by car, you can park on Quai Jean Jacques Rousseau, on the right bank of the Saône, in the municipality of La Mulatière, on the edge of Lyon. The advantage is that parking is free... However, it is possible and even recommended to start from the Saint-Georges district of Lyon, near the Vieux Lyon metro station. This will save you 3 km. The start and finish of this route is Quai Jean Jacques Rousseau.
(S/E) Start from Quai Jean Jacques Rousseau, heading towards Vieux Lyon. This quay becomes Quai des Étroits and then Quai Fulchiron at the Kitchener Bridges and the Fourvière Tunnel motorway viaduct.
(1) At the Voies Navigables de France (VNF) building on your left, turn left up Rue Saint-Georges, continuing towards Vieux Lyon.
(2) At Saint-Georges Church, take Montée des Épies on the left and its steps up to Montée du Gourguillon. Take the latter on the left, which ends in steps, and arrive at Rue des Farges. Continue straight up this street until you find Place de l’Abbé Larue on the left, at the corner of a bakery.
(3) Walk down this square to reach the famous Jardin des Curiosités. Take a moment to admire the beautiful view of Lyon in this often very peaceful spot, far from the crowds.
(4) Leave the Jardin des Curiosités and head back the way you came, walking up Place de l’Abbé Larue to Rue des Farges.
(3) Cross this street and take the stairs of the Montée du Télégraphe, opposite. Continue to the top corner of the Albert Camus Primary School.
(5) Turn right and go through the gate leading to the Fourvière Hotel. Walk along the left-hand side of the Parc de la Visitation, then turn right after the hotel to join Allée Lucius Munatis Plancus. Head towards the Gallo-Roman Theatre at Fourvière and cross it at the top, taking care to admire this magnificent relic of the era. Walk to the left of the museum library and you will reach a crossroads.
(6) Follow Rue Roger Radisson to the basilica and the summit of Fourvière, near the Fourvière funicular metro station.
(7) Head towards the basilica and walk along the left-hand side of the building to enjoy the stunning view over Lyon. Then take the time to visit the basilica.
On leaving the basilica, turn right and walk along the right-hand side. Head down towards Vieux Lyon via the Jardins du Rosaire. Reach Montée Saint-Barthélémy at number 40 and walk down it. Pass the Villa Florentine and then the restaurant Les Terrasses de Lyon, and look out for the stairs on the right, at the corner of No. 23, which lead down Montée du Garillan. Walk down to the Charvet Clock, at the junction with Place du Petit Collège.
(8) Turn right towards Saint-Jean Cathedral, continue along Rue du Bœuf, passing the Cour des Loges and La Tour Rose. Continue straight on along Rue Tramassac, then turn left onto Rue de La Brèche and arrive at Place Saint-Jean.
(9) Visit Saint-Jean Cathedral, then, upon exiting, turn left and take the Vieux Lyon-Saint-Jean Cathedral funicular at the start of Rue du Doyenné, heading towards Fourvière. Alternatively, you can skip the funicular and walk back up to the basilica via the reverse route...
(7) On arrival at the funicular station, facing the basilica, continue left, and, at the corner of Place de Fourvière, turn left onto Montée Nicolas de Lange. Before reaching the metal tower of Fourvière, a small replica of the Eiffel Tower, turn left into the Parc des Hauteurs and follow the Chemin du Viaduc. Cross the Passerelle des Quatre Vents and arrive at the Piste de la Sarra, a former ski slope (!).
(10) Go down the steps to the right of this track, through the woods, until you reach a side street. Opposite No. 30, turn right (Rue de Montauban), then, at No. 20, head down to the left, Montée de la Chana, to reach the Saône and Quai Pierre Scize. Continue to the right to cross the river via the Passerelle de l’Homme de la Roche and head towards the Croix Rousse hill.
(11) At the end of the footbridge, turn right onto Quai Saint-Vincent and follow the left bank of the Saône. Continue to Rue de la Martinière, turn left onto it and you will immediately arrive at the foot of the Fresque des Lyonnais.
(12) After admiring this mural, which depicts some of Lyon’s famous figures, carry on and turn left onto Place Saint-Vincent, then right onto Rue Sergent Blandan to reach Place Sathonay with its many bars and restaurants. Turn left, cross the square and climb the steps opposite, Montée de l’Amphithéâtre. Cross Rue du Jardin des Plantes, then take the stairs to reach Rue Burdeau.
(13) Walk up through the Jardin des Plantes to the junction (Rue des Tables Claudiennes). Take the left-hand lane of the street on the right and follow it up to Rue Neyret. Turn left and, at the Église Bon Pasteur, continue left onto Montée Neyret. At the end, at Rue Bon Pasteur, first turn left then right and take Montée du Lieutenant Allouche. At the left-hand bend, climb the steps opposite until you reach Rue Saint-François d’Assise. Continue straight on along this street until you reach Boulevard de la Croix Rousse.
(14) Take the boulevard to the right, then turn left onto Rue de la Terrasse, followed by Boulevard des Canuts. Walk to the junction with Rue Denfert Rochereau, where you can admire the magnificent Fresque des Canuts.
(15) Turn back and quickly take Rue Pelletier on the left. At the end, turn right onto Rue de Cuire, then left onto Rue Victor Fort to reach Place de la Croix Rousse.
(16) Cross the square and continue left, back onto Boulevard de la Croix Rousse, and enter Parc du Cros Cailloux. Walk through the park to reach the famous “big boulder”. It is said to have been carried here by the glacier which, in its heyday, stretched from Chamonix and the Mer de Glace all the way to Lyon! Leave the park via the steps and continue downhill along Rue Mottet de Gérando. Cross Place Colbert as you head downhill and look for number 9.
(17) Go through the gate and follow the descending passageway through the building to reach the Cour des Voraces. Then cross Rue Imbert Colomès and continue through the buildings again to reach Rue des Tables Claudiennes. Turn left, take the stairs and then head down Place Chardonnet to the left. Leave the square via Montée du Perron, first turn right then left onto Rue Burdeau, then turn left onto Passage Mermet, and walk down alongside Saint-Polycarpe Church to reach its forecourt.
(18) Continue left onto Rue de l'Abbé Rozier, heading towards Place du Forez, and reach it. Cross Rue des Capucins, and head opposite along Rue Saint-Polycarpe until you reach Rue Romarin. Take this street to the right and walk down to Place des Terreaux with the Bartholdi Fountain.
(19) The Bartholdi Fountain has been in several locations and was recently moved. The town hall is also worth a look. If possible, don’t miss the inner garden of the Museum of Fine Arts, which is free to enter.
Opposite the museum, take Rue Constantine on the right towards the Saône. Then turn right onto Rue Lanterne, then Rue de la Platrière, and head towards Quai de la Pêcherie.
(20) Continue left, following Quai Saint-Antoine along the left bank, then cross the Saône via the Pierre Truche footbridge, which will take you
(21) Opposite the Palais de Justice, first turn left then right, take Rue de la Bombarde, then turn left onto Rue Mandelot, then right onto Rue Saint-Étienne, arriving at Place Saint-Jean.
(9) Walk past the cathedral, head towards the funicular station entrance and turn left onto Avenue Adolphe Max. Then turn onto Rue Monseigneur Lavarenne and continue straight on to Place François Bertras and the forecourt of Saint-Georges Church.
(2) Continue along Rue Saint-Georges, then take Rue de la Quarantaine opposite and follow it to the end. Return along the same route as the outward journey along the banks of the Saône, via Quai des Étroits and then Quai Jean-Jacques Rousseau, to reach the starting point (S/E).
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