Confluence district of Lyon

Start: Place Carnot, Lyon's 1st arrondissement

(S/E) From Place Carnot (Lyon's 1st arrondissement), head toward Perrache Railway Station and turn left in front of it, Cours de Verdun Récamier. Cross the bridge (Pont Galliéni) over the Rhône River and, on the other side, turn left down the riverbank.

(1) Turn left onto the promenade, and continue straight ahead, with the Rhône River on your right. About 2 Km further on, pass under the bridge (Pont Pasteur), then walk back up to reach the bridge (Pont Raymond Barre), where you will find a tramline, cycle path, and pedestrian walkway.

(2) Cross the Rhône River and, on the other side, turn left between the Musée des Confluences (museum) and the river. Continue along the Rhône until you reach the confluence with the Saône River, the tip of the peninsula.

(3) Head North again along the Saône River, on a gravel path that widens out and becomes concrete. Pass under the A7 motorway and reach the Green Cube, which marks the start of the Architects' District.

(4) Continue straight ahead between buildings and moored barges. Pass the old sugar mill, then the Orange Cube, to reach the first pond on the right. At the second pond, turn right towards the large wooden building (shopping center) and join the footbridge.

(5) Take the footbridge to cross the Place Nautique and, on the other side, turn left along the garden (Jardin Aquatique) to get closer to the Saône River. Turn right to continue along the river on your left. Further on, pass under the railway bridge, under the A7 motorway and under the Kitchener-Marchand bridge. Go back up to Quai Maréchal Joffre.

(6) Cross the road and turn right into the street (Rue de Condé). Go straight on to find Place Carnot (S/E).

Start: Place Carnot, Lyon's 1st arrondissement

Transport: Place Carnot is located at the north exit of the Perrache SNCF train station. It can be reached by public transport (Perrache station): metro line A and streetcar lines T1 and T2. See Lyon metro-tram map.

A shuttle bus Vaporetto runs from the Presqu'île to the shopping center via the Saône.

Note: The duration of this tour does not include a visit to the museum or the shopping center.

Photo album here

Confluence of the Rhône and Saône. The Rhône, 812km long, rises in Switzerland and flows into the Mediterranean after irrigating the Camargue. The Saône, 480km long, rises in the Monts Faucilles in the Vosges.

The Confluence district: Until 2009, the district was mainly occupied by the national-interest market, known as the Perrache station-market, and by wasteland on the site of a former marshalling yard, all of which was then vacated to make way for the Confluence project. There's also a former industrial port, Port Rambaud, along the Saône, and former warehouses including La Sucrière, a building that regularly hosts events such as the Biennale d'art contemporain.

Un atelier d'architectes. From the most extravagant to the most discreet, from housing to museums, the buildings of Confluence are now a must-see in Lyon.

Le Musée des Confluences. The Musée des Confluences is a museum of natural history, anthropology, societies and civilizations located in Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. Heir to the Musée d'histoire naturelle Guimet de Lyon, it is housed in a deconstructivist-style building designed by the Coop Himmelb architectural firm in 2014. The permanent tour tells the great story of humanity in four distinct exhibitions. They describe and present the question of humanity's origins and future, the diversity of cultures and civilizations, and the place of human beings in the chain of life.

The barges moored to the quays of the Rhône and Saône rivers are often private homes (some of them are used as bed & breakfasts), but there are also a number of bars and restaurants.

On the other side of the Saône, on the slopes of Sainte-Foy, note the beautiful old houses.

Large climbing wall mur d'escalade in the Confluence shopping center.

On the walk along the Saône, you may see the driverless shuttle Navly.