Quartiers et traboules à Lyon

This walk starts at the Minimes funicular station. To get there, go to Place Bellecour, either by car (parking is available near Place Bellecour) or by public transport (metro lines A or D, or bus). Then take the metro at Bellecour, line D towards Vaise station. Get off at the first stop (Vieux Lyon). Take the funicular, Saint-Just line, and get off at the first stop (Minimes, Théâtres Romains).

(S) When you exit the funicular at Place des Minimes, take the street on the left and continue straight ahead, go up Rue des Farges and at the traffic lights, turn left onto Place de l'Abbé Larue. Go to the bottom of the square and enter the Jardin des Curiosités. Enjoy the magnificent view of Lyon.

(1) Leave the garden by going up Place de l'Abbé Larue. Opposite, next to the traffic lights, take the steps and Montée du Télégraphe. After passing the École Albert Camus, turn right through a small (open) gate to enter Parc de la Visitation. Go around the hotel and continue along the path that leads to the Roman Theatre site.

(2) Go to the top of the small theatre on the right, then descend to the bottom. Then pass below the large theatre, cross the gardens on your right and opposite the theatre, then turn left and right again. Take Rue de l'Antiquaille on the left, then go up to the corner of Place de l'Antiquaille and Rue Cléberg. Enter the Jardin du Rosaire on the right and follow the path. Do not take the first two paths on the left; stay on the main path. Further on, take the stairs on the left that lead up to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière.

(3) Cross the park alongside the basilica and turn right onto Montée Nicolas de Lange. Go around the metal tower (mini Eiffel Tower) and go down the steps of Montée Nicolas de Lange. At the bottom of the steps, turn left onto Chemin de Montauban

(4) Take the passageway that descends to the right, just before 20 Rue de Montauban. At the bottom of the passage, follow Quai de Pierre Scize to the right. Take the Passerelle de l'Homme de la Roche to the left, which crosses the Saône. At the end of the footbridge, turn right and go down to the banks of the Saône. Walk along the quay and go back up just before the next footbridge (Passerelle Saint-Vincent). Cross opposite the footbridge and look at the back of the building on your left to see the trompe-l'oeil "La Fresque des Lyonnais". Continue straight ahead and turn right onto Rue Sergent Blandan. Turn left and cross Place Santonay. Continue straight ahead up the stairs to the Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls.

(5) To the right of the amphitheatre, take the stairs up Rue des Tables Claudiennes. Turn right, then left onto Montée de la Grande Côte. When you reach the terrace, continue straight ahead along Rue des Pierres Blanches until you reach Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse.

(6) Turn right and cross the Parc du Gros Cailloux. At the end of the park (on the left), go down the steps. At the bottom of the steps, take the^second alley on the right (horizontal). At the end of the alley, go down the steps onto Rue Mottet de Gerando. Take the street on the right. Go around Place Colbert.

(7) At the bottom of the square, enter No. 9 Place Colbert to cross the traboule of the Cour des Voraces. Cross the courtyard, go down the steps and exit the building on the right. Then take the wide passage that leads to Rue Imbert Colomès. Turn right, then left onto Rue Pouteau, then take the second left onto Rue Burdeau.

(8) At No. 30Bis, enter this traboule, which joins Passage Thiaffait and exits onto Rue René Leynaud. Turn right and enter the traboule at No. 6 Rue René Leynaud, which crosses two courtyards and exits onto Rue des Capucins. Turn right, then immediately left onto Place des Capucins. Cross the square and go down Rue Sainte-Marie-des-Terreaux. Continue straight ahead to Place des Terreaux. Admire the Bartholdi Fountain. To the right of the square is the Museum of Fine Arts and opposite is Lyon City Hall.

(9) Walk along the left side of the Town Hall, taking Rue du Puits Gaillot. Behind it is the Opera House. Cross Place Louis Pradel diagonally, then cross the Rhône via Pont Morand.

(10) At the end of the bridge, go down to the banks of the Rhône on the right and walk along them to the first footbridge, Passerelle du Collège. Take this footbridge to cross to the other side. Cross Quai Jean Moulin and take Passage Menestrier opposite. Exit on the right onto Rue de la Bourse. Take the second street on the left, Rue du Bât-d'Argent. Go straight ahead to Rue du Plâtre, which is opposite the junction with Rue du Président Édouard Herriot.

(11) Enter No. 8 Rue du Plâtre, cross another traboule, pass the shopping arcade, then continue past the restaurant and straight on to Rue Longue. Turn right, then left onto Rue Pleney. Turn right onto Rue de la Fromagerie, then left onto Place Saint-Nizier. Continue along Rue de Brest and take the^second right onto Rue Grenette. Follow Quai Saint-Antoine to the left, then go to Rue du Petit David. Turn left, then left again into Rue de la Monnaie, then left into Rue Mercière. Take the^first right, Rue Tupin, and go straight on until you reach Rue de la République.

(12) Take this wide street on the right, cross Place de la République and continue to Place Bellecour. Turn left onto Rue de la Barre, then take^{the second} right when you reach Quai Gailleton, and turn right again to cross Place Antonin Poncet. Continue to Place Bellecour, which will be the end of this walk, but not just yet.

(E) Towards the middle of the square, turn left onto Rue Victor Hugo. Continue along this street until you reach Place Carnot.

(13) Walk through the gardens and return to the beginning of the square to turn left onto Rue de Condé. Then take^{the first} right onto Rue d'Enghien, then^{the third} left, going around the town hall of^{the 2nd} arrondissement. Take the^first small street on the right, which leads to Place de l'Eglise Saint-Martin-d'Ainay. Turn left onto the square and continue straight ahead, passing under the Ainay archway. Walk along the banks of the Saône on the right (left bank) until you reach the Paul Couturier footbridge.

(14) Cross the footbridge to reach the Vieux-Lyon district. Continue straight ahead, going around the church. On the right-hand side of the church, take Rue du Doyenné, then Avenue du Doyenné. Cross Place St-Jean, then go around Saint-Jean Cathedral via Rue Saint-Étienne and Rue Mandelot. Turn right onto Rue de la Bombarde, passing in front of the Palais de Justice.

(15) Turn left onto Rue du Palais de Justice and take^{the second} right onto Rue Saint-Jean. Continue along the street and take the^third left onto Rue de la Fronde. At the end of the street, take the stairs next to the Gadagne Museum, Montée du Garillan. At the top of the stairs, turn right onto Montée St-Barthélémy. Take the stairs down on the right, just after No. 13. At the bottom of the stairs, turn left onto Rue Juiverie. At the end of the street, you will be at Place de la Gare Saint-Paul.

(16) Turn right twice, then leave Rue François Vernay and follow a small street on the right, Rue Lainerie. Take the^first left, Place du Change. Turn right onto Quai Romain Rolland. Continue along the quay to the Palais de Justice.

(15) Turn left onto Passerelle du Palais de Justice. At the end of the footbridge, cross the quay and continue straight ahead onto Rue de l'Ancienne Préfecture. Cross diagonally across Place des Jacobins and its pretty fountain, then turn onto Rue du Président Édouard Herriot at the opposite corner. Continue straight ahead to return to Place Bellecour, which now marks the end of the route (E).

This is a city route. No special equipment is required. However, good walking shoes are always recommended for comfort.
There are numerous services and shops along the route or nearby.

There are a thousand things to do or see on the trail or nearby. Among other things, these:

(1) The garden of curiosities. Exceptional views of Lyon. Don't forget your camera.

(2) The Roman theatres

(3) The Basilica of Fourvière

Between (4) and (5), walk past this building with its trompe-l'oeil façade:

(9) Place des Terreaux. See Bartholdi's magnificent fountain in the square and, around the square, the Museum of Fine Arts and Lyon City Hall.