Emblematic districts of Lyon
Place Bellecour
Located about ten minutes walk from the hotel, Place Bellecour marks the center of the peninsula.
It is the largest square in Lyon and the largest pedestrian square in Europe.
From Place Bellecour, you can easily walk to the old town of Lyon, or shop in the many commercial streets adjacent to the square.
To get there from the hotel, go through the antique shops district (rue Auguste Comte and rue de la Charité), a concentration of small ready-to-wear boutiques, famous Lyon decoration and design brands!
The old Lyon
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Old Lyon district is a must-see during your stay in Lyon.
Only a 10-minute walk from the hotel, you'll quickly find yourself wandering through its maze of cobblestone streets, with the imposing Saint-Jean cathedral, its souvenir stores, its Lyonnais bouchons and its medieval / renaissance architecture.
Old Lyon is home to 4 museums: the museum of automatons of Old Lyon, the museum of miniatures and film sets, the Gadagne museum and the small museum of Guignol, Lyon's emblematic character.
The traboules of Old Lyon
A specificity of Lyon, the traboules are secret passages through buildings that allow you to join parallel streets... There are several hundred of them in Lyon.
We point you to the ones not to be missed: the long traboule which connects the 27 rue du Bœuf and the 54 rue Saint-Jean as well as the traboule of the n°16 rue du Bœuf, which takes you to an inner courtyard in which you can admire the Pink Tower and the door of the house of the Screen.
Basilica of Fourvière
The Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière Basilica is the most visited monument in Lyon.
This religious building of neo-gothic style is accessible on foot for the most courageous or by the funicular, which starts less than 15 minutes walk from the hotel, in the old Lyon.
The virgin that dominates the hill was created by the sculptor Joseph-Hugues Fabisch, who also created the bas-reliefs of Benedictine monks and statues that can be admired on the façade of the Hôtel de l'Abbaye.
From the esplanade, you can admire a magnificent panorama of the entire city, and even see Mont Blanc when the weather permits.
Once up there, take the opportunity to walk in the surroundings, in particular towards the Parc des Hauteurs via the footbridge of the four winds or a little further down towards the Gallo-Roman amphitheaters of Fourvière.
Place des Terreaux
Located about 20 minutes walk from the hotel, the Place des Terreaux is considered by the people of Lyon as the most beautiful square in Lyon.
It was arranged in 1994 by the artist Daniel Buren and the architect Christian Drevet, it counts 68 fountains!
You will first be subjugated by its majestic fountain, work of the sculptor Bartholdi, to whom we owe the Statue of Liberty in New York. Then the City Hall, a magnificent building where the city hall of Lyon is located. And finally, the Palais Saint-Pierre which houses the Lyon Fine Arts Museum.
Take the opportunity to have a look at the Opera of Lyon, located near the Place des Terreaux.
Confluence
South of the Perrache train station, located 8 minutes walk from the hotel, is the Confluence district.
This is the area of Lyon that has been most changed in the last 10 years, with the aim of developing a new, more ecological urban area.
The spots not to be missed: the nautical bay, the docks, the sugar factory and the Confluences museum, from where you can enjoy a nice view of Lyon from the museum's terraces.
If you are interested in modern architecture, you can also, while walking in the district, admire the Ycone building by Jean Nouvel, the orange cube, the Pavillon 52, the Monolithe...
Finally, the Confluence district could be ideal for a family getaway with its circus and its funfair at the Quai Perrache.
