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The Fourvière hill, from Lugdunum to Lyon

Guided tours
The Fourvière hill, from Lugdunum to Lyon

Journey from Antiquity to the Renaissance.

The esplanade of Fourvière offers a magnificent uninterrupted view of Lyon. The basilica of Notre Dame, built at the end of the 19th century, is a real eye-catcher. Don’t walk by without taking a look inside, because the interior is just as remarkable as the outside.

Your walk then takes you down via the Roman theatres.

Do not forget that Lugdunum was founded on the hill of Fourvière in 43 BC.
At the bottom of the hill, the Renaissance town stretches out along the banks of the river Saône.


Worth knowing

  • Please ensure you arrive 10 minutes before the tour commences.
  • Booking is necessary.
  • Cancellation free of charge 72 hours before schedule activity.
  • Children and minors remain under the responsibility of their parents during this visit. The participation of an adult is mandatory for each reservation

The guides

Delphine Delphine

Hej, hallo, hello, bonjour I'm Delphine, one of the twenty or so lecturing guides that work for the Guides' Bureau.Our service is incredibly rich: we all have our own profiles, our own interests, our own areas of study and our own favourite type of public.

And we all have one thing in common: LYON

What I love is the variety of its districts and their architecture, the wealth and diversity of its history and the Men who built it, the beauty of its monuments, particularly the light reflected from the façades that border the Saône early in the morning or at the end of the day; it's a trip in itself!

So after language studies which took me to live in Denmark and Germany, I returned to Lyon to work as a guide to lift the veil on "Myrelingues la Brumeuse"* and to share my enthusiasm with you who have come here to discover it or immerse yourself in it. (*title of a book by Claude le Marguet, set in 1536 in Lyon)

Paa gensyn, bis bald, see you soon, à bientôt !

Laurence Laurence

All I need is a sturdy pair of shoes and a good hat, and I'm ready to take you on a "voyage through our city" I'll be delighted to take you on a discovery tour of our "landmark" sights as well as my own favourites.

In other words, I'd like to help you gain insight into the soul of our city! And on the way, I'll tell you all about the history and art of our UNESCO-listed capital.

Jérôme Jérôme

During tours, people often ask me if I'm a student. I'm too old for that. I'm a historian without the qualifications. I'm an architect without the diploma. But I was born in Lyon, and I enjoy helping members of the public discover this city which is a lot more than just a row of lovely façades.

You have to get a feel for the substance of the past, the depth of roots, the art of construction, the relation with light, the appeal of good food, one's relationship with a site, and the diversity of the different areas.

What you see counts of course, but as far as I'm concerned, a tour is only successful when people have had a good time, when I've managed, throughout the tour, to take them behind the scenes, to give them a sense of how people lived in those days and how we live in the city today.

I'm often delighted to hear people say they want to come back and spend more time here.

Anne Anne

I started out by working as a lecturing guide for a travel agency for 7 years. Then I decided to settle permanently and resumed my initial job as a guide in my hometown.

I have a passion for History, and the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in particular, and the history of art, and therefore particularly enjoy being in this city which boasts several centuries of history.

I love good food, and really blossom in this capital of gastronomy, where good food is part of local culture. So I quite naturally took an interest in the history of food and chefs.

So many passions I intend to share with you during your next visit.

Kind regards from Lyon!

Claude Claude

Lyon adopted me 34 years ago and I love it!

Studying languages and the history of art as well as having a passion for history determined my career as a lecturing guide.

Although I moved to Lyon by chance, I must admit I love this city and feel happy here!

I love Lyon for its past and present that combine and merge in the melting pot of history, and are also apparent in its incredible vitality that many city's envy!

I adore the uniqueness of Lyon… its glorious Roman past which archaeologists never tire of revisiting, as well as Vieux-Lyon, its Renaissance area (second only to Venice) and its secret and mysterious traboules.

My love for Lyon also resides in my love of food, as this world capital of gastronomy boasts a record of one restaurant for 294 people!

I love Lyon for its culture, its biennials and its museums which are the stuff dreams are made of!

So many reasons that explain why I'm so very attached to Lyon and wouldn't leave it for an empire..., as far as I'm concerned, it's ONLY LYON!

Claire Claire

I was born in the north of France and decided to come to Lyon about fifteen years ago to finish my studies… and I've been here ever since!

My interest in foreign languages and heritage led me to study for a lecturing guide diploma prior to branching out to accompany groups in France and abroad

Having starting out in Bourgogne, I now work as a guide in Lyon and the surrounding area (Vienne, Beaujolais, southern Bourgogne, Pérouges).

What I still really enjoy about this job are the human encounters and the wide variety of themes broached. It's never boring!

My favourite place in Lyon: Les Jardins du Rosaire… an absolute must!

Magali Magali

The decision to change my choice of studies to the History of Art at university, then to attend the School of Art and Communication was an obvious choice.

I completed by studies with a diploma to be a lecturing guide, which is an essential prerequisite when training to be a guide…

Having always lived between Rhône and Saône, I love travelling the length and breadth of Lyon. With each new viewpoint, I add new touches to my internal painting of its landscape.

In a city that lies at the crossroads of so many different influences, I never tire of going from one area to another, experiencing the change of century, architecture and atmosphere.

Discovering Lyon, is also about meeting the locals, past and present, that have marked the city, and to whom we owe our heritage, our particular characteristics, our "lyonnitude".

Bénédicte Bénédicte

My tours invite you to view the city like a tightrope walker balancing between light-heartedness and knowledge, gastronomy and architecture, silk and alchemy, football and botany, cinema and historic periods... And many other subjects that are the essence of Lyon.

Although I'm interested in the world in general, I chose to return to the city where I grew up, not to work but to pursue a passion: guiding visitors through Lyon, my home town. I will take you on a trip through time, from past to future, in a city where you can never be bored, and where there's something of interest for every generation. .

So if you want to discover the different areas in Lyon like a real little "gone" (street urchin), don't hesitate to follow me! I've worn out many pairs of trainers in the traboules and on the slopes of the three hills, I'm acquainted with Guignol's entire repertoire, and know where you can enjoy the best mâchons.

If you're interested, I'll be waiting under the horse's tail!

As low as €16.00

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Location
& practical information

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Duration

1h45 visit

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Type

Guided tour on foot

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Prices

Adults

€16.00

From 8 to 18 & students

€11.00

Children under 8

Free

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Meeting place

In front of the statue of Pope John-Paul II, near to the Basilica - Lyon 5th

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Access

Funicular > Fourvière

This tour is available for groups

More than 70 guided tour themes, in 9 languages, 30 passionate guides: the most complete offer in Lyon!

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