Neighborhoods in Lyon

Vieux Lyon is one of the largest intact Renaissance urban areas in Europe, stretching along the west bank of the Saône at the foot of Fourvière hill. Its narrow, cobblestoned streets are packed with 15th- and 16th-century townhouses, hidden courtyards, and the famous covered passageways known as traboules.

La Croix-Rousse is Lyon's bohemian hilltop neighborhood, historically the center of the city's silk-weaving industry and today a vibrant mix of artists' studios, independent boutiques, organic food shops, and street art. Its steep slopes and hidden traboules give it a village-within-a-city atmosphere.

The Presqu'île is the narrow peninsula of land between the Rhône and Saône rivers that forms Lyon's commercial and social heart. Stretching from Place Bellecour north to Place des Terreaux, it concentrates the city's grandest squares, finest shopping streets, and most elegant Haussmann-era architecture.

The Confluence district is Lyon's boldest urban renewal project — a former industrial wasteland at the southern tip of the Presqu'île, where the Rhône and Saône rivers merge. Entirely redeveloped since 2003, it is now a showcase of contemporary architecture, sustainable design, and waterfront living.