Traboules de la Croix-Rousse

Overview

The traboules of La Croix-Rousse are historically linked to the silk industry — canuts (silk workers) used these passageways to transport delicate fabrics between workshops and merchants without exposing them to rain. Over a dozen are open to the public on the Pentes (slopes) of the hill.

Highlights

• Cour des Voraces (9 place Colbert): The most spectacular traboule in Lyon — a monumental six-story staircase in an open courtyard, built by silk workers' cooperatives in the 1840s.
• Condition des Soies: A former silk-conditioning warehouse with a grand interior courtyard.
• Hidden Courtyards: The Croix-Rousse traboules tend to have larger, more industrial courtyards than their Vieux Lyon counterparts.

History

Unlike the Renaissance traboules of Vieux Lyon, the Croix-Rousse traboules date from the 18th and 19th centuries and reflect the industrial character of the silk-weaving quarter. During World War II, Resistance fighters used them extensively — La Croix-Rousse was a major hub of the Lyon Resistance, led by Jean Moulin.

Visitor Tips

• Cour des Voraces: Don't miss it — the staircase is one of the most photographed sites in Lyon.
• Tourist Office Guide: Pick up the free traboule map from the Croix-Rousse tourist kiosk on Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse.
• Duration: 45–60 minutes.