Information about Lyon France
Rating: 7,7/10 (606 votes)  TourismLyon is one of the oldest cities in France, founded by the Romans. For almost two millennia of its history, the city has witnessed many historical events, a number of iconic rulers of Rome and France visited this city, and this is reflected in the architecture of the historical part of Lyon. Detailed excursions can take several days here, thanks to the huge number of attractions, including those included by UNESCO in its list of World Heritage of Humanity. In addition, Lyon is very often the starting point for a popular place winter tourism - the French Alps.  AttractionsMost excursions in Lyon begin with a visit to the Ancient Ruins. During the rule of Rome, the buildings that have survived now marked the center of the city. Now, little is left of the majestic structures of the ancient period, but even the ruins are able to say about the great importance of the city for the Roman Empire. Popular for excursions are two amphitheaters, which have a diametrically opposite history, according to the surviving documents. One theater was used for staging comedies and tragedies, while the other was an analogue of the Colosseum - bloody shows were staged here, including the murder and torture of the first Christians. The symbol of the historical part of Lyon, as well as the oldest of the major temples of the city is Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. This shrine began to be built back in the XII century, but the construction was finally completed only by the end of the XV century. For this reason, the main temple of Lyon has a somewhat eclectic style - the first elements, standing as close as possible to the banks of the Saone, illustrate the Romanesque style, while the rest of the temple is a vivid example of Gothic. A visit to the cathedral is worth at least one of the wonders of Lyon - the very first astronomical clock that appeared in France. Created in the XIV century, they still work and 4 times a day include a fight, accompanied by the movement of mechanical puppets. Museum of Fine Arts Lyon is the largest exhibition hall in the city. The five-storey building of the strict style of the late 19th century houses thousands of exhibits reflecting the fine arts in its historical development. The first rooms are dedicated to the art of the Ancient World, and not only to the Roman one, but also Greek and Egyptian. The last rooms, located on the upper floors, display painting, sculpture and applied art of the 20th century and the present. Among the exhibits of the museum are the most valuable originals of the Renaissance masters, as well as a collection of paintings by French Impressionists. For guests who want to get to know the history of Lyon more fully, it is recommended to visit City Hall. It was built in the 17th century not by anyone, but by the court architect of King Louis XIV. The Town Hall is the clearest example of the Baroque style, both in terms of its facade and interior decoration. Once inside, you can see a unique painted ceiling and walls, as well as many valuable examples of painting and sculpture. The Museum of Modern Art appeared in Lyon in 1984. A seemingly unremarkable building, standing on the banks of the Rhone, contains the most unusual and promising exhibitions of contemporary representatives of various trends in art. Monthly exhibitions, installations and thematic lectures cover the most relevant topics of French and European art. Unusual and somewhat interesting is the Lumiere Brothers Museum. The founders of the cinema are buried in Lyon, here they had a factory where their first film was shot, and many inventions were made. The exposition of the museum is devoted to both the life of the famous brothers-inventors and the history of the birth of cinema. Another unusual museum is the Museum of Mechanical Dolls. The prehistory of the appearance of this exhibition refers visitors to the past centuries, when any self-respecting store necessarily had a moving doll, powered by an ingenious mechanism. By the middle of the 20th century, the need for such dolls fell sharply, but in order not to bury the good tradition of French shops, this museum was created. Currently, about 250 working dolls of various sizes are on display at the museum. The guides tell not only about the purpose of this or that doll, but also about the technology of its production. The largest city park in France is also located in Lyon. It is called Golden Head Park and stretches over 117 hectares. There is also a small golf course, a lake, and even its own mini-zoo. Rowing boats regularly ride on the lake in the summer, which are often rented by tourists and Lyon residents. and some of the footpaths are converted into horse riding areas. In addition, the park has a botanical garden, the greenhouses of which accommodate more than 15 thousand varieties of plants from all over the world.  SHOW YET We also recommend reading Geography and Climate in Lille Topic: Information about Lyon France. |
