Keep exploring

As we make our way along this broad avenue, let me introduce you to some of Lyon’s other must-see attractions. Leave the Presqu’île behind and climb the steep slopes of Croix-Rousse, the hill “that works”. Here, in the historic district of Lyon’s silk weavers, you will find the Mur des Canuts — the Canuts Mural. Covering 1,200 square metres, this monumental trompe-l’œil is one of the largest murals of its kind in Europe. Artists update it regularly so that it continues to reflect the architectural and human evolution of the neighbourhood. A little further down the hill, the famous Cour des Voraces will impress you with its vast open-air stone staircase, which rises through six storeys. It became a powerful symbol of workers’ solidarity during the silk workers’ uprising of 1831. Many years later, it also served as a secret refuge for members of the French Resistance in Lyon. As you make your way back towards the banks of the Saône, take time to admire the Fresque des Lyonnais. This magnificent, enormous painted wall features thirty historical and contemporary figures associated with the city — from the Gallo-Roman Emperor Claudius to the celebrated chef Paul Bocuse. For a refreshing break surrounded by nature, head next to the Parc de la Tête d’Or. This 117-hectare park is one of Lyon’s great green lungs. It contains a sixteen-hectare lake, an exceptionally beautiful rose garden and a historic zoo that is completely free to visit. The park even has its own mysterious legend. It is said that Crusaders buried a precious treasure here, containing a head of Christ made from solid gold. People are supposedly still searching for it today.Perhaps you will be the one to strike it rich! Further south, where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet, the modern Confluence district reveals bold and striking futuristic architecture. Once an industrial area, the neighbourhood is now dominated by the Musée des Confluences, whose avant-garde glass-and-steel structure resembles a vast spaceship. Finally, visit the Institut Lumière in the Monplaisir district. It was here, among the family’s former workshops and inside their magnificent nineteenth-century villa, that the famous Lumière brothers invented the Cinématographe and screened the first film in history, in 1895.Enjoy the rest of your journey through Lyon — and the many secrets the city still has to reveal.