30 Interesting Facts About Lyon, France

Facts on Lyon to Learn All About It

Ready to learn all about Lyon?

Facts are one of the best ways to learn more about something, and I personally love to read them! I’ve put together for you quite a bit of Lyon France facts; I’ve split them in 4 categories:

• The best Lyon facts
• Fun facts about Lyon
• Lyon facts for kids
• General facts of Lyon

Let’s dive in straight away with our first category!👇

The Best Lyon Facts

This first part is going to be about the general best Lyon facts France. I have 18 of them, let’s go! 🔥

1. In Lyon, there is a museum that looks like a spaceship

The Musée des Confluences is located where both Lyon’s major rivers (Rhône and Saône) meet, hence its name. It is a futuristic building that looks like a spaceship, and that was built according to the Coop Himmelblau agency in 2014.

It is about natural history, societies and civilizations, with miscellaneous yet equally amazing collections. Definitely a must-do in any Lyon itinerary!

2. The women football team is even more successful than the men’s

You might have heard of the “Olympique Lyonnais”, one of France’s major football teams historically. During the 2000s, it won 7 consecutive titles, which is still to this day a French record.

However, the women’s team is even more impressive: they have been French champions for the past 13 years, as well as 6 times European champions!

3. Lyon is the best city for gastronomy in France

That’s right, Lyon is the capital of gastronomy in France, which is arguably the capital of gastronomy in the world. Can we say Lyon is the worldwide capital of food now?

From high-standard gastronomy (with Paul Bocuse’s restaurant) to traditional cuisine (“Brasserie Georges”), with 4,000 restaurants, you will definitely find anything you need.

Learn more French food facts here.

Traditional “bouchon” restaurant in Lyon

4. Lyon used to be the “Capitale des Gaules” (Capital of the Three Gauls)

For 300 years, Lyon had a very special role in what used to be Gaul (ancient France). In 27 BC, Gaul was divided into three parts, for three centuries, and Lyon was the capital of them. It is indeed very well placed between both rivers.

Today, you can still see remnants of the Roman Empire in Lyon, with the Forum and the Roman Amphitheatre.

Roman Amphitheatre in Lyon

5. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the father of the “Petit Prince” (The Little Prince), was born in Lyon

Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, better known as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, was a French writer, very famous for “The Little Prince”. He was a pilot, and tragically disappeared during a reconnaissance mission over the Mediterranean in 1944.

He was born in Lyon in 1900, and the airport is named after him.

6. A few kilometers away from Lyon lies the “Demeure du Chaos” (the Abode of Chaos)

In Saint-Romain-au-Mont-d’or, in the vicinity of Lyon, you can find the Abode of Chaos. Particularly weird and unsettling, it is referred to as a private modern art museum.

Thierry Ehrmann created the place 20 years ago in a post office. It is a very open place in which you can see lots of poetic creations and oddities.

7. A town crier shouts the message of the inhabitants on Sunday mornings in Lyon

In the “plateau de la Croix-Rousse”, on some Sunday mornings, a funny event happens. A town crier puts on a show and reads the inhabitants’ messages out loud.

This initiative was started by Gérard Rigaud in 2003, to recreate what a town crier used to be in the past.

Croix-Rousse district in Lyon

8. Three of the first restaurants to be awarded 3 stars by the Michelin Guide were around Lyon

The Michelin Guide is famous worldwide. It is reputed to be the best one, and it adds lots of pressure to the best French restaurants: the examiner comes in randomly, and leaves without saying anything. The chefs have to wait for the next annual guide to see their rating.

Among the 5 first 3-star restaurants, in the first edition, 3 of them were around Lyon, and were led by women chefs.

9. Cinema was created in Lyon by the Lumière Brothers

Though cinema today has nothing to do with what it used to be, it originated from Lyon. The cinematograph was indeed created by the Lumière Brothers, Louis and Auguste.

In fact, the first movie was filmed in the “Montplaisir” neighborhood, and you can walk down the “first movie street”!

dierk schaefer / CC BY

10. Lyon was declared the best city to live in France

“The Economist Intelligence Unit” ranked the most pleasant cities in France, and Lyon was ranked first.

With its load of history, famous people, gastronomy and architecture, you can easily understand why. If you want to live in France, consider Lyon!

11. Lyon hosts the Part-Dieu mall, the biggest in city center in all of Europe

Shopping maniacs will be happy. Though malls are not that big when they are in the city center, the Part-Dieu is still the biggest of them, with an area of 110,000 m² / 131,558 square yards.

There, you can find the biggest shops and also lots of smaller restaurants as well as a cinema.

Part-Dieu Mall entry in Lyon

12. The “Bateau-mouche”, a famous French tour boat, was invented in Lyon

If you have ever been to Paris, you have seen lots of bateau-mouche on the River Seine. This is a very popular attraction for tourists, as it lets you see the best monuments of the city from a usual place.

Well, they do not come from Paris, and were invented in Lyon in 1862!

13. The “Maison Brunet” is what a year would look like as a building

Yes, this sentence is weird, I know it. But Maison Brunet is literally a year as a building!

It was built in 1810 in the first “arrondissement” (neighborhood) of Lyon, and has a very precise number of elements: 365 windows (days), 12 floors (months) and 4 main entries (seasons).

14. The biggest comic was created in Lyon… and it is 1.6 km / 0.6 miles long!

There are lots of great French, Belgian and Swiss comics. You might not wonder about how big is the biggest of them, but I will still give you that information.

Lyon actually holds the record of the biggest comic since 2016, with 1,602 vignettes. It is called “Les traboules du temps”.

15. The longest street in Lyon is 4.1 km / 2.5 miles long

In the 7th “arrondissement” lies the “Avenue Jean Jaurès”. It runs through the whole district and is 4.1 km / 2.5 miles long.

It was named after Jean Jaurès, a very famous French socialist politician from the 19th and 20th century.

16. Lyon joined the Kingdom of France in 1313

That’s right, though Lyon is now one of the most important cities in France, it was not part of it before 1313.

Because it was so far away from the Holy Empire capitals, it was very independent until then. Its strategic position made it very important especially during the Renaissance.

17. In 1862, the first funicular in the world was opened in Lyon

Funiculars are a very useful invention. Between the “Terme” street and the “Croix-Rousse” boulevard, the first one of them was inaugurated in Lyon in 1862.

You can even consider the first metro to have been invented in Lyon in 1974, when it was converted into a railway.

The Fourvière funicular in Lyon

18. In 1894, the President of the Republic was killed by an Italian anarchist in Lyon

Sadi Carnot was the President of the Republic of France from 1887 to 1894. Hated by anarchists, he was stabbed to death by an Italian, Sante Geronimo Caserio, in Lyon.

Caserio was later sentenced to death, and was beheaded with a guillotine.

President Sadi Carnot

So that’s it, these were the 18 best and most general facts about Lyon in France. But wait, there is more! You will definitely want to check the fun side of the city. 

Fun Facts About Lyon

Every city has a fun side. For Lyon, I have 6 fun facts to tell you about.👇

19. There are 400 secret passageways in Lyon

A specificity of Lyon are the “traboules”. They are hidden passageways, spread through the whole city, and there are 400 of them.

Their original usage was for silk merchants to transport their products, but they have also been used during World War II by the Resistance.

La Tour Rose, a famous traboule in Lyon

20. There is a huge rock standing in the middle of the city of Lyon

Rocks are everywhere, but you rarely expect a big one in the middle of a city. Well, in Lyon, there is one.

According to the legend, a greedy bailiff evicted a family of “canuts” (silk workers). In order to punish him, God condemned him to push this huge rock until he found someone greedier than him.

21. The statue of King Louis XIV in Lyon has no stirrups

Louis XIV is probably the most important King of France… of the whole history!

The “Roi-Soleil” (Sun King) has a statue in his name in Lyon, but there are no stirrups. A legend says the sculptor suicided himself when he saw that, but in reality the King was represented as a Roman rider (without a saddle nor stirrups).

Statue of Louis XIV on Place Bellecour in Lyon

22. There is an entire city… beneath the city

If you like dark, closed and mysterious places, you will love to hear that a whole underground runs beneath the city of Lyon. The access is forbidden but some people, like in Paris’ Catacombs, still manage to go there.

Most of the galleries were created for military reasons, but some of them are still a mystery.

23. The “Parc de la Tête d’or” (Park of the Golden Head) in Lyon is supposed to have… a golden head

The “Parc de la Tête d’or” in Lyon is one of the biggest parks in France. It is said that a golden head of Jesus is buried there, hence its name.

However, when the city dug in the park, they did not find anything…

Sculpture inside the Parc de la Tête d’Or

24. The “Mur des Canuts” (“Canuts Wall”) is the biggest fresco of Europe and grows through the years

Silk workers, or “Canuts”, are very important to the history of Lyon. In fact, since 1987, there is a wall dedicated to them, on which you can see the biggest fresco of Europe.

It has been updated several times to match the transformation of the neighborhood, so its characters sometimes grew.

Le Mur des Canuts

So that’s it for the 6 Lyon fun facts. The last part will be (mostly) for the kids. 

Lyon Facts for Kids

Yes, every fact in this list is suited for everyone, but I often try to dedicate a special part to the kids.

Both curious and thirsty for knowledge, I hope they will love it. 👇

25. Lyon is the third largest city but the second biggest metropolis in France

When it comes to France and its biggest cities, what you will mostly hear about is Paris, Lyon and Marseille.

Lyon is the third largest city of them with 518,000 inhabitants, but if you include the urban area, the metropolis comes second to Paris.

Night view of Lyon from the Fourvière hill

26. Lyon is the second best city for education in France

While Paris is overall the best city for almost everything, since it gathers so many institutions and monuments, you can still have the second best education in the country in Lyon.

There are four universities with more than 100,000 students.

27. The centre of Lyon is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

As you know it, Lyon is located between two rivers, the Saône and the Rhône.

The center of the city, on a peninsula, is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This is because of the major political, cultural and economic role of the city.

Lyon Old Town

28. When Lyon was founded, it was called Lugdunum

First a military colony founded by the Romans, in 43 BC, Lugdunum later became the capital of Celtic Gaul.

It was then sacked by barbarians, and abandoned by the Roman Empire. Afterwards, it was the capital of the Burgundians, before finally joining France in 1313.

Roman Amphitheater in Lyon

29. The silk industry was introduced to Lyon in the 15th century

Nowadays, Lyon is reputed for historically being the center of the silk industry in France. It was introduced in the 15th century.

The other major industries in Lyon are health, biotechnology, metallurgy and chemical production. They are still to this day a leading source of job opportunities.

30. Famous people from Lyon are the Lumière Brothers and Paul Bocuse

Several famous people were born in Lyon, and the ones you have most probably already heard about are the Lumière Brothers as well as Paul Bocuse.

The first one invented cinema, while the latter is a worldwide renowned chef.

Alain Elorza / CC BY

There you go, these were my 30 interesting facts about Lyon France. I hope you loved them and you learned something new today.

If you want to learn more about the city or the country as a whole, feel free to keep reading for more general information. 

General Facts of Lyon

You’ll find below a few general facts of Lyon, to learn more about this French city:

• Name: Lyon
• Province: Lyon
• Region: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
• Land area: 47.87 km² / 18.48 sq mi
• Population: 518,000
• Name of inhabitants: Lyonnais / Lyonnaise
• Website: Lyon

Lyon Flag

More Facts!

Want to learn more facts about France?

Well, I have other France facts posts I’m sure you’ll love reading!

Here is the main guide of the best France facts 👉 The 60 Best Facts about France

Check out these France facts by city:

• Facts about Paris
• Facts about Marseille
• Facts about Strasbourg
• Facts about Toulouse
• Facts about Nice
• Facts about Bordeaux
• Facts about Cannes

Or these French facts by region:

• Facts about Brittany
• Facts about Corsica
• Facts about Normandy
• Facts about Guadeloupe
• Facts about French Guiana
• Facts about Martinique

You can also check these French facts by topic: 

• Facts about French food
• Facts about French people
• Facts about the Tour de France
• Facts about Christmas in France
• Facts about the French language
• Facts about French schools
• Facts about French cheese
• Facts about fashion in France
• Facts about Easter in France
• Facts about the French Alps
• Facts about Disneyland Paris

Or click here to see ALL the facts up on the blog! Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of them.

The Full List of 30 Lyon Facts

1. In Lyon, there is a museum that looks like a spaceship
2. The women football team is even more successful than the men’s
3. Lyon is the best city for gastronomy in France
4. Lyon used to be the “Capitale des Gaules” (Capital of the Three Gauls)
5. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the father of the “Petit Prince” (The Little Prince), was born in Lyon
6. A few kilometers away from Lyon lies the “Demeure du Chaos” (the House of Chaos)
7. A town crier shouts the message of the inhabitants on Sunday mornings in Lyon
8. Three of the first restaurants to be awarded 3 stars by the Michelin Guide were around Lyon
9. Cinema was created in Lyon by the Lumière Brothers
10. Lyon was declared the best city to live in France
11. Lyon hosts the Part-Dieu mall, the biggest in city center in all of Europe
12. The “Bateau-mouche”, a famous French tour boat, was invented in Lyon
13. The “Maison Brunet” is what a year would look like as a building
14. The biggest comic was created in Lyon… and it is 1.6 km / 0.6 miles long!
15. The longest street in Lyon is 4.1 km / 2.5 miles long
16. Lyon joined the Kingdom of France in 1313
17. In 1862, the first funicular in the world was opened in Lyon
18. In 1894, the President of the Republic was killed by an Italian anarchist in Lyon
19. There are 400 secret passageways in Lyon
20. There is a huge rock standing in the middle of the city of Lyon
21. The statue of King Louis XIV in Lyon has no stirrups
22. There is an entire city… beneath the city
23. The “Parc de la Tête d’or” (Park of the Golden Head) in Lyon is supposed to have… a golden head
24. The “Mur des Canuts” (“Canuts Wall”) is the biggest fresco of Europe and grows through the years
25. Lyon is the third largest city but the second biggest metropolis in France
26. Lyon is the second best city for education in France
27. The centre of Lyon is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
28. When Lyon was founded, it was called Lugdunum
29. The silk industry was introduced to Lyon in the 15th century
30. Famous people from Lyon are the Lumière Brothers and Paul Bocuse

Share the knowledge! Click on the buttons below to share these facts with your friends, and help them learn more about the world 🙂