Maison Des Avocats: Self-Guided Audio Tours

This self-guided audio walking tour explores the medieval heart of Lyon through the streets, squares, and secret traboules of Vieux Lyon. It will especially appeal to first-time visitors who enjoy history, architecture, local food culture, and the thrill of discovering places tucked just out of sight. The route begins at Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste, one of Lyon’s great Gothic landmarks, then leads along Rue Saint-Jean and into the district’s most atmospheric corners. Along the way, you will pass Renaissance facades, hidden courtyards, public artworks, and several of the old passageways that make this neighborhood so distinctive, including La Longue Traboule and other classic traboules du Vieux Lyon. From there, the walk continues past traditional bouchon-style restaurants such as Chez Grand-Mère and Aux Trois Maries, then reaches Place du Change, once a center of trade and city life. The tour finishes near the Escalier Basilique de Fourvière and LyonExplorer in the upper part of the old quarter. The most memorable moments include stepping through concealed corridors, standing before the cathedral’s remarkable medieval setting, admiring the character of Vieux Lyon’s stone streets, and feeling the blend of sacred history, everyday life, and culinary tradition that gives this part of Lyon its lasting charm.

Le Hameau Duboeuf is Europe's first wine park, boasting over 3,000 objects related to everyone's favorite fermented grape drink! Explore a spectacular collection spanning more than 2,000 years of winemaking history. Fly over the lush countryside of Beaujolais and the Mâconnais in the 4D cinema, get putting on the mini-golf course, play a game of giant chess, and put the kids on the little train in the garden, all while you indulge in some wine tastings. It's a di-_wine_ time for everyone!

The Aquarium of Lyon is home to tropical species, four kinds of sharks, and fish from the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Keep an eye out for the colorful yellow-masked angelfish, the polka-dotted panther grouper, and prickly porcupinefish. The shark pit is the highlight of any visit. You'll have the chance to see Australian baby sharks along with several other shark species. Plus, all the usual aquarium suspects are there too like clownfish, seahorses, and jellyfish.

Have you ever dreamt about going back in time? Now you have a chance to do it in Lyon! Discover the most splendid historical spots of old Lyon. First, you will see the Cathedral of Saint-Jean, which was started as a Norman or Romanesque-style building and finished in Gothic style. Do you like taking photos? You will have a chance to do it in front of the most photographed facade of the Vieux Lyon — the Lawyers House, which is also one of the top 10 most instagrammable places in the entire city! You will also visit the Place du government, not just one of the most beautiful places in Lyon but a house of a very important Lyonnais family, the Neuville de Villeroy, who ruled the city for a long time. Your trip will continue at the Place du Change — one of the busiest squares with famous restaurants and silk shops (don't forget that Lyon is the city of silk!). Of course, you will see a fascinating Maison du Chamarier, a unique example of a transition between the Gothic and the early premises of Renaissance architecture. During the tour, you will wander through a maze of cobblestoned alleyways and hidden passages called "les traboules" which communicate from one house to another through courtyards without using the streets. They date back to the Renaissance and remind the Roman patio. Already interested? Get ready for your journey in time!

This self-guided audio walking tour introduces Lyon through its grand squares, sacred landmarks, Roman remains, and hidden passageways. It is ideal for first-time visitors who want a clear route and a vivid sense of the city’s layered history, from ancient Lugdunum to the elegant heart of modern Lyon. Your walk begins at Place Bellecour, one of Europe’s largest open pedestrian squares, where the wide paving, the equestrian statue of Louis XIV, and the view toward Fourvière set the scene. From there, the route climbs to the Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière, with its pale stone, four corner towers, and sweeping panorama over red roofs and rivers. You then continue to the Ancient Theatre of Fourvière, where curved rows of Roman stone still trace the shape of public life nearly 2,000 years ago. The tour descends into Vieux Lyon for the Gothic and Romanesque Cathedral of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, the secret corridors of La Longue Traboule, and the cobbled streets of one of France’s largest Renaissance districts. It ends at Place des Terreaux and the Bartholdi Fountain, where bronze horses, splashing water, City Hall, and the grand façade of the Museum of Fine Arts create a dramatic finale. Along the way, the most memorable moments include standing above the city from Fourvière, stepping through hidden traboules, and watching Lyon’s past unfold in stone, stained glass, and water.