Fourvière: the funicular, the basilica, and the Roman ruins

Fourvière is the hill on the west side of Lyon, above Vieux Lyon, and it’s where the city began. The Romans built their capital of Gaul here, called Lugdunum, and the ruins of two Roman theaters are still standing, free to visit. The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière sits at the top, white and enormous.

Getting there: take the funicular from Vieux Lyon Métro station (Line D). There are two funicular lines — take the one marked Fourvière (the other goes to Saint-Just). It’s a two-minute ride straight up the hill. A regular Métro ticket works, and it’s included in the Lyon City Card. This means you don’t have to climb. For anyone concerned about stairs or steep terrain, this is the answer — the funicular does the work.

At the top, the Basilica is free to enter. The interior is covered in gold mosaics and colored stone. Give yourself twenty minutes inside. If you’re up for it, the rooftop tour takes you up 300 stairs to the top of the towers for a panoramic view of the city, the Alps on a clear day, and the structure of the basilica itself. The rooftop tour is included in the Lyon City Card and runs April through November — book ahead.

From the basilica, walk five minutes south to the Gallo-Roman theaters and the Lugdunum Museum (the archaeological museum built into the hillside). The large theater seats 10,000 and still hosts performances in summer. The museum is excellent and covered by the Lyon City Card. The Lugdunum site also has a family program with virtual reality and scavenger hunts for kids.

After the museum, walk back down through the Jardins du Rosaire — terraced gardens that descend from Fourvière to Vieux Lyon through roses, stone paths, and some of the best views of the Saône. It takes about fifteen minutes, it’s downhill the whole way, and it’s one of the loveliest walks in the city.