Things To Know
The City and the Presqu'Île
Exploring Lyon
Enjoying the Sights
La Cuisine
Souvenirs of Silk
On the Town
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The City and the Presqu'Île
Lyon's sprawl may be daunting if this is your first visit, but the city's major tourist attractions are in a surprisingly
compact area. Public transportation is excellent, so it should take little time for you to get your bearings. Lyon's name
is derived from the Latin Lugdunum, the capital of Roman Gaul, which was founded at the top of Fourvière, before spreading
down the hill above the confluence of two great rivers known today as the Rhône and the Saône. After Rome fell, the medieval
town gradually established itself, spreading out slowly to occupy the narrow spit of land immediately above the rivers' junction.
This became known as the Presqu'Île (the isthmus), and here the city grew in the 17th and 18th centuries; it was only later
that it expanded farther to the north and east. For visitors, the main sights are almost all either along the west bank of
the Saône or on the Presqu'Île, the oldest parts of the city.
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