Discover Lyon
A European capital on a human scale, Lyon has inherited a rich past that has shaped the city and the surrounding area. Both authentic and modern, the city offers a unique panorama between its two rivers and two hills. On foot, by bike, by bus or even by boat, discover Lyon as part of a weekend or a longer stay and admire this city with its rich architectural, artistic and historical heritage.
La Villa Florentine is located at the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and is in the immediate vicinity of several centres of interest for business or tourism with your partner or family.
Worth discovering
near La Villa Florentine
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière
Overlooking the city from its hilltop, the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is a central part of Lyon's identity. Located where the first Christian communities expressed their faith, the Neo-Byzantine basilica was built from 1872 to 1884.
The building, dedicated to Virgin Mary, is crowned by a golden statue of her. The basilica's complex includes not only the church, the Saint-Thomas chapel and the statue of Virgin Mary but also the panoramic esplanade, the Rosary Garden and the archbishopric of Lyon.
The Vieux Lyon district
The medieval district of Vieux Lyon is located at the bottom of the Fourvière hill. A unique specimen of architecture under Italian influence with its pink buildings and interior courtyards with balconies, the district is entirely pedestrian.
It is home to many remarkable buildings such as Lyon Cathedral, the Temple du Change and the former courthouse in addition to traboules (passageways), craft boutiques and Lyon bouchons (typical Lyon restaurants).
The Presqu’île
Located just 5 minutes from La Villa Florentine, the city centre of Lyon has countless surprises in store for visitors: Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, the opera house, churches and museums, and pedestrian streets bustling with life. Visitors adventuring as far as the confluence will discover a more modern side of the city with recent architectural projects such as the Confluence museum and the shopping centre of the same name.
Parc de la Tête d’Or
A botanical and zoological park stretching out over 117 ha, Parc de la Tête d’Or is considered the ‘green lung’ of the city by locals.
Admission is free, and families like it for its animals brought in from all over the world, its playgrounds and its puppet theatre; botany lovers enjoy its wide variety of rare plants, its rose garden and its tropical greenhouses; athletes use it to go running; and everyone else enjoys its immense stretches of grass and strolls in the shade of hundred-year-old trees.
Halles Paul Bocuse
Lyon’s famed indoor market is filled with local gastronomic specialities: cheeses, delicatessen meats, sweets, quenelles and other dishes can be tasted and purchased from expert local craftsmen. Halles Paul Bocuse is also home to several restaurants.
Hotel
Train Station
Monument
