
The most popular streets in Lyon include notable riverside thoroughfares and shopping places that help uncover the story of this French city. Lyon is the capital of France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region as is where the Romans first set down the streets that formed Lugdunum. That Roman city stood in the heart of what’s now the Fourvière district.
The city has grown ever since and it underwent a Haussmann-like remodelling in the 19th century through careful planning. Today, the city treasures the wide, leafy boulevards that line the Rhône and Saône rivers. If you intend to visit, don’t miss Lyon’s network of concealed covered passageways known as traboules that criss-cross the old town.
A riverfront street by the River Rhône
适合: 历史, 照片, 经济
Quai du Général-Sarrail is one of a number of streets that people call the Berges du Rhône because they flank the river. This one connects Pont Morand and Pont Lafayette and lines the left bank. The buildings mostly date from the 19th and early 20th centuries, giving the street a cohesive architectural style.
Some of the buildings are more elaborate than others, with stylish tiling and wrought ironwork, and some with fancy doors. During its early history, the street was a hive of activity. Barges would pull up and cargoes of wood and stone would be unloaded onto the busy quayside. Today, you’re more likely to see the Lyonnais and their visitors taking a stroll in the sunshine.

Quai du Général-Sarrail
Lyon’s premier retail thoroughfare
适合: 购物者, 历史
Rue de la République is the street to hit for some retail therapy in Lyon. The street dates from the early 1860s. At that time, Claude-Marius Vaïsse, de facto mayor of the city in the mid-19th century, admired what Georges-Eugène Haussmann had managed to achieve during his extensive renovation of Paris and wanted to do something similar in Lyon.
Rue de la République was 1 of 3 major streets created as part of his grand plan to improve the city. These days, it’s home to the big-name brands familiar to any keen shopper: French favourites Fnac, Etam and NAF NAF, as well as international brands such as Zara, Levi’s and Foot Locker. In addition, it’s home to Cinema Pathé (look for the rooster on its roof) and the ornate Palais de la Bourse, which backs onto the street.

Rue de la République
An important shopping street in the Presqu’île district
适合: 购物者, 历史
Rue Édouard-Herriot is a shopping street that connects Place Bellecour to Place des Terreaux in Lyon, passing Place des Jacobins along the way. At the same time Rue de la République was being created, 6 existing streets were partially amalgamated and others widened to form what was first called Rue de l’Impératrice. Later, they renamed it Rue de l’Hôtel de Ville but, after long-time mayor Édouard Herriot’s death in 1957, the street took its present name.
Today, Rue Édouard-Herriot is where you’ll find designer boutiques representing businesses such as Christian Dior, Cartier, Hermès and Longchamp. The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon is another notable landmark. Its facade once belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Pierre.

Rue Édouard-Herriot
A notable Lyon street with a long-established market
适合: 家庭, 购物者, 经济
Boulevard de la Croix Rousse follows the path of Lyon’s old city ramparts, which were destroyed to make way for the new street in 1852. A market had been established here ever since. It is Lyon’s largest, extending for about a kilometre, and is held 6 days a week (closed on Mondays).
In autumn, the aroma of roasted chestnuts fills the air, signalling the start of a seasonal funfair known as the Vogue des Marrons. A Christmas market occupies Place de la Croix Rousse at the eastern end of the street. Look out for Gros Caillou, a large rock thought to be a glacial erratic that originated in the Alps.

Boulevard de la Croix Rousse