Lyon’s Art & Culture: Top 5 Spots Explored

Lyon, that wonderful French city, has, arguably, loads of things to see, and things to do for visitors. And that’s why picking just a few spots highlighting its fantastic artistic side and deeply interesting historical background is not exactly a walk in the park. It means focusing on places that truly, really show what gives Lyon its unique feel, kind of those that give you goosebumps! In a way, places steeped in time, and alive, almost, with creative spark.

1. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon: A treasure trove

Oh, wow, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon is actually a place to begin a search. Basically, imagine a building, really, just chock-full of beautiful pieces from just about every era. Very literally, so, from Ancient Egypt stuff that’s incredibly old right up to the modern paintings that, well, can be quite puzzling. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon Full Review and Details. You get a sense, right, of walking through a timeline of human creativity. This location holds pieces done by big names you, probably, have heard of. Very seriously though, people like Veronese and Delacroix. Now, you could totally spend a whole day here, looking. Basically just taking everything in. Because it has a great park, too, where you can just chill and think about everything you have actually looked at, honestly.

2. Institut Lumière: Where Cinema Began

Ok, the Institut Lumière, now that place is really special. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Institut Lumière). I mean, Lyon, maybe you know this, is like, where cinema kind of started. It’s the home of the Lumière brothers who really got the ball rolling. You may want to come along to a showing of one of their first ever films, that gives you, literally, a glimpse into movie history. Basically, the museum there, well, it’s inside the family’s old house and you could see cameras and projectors and old film posters, as a matter of fact. It shows how the silver screen came to be. It’s kind of exciting for movie fans. Lyon’s role as cinema’s original hometown is just terrific, arguably.

3. The Roman Theatres of Fourvière: Echoes of the Past

Seriously though, right up on Fourvière hill, there are those Roman theatres, really something to behold. They actually just sit there, telling stories about what happened long, long ago. Roman Theatres of Fourvière Full Review and Details. As I was saying, that are a place that used to literally explode with plays and music way back when the Romans were running the show. Imagine the people, that must be terrific! Just standing there now, you know, very like you almost hear the voices and the music. As a matter of fact, they still do plays and shows there every now and again. Attending would, literally, just kind of connects you to centuries way back. Being up on that hill, getting a good look at Lyon below? Oh, well, it just gives you an idea of what the Romans felt as they just ran their empire here, in some respects.

4. La Croix-Rousse Murals: Art on a Grand Scale

Now, if walking around seeing artwork displayed out in the open makes you happy, go check out La Croix-Rousse. So that’s a section literally plastered with massive murals. I’m talking some seriously wall-sized paintings! See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (La Croix-Rousse Murals). These murals usually just don’t have plain images, but rather tell local stories. That’s the local history! Arguably, these murals will just kind of make the buildings feel almost alive, showing all types of scenes with historical peeps. Like your favorite comic, for example. Actually, walking all around La Croix-Rousse feels much like roaming around inside a massive, open-air art thing, for example. Also, a bit of history, as a matter of fact.

5. Musée Miniature et Cinéma: Tiny Wonders, Big Impact

Oh, the Musée Miniature et Cinéma! See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Musée Miniature et Cinéma). I want you to picture those things like miniatures. These are very intricately done, almost real, like real stuff. Really super cool! That’s on just the first part. Very similarly, there’s a film section. Like I am telling you this exhibits movie props and costumes that you’ll recognize, honestly. It kind of gives you an idea, right, of how movies bring fake scenes into existence. I was totally impressed when I saw how things get created, just basically the ways visual magic appears. Really amazing. The combo of teeny art and massive film makes a visit truly fun.

Read our full review: Lyon Art & Culture Full Review and Details