Highlights of Vieux (Old) Lyon & It's Hidden Passageways

Hi! My name is Paul, and I’d love to show you my city.

Join me for a walk through Vieux Lyon, where every corner has a secret and every stone has a story. Together, we’ll wander the cobbled streets, slip through hidden traboules, and uncover Lyon’s mix of beauty, darkness, and deliciousness.

Along the way, you’ll learn how Michelin stars really work, spot the modern gargoyle watching over the cathedral, and hear about the dishes you might want to avoid in a traditional bouchon (yes, some involve intestines).

I’ll tell you about the Butcher of Lyon, the Resistance, and how justice finally caught up with him in Bolivia.

But it’s not all dark — we’ll also talk about the silk merchants, the chefs like Paul Bocuse who made Lyon the gastronomic capital of France, and the city’s rebirth into one of Europe’s most vibrant cultural centers.

We’ll finish in the elegant heart of Lyon, near landmarks like the Théâtre des Célestins and the Hôtel-Dieu, where the past meets the present.

It’s a relaxed walk — full of stories, history, and a few local secrets you won’t find in any guidebook.

Things you will visit:

• Place St. Jean
• Cathedral St. Jean
• View of the Fourvière hill with Basilica
• Archeological Garden
• Many Hidden Passageways
• Jardin de la Basoche with the Miniature Museum
• La Longue Traboule (passageway)
• Rue du Boeuf
• La Tour Rose
• Rue des Trois Maries with the 2 Traboules
• Riverbanks of the Saône
• Palais de Justice
• The Footbridge over the Saône
• Quai Sant'Antoine with its Markets
• Place des Celestins with the Theatre
• The Posh 2nd Arrondissement.
• The Main Shopping Street, Rue de la République
• The Beautiful Hôtel Dieu