Another beautiful, sunny day. First stop the Lugdunum Museum and the Roman ruins. Located very close to the Basilica, the ancient theatre of Fourviere was built on the hill, in the centre of the Roman city. The theatre is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Constructed around 15 BC, the theatre is now a tourist attraction as well as a cultural venue.
We started out with a visit to the Lugdunum Museum. Entrance to the museum is 4 Euros or free to people of a certain age 😊. The museum, which houses a collection of Roman, Celtic and pre-Roman artifacts, is beautifully designed. Formed of a concrete spiral ramp which descends and branches out into display rooms, it’s an easy, relaxing way to enjoy the exhibits before exploring the nearby ruins.
We’ve been using the public transportation system (TCL) to get around. With the help of a very nice lady on the subway, we made our way to the Croix-Rousse neighborhood. This bohemian area is a maze of treed squares overlooked by houses that were once weavers workshops. The neighborhood was bustling when we arrived. A market with stalls selling a variety of goods lined the streets. Music blared and children enjoyed rides on a Jules Verne themed carrousel.
A short walk from the subway you’ll find the Mur des Canuts mural made up of scenes from daily life in the neighborhood.
We wandered around and found another very large traboule, this one passed through a number of very large buildings, the more we walked through the more we descended. Along the way we walked past a lot of graffiti.
On our way to the subway station, we spotted a square in the opposite direction and decided to investigate. We found ourselves at the Hotel de Ville, one of the city’s most impressive architectural landmarks. Built in the 17th century, and later restored after a fire, this building is a showcase of French Baroque elegance. Also located in the square is the magnificent fountain by Frederick Bartholdi, French sculptor and painter, the same individual who designed the Statue of Liberty. The fountain is massive and weighs 21 tons. Sadly, like all the other fountains we have come across, the water has been shut off. Probably to conserve water during the on going heat wave.
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