Spared from the ravages of wars, Lyon managed to preserve the beauty of its past and has been featured on UNESCO's World Heritage list since 1998. Lyon is the result of 2,000 years of history, and as such, it offers an infinite variety of cultural and historical curiosities. Built in 15 BC, the Roman Theatre of Fourvière is one of the city's oldest buildings. Designed to hold up to 10,000 spectators, it still hosts cultural events. Vieux-Lyon (Old Lyon) and the Presqu'île (peninsula) abound with Roman and Gothic buildings, including the impressive Basilica de Notre Dame de Fourvière.

Vieux-Lyon charms visitors with its cobbled alleyways, courtyards, staircase towers, Italian-style galleries, and famous traboules. It surprises with the opera, re-designed by the distinguished French architect Jean Nouvel, suddenly arising at the corner of a steep alley. In the contemporary Confluence district, the future of architecture is represented by the Musée des Confluences. Lovers of silk - a historical savoir-faire in the city - and crafts will enjoy a stroll around the Croix-Rousse district. As for open spaces, the Parc de la Tete d’Or, inspired by English landscape gardens, spreads across 105 hectares of land and welcomes the public since 1857.