LYON: Top Things to See, Do and Discover in a Day. France Travel Guide

LYON: Top Things to See, Do and Discover in a Day. France Travel Guide

YouTube. Welcome back to our channel. Today we’re in Leon for the first time. So, let’s go and discover the city with us on. [Music] So, we’re eating a little bit because we haven’t eaten. We have to leave early. The train is in about I don’t know if you guys are going to hear us, so I’m not going to record a lot. I’m recording from the phone. Thank you with your suitcase. Anyway, we’re waiting for a train. We’re going to be taking an Italian train today because it was cheaper than the French train and it’s going to be really cool because it’s red and beautiful. We’ll show you. Anyway, we’re having Kon Swiss and coffee. [Music] The train design reminded us of a red Ferrari and it was super fast. Although I personally find TJ to be a smoother ride, but this one felt rather comfortable too. Having a quiet cabin is a huge plus though and the fact that there is a trolley service with drinks and snacks is amazing. Aside from the full itinerary that we’ve booked for Leong, we were going to attend Kamino Extension World Tour show. I’ve seen her a couple of times already and been a huge fan of her music since I was a teenager. Plus, San has never seen her live. So, I thought it would be an excellent reason to finally visit Leon. 2 hours later, we arrived in Leon. It is our first time here, so we are mega excited. Also, these Trumps are so cute. They look like white worms crawling through the streets. First, we came to the plus balour to pick up our Leon City card, which gives you access to at least 27 museums along with other activities, plus the public transport. Honestly, you save a lot of money with this card, and we highly recommend it. Here we were greeted by the equestrian statue of Leu 14. It was built by the Leon sculptor France Frederick Lemo. As our tradition, we’ve managed to find Leato Le 14, the king of France. And we start our visit in Leon. It was melted in Paris, transported to Leon in 12 days, then pulled by 24 horses and installed on October 29, 1825. From Belur, we crossed the Sun River into Von, the old town. It’s amazing how comfy, cozy, and small Leon feels even though it is the country’s third largest city. [Music] Rising before us is La Cathedral at Primial San Jean Baptist, Leon’s spiritual anchor. Built between 1175 and 1481, this cathedral represents a mix of Roman and Gothic styles. But this site has been sacred for far longer since at least the 4th century when Christianity first took root in Roman Lugdenum the name of Leon at the time. The archbishops of the city carried the rare title of primat of the Gulf marking this as the highest ecclesiastical seat in France. Over the centuries this cathedral was the theater of important political and historical events. In 1245 the first council of Leon was held here summoned by Pope Innocent IVth. It was during this council that Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II was excommunicated a defining moment in the clash between Papesy and the empire. In 1305, Pope Clemon the 5th was consecrated here before relocating the papal court to Avenu. Pope Jean the 22nd was crowned here 11 years later. On December 13th, 1600, the cathedral housed the marriage of Andre IVth and Marid de Medicis, while Rishelu received his cardinals bar in 1622. [Music] Sanjon Baptist Cathedral also features remarkable stained glass windows dating from the early 12th century. The central rosette of the facade is particularly admirable. Some of the windows were unfortunately destroyed during the German bombardment of old Leon bridges just before the liberation of 1944. Hence the contrasting look of the medieval stained windows and the contemporary creations. But what draws the eye the most is the remarkable astronomical clock. Especially known for the 19 automations that come to life at specific times. This jewel of clockwork consists of several dials given the precise time and the full date. It also indicates the positions of the moon, the sun, and the earth as well as that of the stars above Leon. This clock also provides information on religious festivals and liturggical calendar. Legend has it that in the fifth century, Theodoric, King of the Ostrogos, gave the church of Leon a water clocked. However, the first attested mention of the presence of the clock in the prematurial dates from the 15th century. It has since been repaired and improved many times by Leon and Swiss watch makers. [Music] As we exited the cathedral, it became apparent why this whole castier of Leon is under UNESCO protection. The old buildings tell the stories that date back to medieval and renaissance periods. In center of the square stands a beautiful and exceptionally elegant La Fontan Sanjon. Created in 1844 by the local Luigi de Pasier to replace the old fountain demolished a few years earlier. Lefonten Sanjon fits perfectly its surroundings and feels as if it was built together with the cathedral and the neighboring buildings. This is largely thanks to its neocclassical style that was popular in the 19th century. [Music] Passing by the ruins of the old church of Santienne, destroyed during the French Revolution. We made our way to the river cruise with B Leon. We normally don’t go on river cruises and never did one in Paris, but we thought why not do it in Leon and it only takes an hour anyway. This cruise was to take us upstream on Son, one of the two rivers that meet at the end of Presil Peninsula of Leon. I like the name Presil. It literally translates to almost island from French. As the boat glides upstream, the city’s topography becomes a story book. On the left, we pass the monumental pal de Justice built by Louis Pierre Balta between 1835 and 1845. It features 24 columns with some people saying that it represents justice that never sleeps and is always awake 24 hours a day. This was the site of the 1987 trial of Klaus Barbie, the Gestapa officer known as the butcher of Leon. Rising to the northeast, we begin to glimpse the hill known as Laarus, where its streets, alleys, tra and bulvar still carry the history of the canute. The colorful tones of the facads call back to the large number of Italians who came here back in the day and brought their architectural influences with them. The buildings here are bright with large windows and ceilings going up to 4 meters to accommodate the large machines of the silk workers. The history of seeking Leon began back in the 16th century under France the first. But it was at the end of 18 and beginning of the 19th century that silk production really put Leon on a map. Napoleon the first put out a decree in 1805 nationalizing the original condition of silks of Mopa and suppressed the competitors. The public condition of silks would begin to process about 30 tons of silk per month from 1806 with many orders being directly from Napoleon for the court and the army. This would put La Fabriones to gradually regain its place as the European capital of silk. As a result, Laarus was called the hill that works and that of Fier that faces it, the hill that prays. We will go there in the second part of this trip. So, make sure to subscribe and activate notification bell to see it first when it’s published. As we headed in the opposite direction towards Lacon F, the imprint of time and modernization of Leon became more apparent. The southern end of the Prescil Peninsula takes its historic roots all the way back to the late 17th century when Louis 14th’s favorite architect Jeul Ardan Mans planned on draining the marshy areas at the confluence of the city’s two rivers. His plan never took off for the multitude of reasons including financial and technological challenges. But the peninsula was not left alone and by 1769 the project of Antoant Michel Pash would eventually be approved by Louis 15th. The construction began in 1772 and would last nearly 70 years. In 1840, the district was finally ready, housing industrial activities, municipal services, and the second grand rail station of the city, Pash. And although this district lived with unattractive and marginal reputation in the 20th century, today it has been revitalized into a modern part of Leon. Housing shopping centers, offices of international companies, and beautiful science and anthropology muse de confluence that is one of the most iconic modern landmarks of the city. While our boat was making a turn to go back to Viol, it was an additional bonus to see the two distinct colors of the two rivers meeting each other. The darker one is of Son and the lighter one of Ron thanks to its high mountain sources. So we just got off the cruise. What do you think? I don’t know. But we stay under the sun for an hour. I have a nausea because the guide was speaking in French in English at the same time. So I understand both and my brain just all over the place and on top of it was so hot. I don’t know. I have I’m nauseous at the moment. So I think it’s just the river. He’s not used to the flow flow of the water. We’re gonna go pass by the store quickly and then we’re gonna go and check out the old city, the old town Von. So let’s go. Oh, and I almost forgot. We recommend this cruise. It’s nice. Back on land, we returned to the old Leon and its largest Renaissance district in France. This whole area is classified as UNESCO heritage site and it’s obvious why. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Leon became a major European hub for silk production, banking, and printing. Many of the wealthy residents were Italian merchants from Florence, Luca, and Genanoa. They brought not just money, but Renaissance architecture and arched galleries. But we are here to find one of Leon’s famous trouble. What is a trbul? Trul are covered passageways that cut through buildings and connect street trees via courtyards and spiral stairs. They originated in the 4th century and expanded during the Renaissance to allow silk weavers to carry fragile fabrics while protected from wind and rain. We entered one of the most famous ones, Long Trabul. Starting at 54 Rous Sanjon, it winds through four buildings and several interior courtyards. The walls are worn, the arches rounded, the steps uneven, unchanged for centuries. During the Second World War, this Trabul became crucial to the resistance Frances. Nazi soldiers unfamiliar with Leon geography struggled to track partisans through these hidden roots. This tribul gave shelter, escape, and advantage and Leon became known as the capital of the resistance. Today they are far calmer and are mainly used by the locals and some tourists. But if you decide to visit, please remember that people live above these spaces. So don’t make any noise and try to remain quiet. Our final stop for today is Lumuse Desa Dearonet. House in Hotel de Gadan, a 16th century hotel particular formerly called Hotel de Pv. This mansion was built by the PRV brothers during the Renaissance. It was then bought by a rich family of Florentine bankers, the Gadan, hence its current name. The complex is effectively divided into two parts. one museum of history and of Leon and the other the museum of art of puppets. The history museum covers the past of Leon from the middle ages renaissance 17 to 20th centuries. The major territorial and urban changes of Leon are highlighted making it possible to understand the economic social religious or cultural evolutions that happened in the city. Lumis Desar de Marionet with its nine rooms provides a real panorama of the figures and techniques of traditional puppets in the world. The museum contains more than 2,000 puppets from across the globe. But its heart lies with one character, Ginol. Ginol was created in 1808 by Lauron Morg, former silk worker turned dentist than street performer. Morg invented the character to entertain and distract his patients. Ginol with his wooden head and quick wit became the voice of Leon’s working class. Witty, rebellious and sometimes subversive, Ginol commented on politics, landlords and social issues, always with humor. The museum brings this legacy to life with mechanical stages, antique marionets, and interactive exhibits. It’s a very different experience, but we enjoyed it. Although in places it got rather creepy and yet somehow hilarious. As we finished our visit and got back out into the sunlight, it was time for us to rush back to our apartment in Pash and then head out to see Kylie. So, we’re done walking around and we realized that we don’t even have time to eat or to have any dinner or anything like that because we have Kylie Mino to catch because we came to Leon for Kylie Mino. And uh so we ended up getting just the salad quickly. We’re going to eat it right now and uh then we’re going to go to the concert and then once we come back we’ll probably record something our emotions or whatever. But if we don’t record, thank you so much for joining us. This is our first day in Leon. And uh if you like this episode, give us a like, share, and subscribe. And until the next one. [Music]

In this episode we take you to a UNESCO World Heritage city with the biggest Renaissance district in France! In Lyon, we wandered through the medieval streets of Vieux Lyon, uncovering its famous hidden traboules — secret passageways used for centuries. We marvelled at the stunning Saint-Jean Cathedral, home to an incredible astronomical clock.

Cruising along the Saône River, we soaked in the city’s beauty before visiting the quirky Musée des Arts de la Marionnette — a puppet museum full of surprises.

Thanks to the Lyon City Card, we made the most of our time and even capped off the trip with an unforgettable night at Kylie Minogue’s Tension World Tour concert — a perfect reason to explore a new city!

This is Part 1 of our Lyon trip!

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Recorded in July 2025.

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CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
1:37 Place Bellecour
2:15 Vieux Lyon
2:28 Cathédrale et Primatiale Saint-Jean-Baptiste
4:34 Lyon Astronomical Clock
5:21 Fontaine Saint-Jean
6:10 Saône river cruise
6:49 Palais Justice 24 Colonnes
7:10 History of La Croix-Rousse
8:31 Perrache and La Confluence
10:37 Lyon Renaissance District
11:10 Traboules
12:25 Gadagne: Musée des arts de la marionnette

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© 2025 by Anton and Sinan. All rights reserved.
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