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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 07 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Anna Brooke

With Romanesque- and Byzantine-style architecture (earning it the nickname ‘upside-down elephant’), this iconic basilica was built by Pierre Bossan (1872-1874) to thank God for France’s triumph over the socialists during the infamous ‘Communes’.

Atop the Fourviere hillside, its esplanade draws crowds to its sweeping panorama over Lyon. But inside is stunning too: pink granite, blue marble, onyx, silver and gold details that culminate in majestic stained glass windows.

Walk outside to the Rosary Gardens, an oasis of sycamores, larches and roses. Like the basilica, its dedicated to the Virgin Mary who supposedly protected Lyon from the Black Death in 1643.

Don’t miss

Look out for the six stained glass windows by George Decote, each dedicated to Mary and depicting her in heaven. The blues and greens are stunning.

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Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

It’s a steep climb up to the basilica, so wear good walking shoes or, for extra fun, take the funicular from Vieux Lyon – Cathedrale Saint-Jean metro.

The basilica is free to visit, but you can book tickets for guided tours of the rooftop and/or rosary garden via the website.

The basilica has several eating options, but you’ll get the best views from the Bistro Restaurant, whose terrace offers sweeping vistas over the entire city.

When to do it

The basilica is open all year round, seven days a week.

The site is very popular, so if you’d like to avoid the crowds, try to arrive first thing in the morning, before 10am, at lunchtime when most people will be dining, or an hour before closing.

Each year on December 8th, when Lyon celebrates its Fete des Lumieres (Light Festival), the basilica illuminates its central Virgin Mary statue atop the bell tower – a sight to behold.

 

Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Villa Florentine

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[0.3 miles]

Gorgeous convent converted into a calm luxurious retreat, aloof on the Fourviere hillside overlooking Lyon.

Official star rating:

Cour des Loges

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[0.4 miles]

Uniquely stylish hotel-with-restaurant stretching across several historic houses in the centre of Vieux Lyon. Perfectly located for sightseeing.

Official star rating:

Fourviere Hotel

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[0.6 miles]

High-end design hotel in a former convent, on the Fourviere hillside, offering chic eateries, including a typical bouchon, plus a spa and an outdoor pool.

Official star rating:

College Hotel

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[0.6 miles]

Playful school-themed hotel in the heart of Vieux Lyon, offering city views, and a terrace bar where nightly light shows illuminate the facade.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Lyon

Auberge-Rhone-Alpes, France

The gastronomic capital of France, if not the world, is not just a foodie hotspot. With UNESCO-protected architecture and awe-inspiring Roman ruins, its one for history lovers too..

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Fourviere Hill

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[0.1 miles]

The Fourviere hillside offers panoramic city views, a huge 19th-century basilica, two exceptional Roman theatres, and illuminating insights into Lyon’s Roman past.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Lugdunum Museum

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[0.3 miles]

Nestled into the Fourviere hillside, Lyon’s fascinating Roman attraction is home to two ancient theatres and a museum filled with artefacts depicting all aspects life in the Roman town of Lugdunum.

Best for ages: 13+ | £3

Vieux (Old) Lyon

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[0.5 miles]

Lyon’s historic and most beautiful quarter, notably filled with fine 16th-century French Renaissance mansions. An insight into how the city thrived in the Renaissance.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Museum of miniatures in french city Lyon. Glass showcase of the museum with action figures in
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Miniatures & Cinema Museum

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[0.4 miles]

A must for film buffs: Artist Dan Ohlmann showcases 120 miniature scenes and hundreds of film props to reveal the way special effects are made in the world’s leading film studios.

Best for ages: 4+ | £8

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Close up of the cathedral front facade
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Saint-Jean Cathedral

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[0.4 miles]

Henri IV married Marie de Medicis in this stunning medieval cathedral, famed for its 16th-century astronomical clock and one the world’s largest 17th-century bells, rung up to 15 times a year.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Close up of a ceramic puppet exhibit in the museum
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Gadagne Museum

Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[0.5 miles]

Housed in Vieux Lyon’s grandest mansion, this small museum is actually two museums: the Museum of Lyon History, which traces the history of the city since medieval times, and the World Puppet Museum, with over 2,000 puppets collected over centuries.

Best for ages: 4+ | £5

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Round-ups that include this experience

101 World’s greatest historic buildings

Multiple countries

The great civilisations of the past have left a legacy of constructions that still stand out and inspire. Built without the wonders of 20th-century technology, many are also monumental feats of engineering; others offer such grace and beauty, that they’ll literally take your breath away.

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