Lyon "Confluences Museum" (France)

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Lyon Confluence

Lyon


Lyon's race toward the future is personified in this reborn industrial district near the southern tip of Presqu'île. Once a landscape of empty warehouses and urban blight, the newly dubbed Confluence is a 150-hectare district of cutting-edge architecture and innovative redesign. After years of construction and millions of euros in investment, the urban-renewal project has brought new shops, restaurants, high-end lodging and one groundbreaking new museum (reminiscent of the Bilbao Guggenheim) to a formerly abandoned part of the city.

The first phase of the project focused on the Saône riverbanks, with the creation of architecturally daring buildings, including Le Cube Orange, a striking iridescent orange office building designed by Jakob + Macfarlane architects. Also in the area is the sleek, modern Pôle de Commerces et de Loisirs Confluence, which reinvents the shopping experience with a huge transparent roof that allows light to filter through the complex. The crown jewel of the district is the science-and-humanities museum, Musée des Confluences. It's set in a jaw-dropping architectural work of geometric forms in glass and steel, right at the meeting of the Rhône and the Saône.

Transportation

  • tram: T1

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Lyon attractions

1. Musée des Confluences

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This eye-catching building, designed by the Viennese firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, is the crowning glory of Lyon's newest neighbourhood, the Confluence, at…

2. Aquarium du Grand Lyon

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Just west of the Confluence, Lyon's well-thought-out aquarium is home to some 300 marine species, including more than 5000 fish. Bus 15 links it with…

4. Musée des Tissus

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Extraordinary Lyonnais and international silks are showcased here. Ticket includes admission to the adjoining Musée des Arts Décoratifs, which displays…

5. Musée des Arts Décoratifs

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This well-organised museum displays 18th-century furniture, tapestries, wallpaper, ceramics and silver. Ticket includes admission to the adjoining Musée…

6. Théâtre Romain

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Lyon's Roman theatre, built around 15 BC and enlarged in AD 120, sat an audience of 10,000. Romans held poetry readings and musical recitals in the…

7. Place Bellecour

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One of Europe’s largest public squares, gravel-strewn place Bellecour was laid out in the 17th century. In the centre is an equestrian statue of Louis XIV.

8. Musée Gallo-Romain de Fourvière

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For an enlightening historical perspective on the city's past, start your visit at this archaeological museum on the hillside of Fourvière. It hosts a…

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