The city of Lyon is divided into 9 districts (also called “arrondissement” in Lyon) :
- The 1st arrondissement : Around the Place des Terreaux, many bars and pubs: this is one of the liveliest districts of the city. You can also find in this disctrict the Hotel de Ville de Lyon, the Opera House, Church St. Nizier.
- The 2nd district is located at the southern tip of the peninsula formed by the rivers Saône and Rhône. It’s a the heart of Lyons, a shopping district with many stores and malls, the largest square in Europe, the Place Bellecour ( in the center of which the famous statue of Louis XIV).
- A portion of this district to the south has just seen the birth of the famous project “Confluence”, an urban renewal project in the downtown Lyon with all-new housing, offices and shopping centers.
- The 3rd district, a district with many offices and residential buildings, the train station La Part-Dieu, the largest shopping center in Europe (Centre Commercial de la Part-Dieu) and the new Oxygen Tour.
- The 4th district and the plateau of the Croix-Rousse well known for its alleyways, stairways, its market, its creators and its history related to silk.
- The 5th district, the historic center of Lyon, with the Saint John Cathedral, St. Paul and St. George areas known under the name of the “Old Lyon”, Saint Just and his Fourviere Basilica which dominates and protects the city. There are still many traces of the Roman past of the city, including the Gallo-Roman theater.
- The 6th district is often described as the most “chic” district of Lyon with wide avenues (Boulevard des Belges, Rue Duquesne, Avenue Foch …) lined with beautiful buildings and mansions overlooking the Parc de la Tete d ‘ Or It is also a shopping area, mainly around the Cours Vitton.
- The 7th arrondissement, between the Rhone River (west), the Cours Gambetta north, the 8th district in the east, and the town of Saint-Fons in the south. It is the largest district of Lyon. It is located in an area nearly flat, alluvial plain of the Rhone. There are some universities, the International School, the Halle Tony Garnier, where there are many shows and concerts, the Parc de Gerland. The banks of the Rhone offers a very pleasant walk where bicyclists, rollerbladers, joggers and walkers can wander night and day !
- In the 8th district , “Cinema” was invented by the brothers Louis and Auguste Lumiere, The Light Institute traces the birth of cinema in Lyon.
- The 9th district is located on the Vaise district.
Around Lyon, you can find many cities commonly called the “Grand Lyon” (or Courly) among them : Villeurbanne, Ecully, Tassin, Saint Genis Laval, Caluire, etc. …
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