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St Jean Cathedral

The cathedral is dedicated to St John the Baptist (St Jean-Baptiste) and St Stephen (St Etienne) and has the title of primatiale because the Bishop of Lyon has the honorary title of Primat des Gaules. Built between 1180 and 1480, it is mostly of Gothic style with Romanesque elements; the oldest parts are the chancel and the lateral chapels, and as one goes towards the façade, the style becomes more and more Gothic. The cathedral hosts a spectacular astronomical clock built in the 14th century but modified later. It is especially worth seeing when the bells ring, daily on the hour from 12:00-16:00. Over the main door, the rose window, known as the "Lamb rose window", is an admirable work of art depicting the life of St Stephen and St John the Baptist.

Address: place St Jean
Getting there: M: Vieux Lyon
Hours: Mon-Fri 08:15-12:00, 13:45-19:30, Sat Sun 08:15-12:00, 13:45-19:00; services (no visits) Mon-Fri 09:00 and 19:00, Sat 09:00, Sun 08:30 and 10:30 (high mass)
Price: Free, appropriate dress required

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Lyon, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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St Jean archaeological garden
Jardin archéologique
Next to St Jean cathedral (on the northern side), this small garden shows the remains of the religious buildings which occupied the site before the cathedral was erected. The oldest remains date back to the 4th century (baptistery of the former St Etienne church).
Free
See
Musée Miniature et Cinéma
Miniature and Movie Museum
Created by artist Dan Ohlmann, this private gallery shows about 120 miniature models of all kinds of scenes: houses, restaurants, workshops, schools, etc., from Lyon or elsewhere, historical or contemporary. The accuracy of the models is astonishing and some sections will be real fun for children. Movie sceneries, models, costumes, masks and props are also presented, including a wand from the Harry Potter films and the Alien Queen from Alien vs. Predator. The gallery is in a large 16th-century building called Maison des Avocats (Lawyers' house).
Daily 10:00-18:30 (ticket sales close at 17:30)€9.50, senior €8, student €7, under 15 €6.50
See
Palais de Justice
The historical court house, also named "the 24 columns", was built between 1835 and 1842 by architect Louis-Pierre Baltard. It is a fine example of French "neo-classical" architecture. It now hosts only the criminal court (Cour d'Assises) and the court of appeal. The other jurisdictions moved to a new building in Part-Dieu in 1995. The most famous trial held there was that of the former head of the Lyon Gestapo, Klaus Barbie, in 1987. The building is undergoing major refurbishment works.
See
Boat trips on the Saône
Navig'Inter company
A boat trip can be a good way to see Lyon from a different point of view. Boats will take you either upstream to Ile Barbe or downstream to the Confluence. Night trips available on Fridays and Saturdays.
Fri - Sun 11:00-18:00€10-15