Croix Rousse hill
1 / 5
Mur des Canuts - by Florian on Google
Description
The Croix Rousse is considered one of Lyon's most interesting neighbourhoods. It is located north of the Presqu'île with its slopes belonging to the 1st arrondissement and the plateau covering most of the 4th arrondissement. Its name come from an ocre-coloured stone cross erected in the 16th century that was taken down and rebuilt several times. The neighbourhood developed when the "canuts", the silk factory weavers, moved there at the beginning of the industrial revolution in the early 1800's. The Lyon area was the largest center of factory workers in France at the time and it is in Croix-Rousse (then a separate town until it was merged with Lyon in 1852) that the first labour revolts took place in 1831, 1834 and 1848. These would inspire some of most important social thoughts and theories in Europe (Proudhon, Marx, etc.). Highlights include the traboules (street shortcuts going through buildings and stairways), the Trois Gaules amphitheatre, and the street murals.
Access & Transport
The Croix Rousse metro station (C) is centrally located in the neighbourhood whilst Croix-Paquet (C) and Cuire (C) provide access to the southern and northern sides, respectively. There are also several bus services, those covering the centre of the area include (among others): 2, 33, 45, C13, S4 and S12.
Instructions & Recommendations
The neighbourhood starts just north of the Musee des Beaux Arts so we would recommend walking from there, including the Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls in your itinerary. La Croix Rousse is also a good place to discover in the evenings with its bars and bistrots. Best to wear proper shoes as there are many stairs and sloping streets.
Environmental & Social
Very urban environment with no green spaces. Not overly commercial, with many independent stores, and some cultural diversity
Conclusion
The Croix Rousse is slowly gentrifying but has retained some of its historical roots. There are no monuments there, besides the amazing amphitheatre that is, but visitors keen to learn more about another aspect of the city beyond the Vieux Lyon and the wealthy centre can easily spend half a day exploring the sloping streets, murals and famous traboules. Also a good place for an evening out.
Key positive
Neighbourhood with an interesting history
Good for street art photography
Key negative
Some areas may feel dirty and a little unsafe if visiting alone
Suitability
Visitors with reduced mobility / wheelchair users will need some assistance navigating some of the streets (slopes and stairs)
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
June 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:0h 25m
est. visit time:2h 30m
Sunrise / early morningOk
MorningOk
Lunch timeOk
AfternoonOk
Sunset / eveningOk
Night – bef. midnightOk
Night – aft. midnightNo