The Renaissance Paths Traboules Lyon - Colline de la Croix-Rousse

Traboule is a covered pedestrian walkway that can be moved from street to street by passing through houses, courtyards and stairs. The first traboules appeared in the 4th century and were built perpendicular to Saône. There are more than 500 traboules in Lyon, of which about 200 are in the Vieux-Lyon district. Many of these passages were closed or condemned. However, some traboules remain open to the public.

Since the early Middle Ages, the inhabitants of the foothills of Fourvière have provided their own water by accessing some 2000 wells believed to have belonged to the medieval town. Covered walkways have been constructed to access these common wells. The Traboules have evolved in the construction of habitats with the density of buildings, the geographical features of the hills Fourvière and Croix-Rousse and the depth of the islets.

In the nineteenth century, business, especially textiles, required protection between the place of production, the place of sale, and the place of delivery. Thanks to the utility of the passages of the traboule in Lyonnais, the alleys were later changed to resemble the traboule in the urban planning of Lyon from the Renaissance until the nineteenth century. The integration of covered walkways into town planning was even planned from the construction of the building.

Originally, traboules were present in the works of Presqu'ile. But work and rapid urbanization in all sectors in the nineteenth century meant that the restructuring of the industry to remove the textile mills, many old buildings and a number of alleys reduced the traboules.

Currently, the Traboules are on the Unesco list of world heritage sites, mainly in Old Lyon and on the Croix-Rousse slopes: almost 215 yards and traboules have been identified in Vieux-Lyon, 163 on the Croix-Rousse slopes. Red hair. For its part, the Presqu'ile area has 130.

Some traboules have been closed from time to time, mainly for security reasons. But today, some are protected and governed by conventions established between owners and occupants of buildings in the city and the Grand Lyon Métropole. Since 1990, this system allows people to borrow them while ensuring good coexistence between visitors and owners/occupants.

Traboules are open to the public. Nearly all of these paths are part of residential areas, so you should go quietly. The best place to start your adventure is Quai Fulchiron Rolland and Rue des Trois Maries.

Another tourist attraction in this area is the Maison des Canuts (House of Silk Workers) at 10/12 Rue d'Ivry. This small museum is dedicated to the art of silk making. During a visit, visitors can discover the invention of the Jacquard loom and watch demonstrations of hand weaving on traditional looms.

Address: 1 Quai de Bondy, 69005 Lyon, France

Opening hours: Daily 09:30-19:00 (closed on Mondays)

Reference page source: https://www.lyon-france.com/Je-decouvre-Lyon/sites-et-monuments/les-traboules-et-cours-de-lyon

Phone: +33 6 50 50 45 50