Place Bellecour (Bellecour Square), Lyon

If Lyon had a front porch, it would definitely be Bellecour Square - big, open, and impossible to ignore. It’s the third largest square in France, the largest fully pedestrian square in Europe, and the beating heart of the city. But it didn’t start out this polished.

Roll back to Gallo-Roman times, and this grand square was not a square at all. It was an island - basically a sandy leftover from river floods - used for military drills and trade.

By the 12th century, the Archbishop of Lyon had planted a vineyard here. Officially, it was for “medicinal purposes,” but you may draw your own conclusions... Later, the vines disappeared, the land was abandoned, and the whole place turned into a swamp. Not exactly postcard material.

In 1562, Baron des Adrets parked his troops here during an attack on Lyon. After the drama settled, the land dried out and became pasture. Then, in 1604, King Henry III had a bright idea: let’s build a proper public square. Simple? Not at all. The archbishop objected, lawyers got involved, and the argument between the crown and clergy dragged on for more than a century. Urban planning, 17th-century style...

Finally, in 1708, King Louis XIV settled the matter. The square opened in 1715 under the name Louis-le-Grand. A few decades later, during the French Revolution, it witnessed a much darker chapter - a guillotine stood here, reminding everyone that public squares can host both celebrations and upheaval.

Today, at the centre, you’ll find the equestrian statue of Louis XIV, installed in 1825 to replace the earlier version destroyed in revolutionary enthusiasm. At its base, two allegorical figures represent the Saône and Rhône rivers, as if quietly supporting the king. At the western end, there’s a gentler presence: statues of author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and his Little Prince, watching over the square with poetic calm.

Around the edges, life continues. Two pavilions sit here - one houses the Tourist Office, the other an art gallery. There’s a small play area, a fountain, a couple of bars, and from time to time, a giant Ferris wheel rises above it all, giving visitors a slow spin above Lyon’s rooftops.

From sandy island to swamp, from royal ambition to revolutionary drama, Bellecour Square has seen it all - and it’s still the place where Lyon gathers, pauses, and looks around.