Audio Guide: Lyon Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Lyon

If cities kept diaries, Lyon’s would have been over 2,000 years long - and still adding new chapters. Capital of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Lyon sits confidently where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet, as if it chose the spot for dramatic effect. Founded in 43 BC as Lugdunum, a Roman settlement for war refugees, it quickly climbed the ranks to become the capital of Roman Gaul. Not bad for a hilltop start...

Two future Roman emperors - Claudius and Caracalla - were born here, which means Lyon can casually claim having produced emperors, too. The name Lugdunum probably blends the Celtic god Lug with the word “dunos,” which means hill or fortress - a nod to Fourvière hill, where it all began. Over centuries, Lugdon softened into Luon, and eventually, by the 1200s, settled into the name Lyon we know today.

The Renaissance period saw Lyon shift from imperial outpost to financial powerhouse. It became France’s banking capital and a silk-trading giant, weaving strong ties with Italy; the elegant buildings in the Old Town still whisper with Italian accents...

Printing presses hummed, books circulated, and ideas traveled. By the 19th century, Lyon's industry was booming - but so were tensions. The silk workers rose up in 1831 and again in 1834, leaving their mark on French labour history.

During World War II, Lyon turned into a base for Nazi forces, but was also a city of quiet courage. The traboules - those secret passageways threading through buildings - became lifelines for the French Resistance, helping people disappear when they needed to most.

Today, Lyon is proudly known for its cuisine as much as its past. To feel the city's scale, stand in Bellecour Square, one of Europe’s largest pedestrian spaces, and let it unfold around you. Nearby, Jacobins' Square adds elegance with its fountain and polished façades. The former Palace of Justice - also known colloquially as the “Palace of the 24 Columns” - stands like a reminder that Lyon has always meant business.

Cross into the Old Town to find Lyon Cathedral and Rue Saint-Jean, where hidden traboules, such as the Pink Tower Passageway and Thomassin House, reveal centuries of stories. In the central part of the city called Presqu’île, the Lyon Fresco, Terreaux Square, and Republic Street show how history and modern life share the same stage.

Still, Lyon isn’t just a collection of monuments. It's primarily about atmosphere - the mix of Roman ambition, Renaissance flair, industrial grit, and contemporary rhythm. Walk its streets, cross its bridges, and step through its hidden doorways. Let Lyon reveal to you its layers one by one, and discover why this city still continues to shape French culture and identity.