France · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes · Lyon
Lyon 01, Lyon — Area Guide & Where to Stay
The 1st arrondissement of Lyon climbs from Place des Terreaux up the slope of the Croix-Rousse, a district of museums between the Rhône and the Saône.
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Where to stay in Lyon 01
Where visitors usually base themselves, and why.
The 1st arrondissement gathers its lodging around Place des Terreaux and the lower slope of the Croix-Rousse. Rooms near the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon put the square's fountains and cafés at the door, with the northern Presqu'île streets running down toward the Saône. Stay low for the museums.
Higher up, the stepped lanes climbing toward the Croix-Rousse suit walkers who want the old silk-weaver quarter and its quieter courtyards, a steep but rewarding base above the two rivers.
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Terreaux
Around Place des Terreaux and the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon on the northern Presqu'île.Find hotels in Terreauxthe old silk-weaver lanesLower Croix-Rousse slope
Stepped streets climbing from Place des Terreaux toward the Croix-Rousse with quiet weavers' courtyards.Find hotels in Lower Croix-Rousse slopeHotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
Things to do in and around Lyon
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Museums & Galleries
3- Manécanterie Heritage
- Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon
- Musée d'histoire naturelle - Guimet
Churches & Religious Sites
4- Église Saint-Polycarpe Heritage
- Église Notre Dame Saint-Vincent Heritage
- Église Saint-Denis-de-la-Croix-Rousse de Lyon Heritage
- Église Saint-Pierre-des-Terreaux de Lyon Heritage
Castles & Historic Sites
3- amphitheater of Lyon Heritage
- monument fontaine à Jean-Pierre Pléney Heritage
- Lyon Armenian Genocide Memorial
Landmarks & Notable Places
5- Maison du Chamarier Heritage
- House of Pauline Jaricot Heritage
- Maison aux Lions de Lyon Heritage
- Maison Thomassin Heritage
- Immeuble, 29 rue Saint-Jean Heritage
worth knowingacross 4 categories in and around Lyon
About Lyon 01
What are the main landmarks in Lyon 01?
The 1st arrondissement of Lyon centres its landmarks on Place des Terreaux. The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon fills a former abbey on the square, while the Église Saint-Pierre-des-Terreaux de Lyon stands against its flank. Print and memory sit close by.
The Musée de l'Imprimerie et de la Communication Graphique keeps the city's printing history, and the Lyon Armenian Genocide Memorial marks a quieter corner. Up the slope, the Monument aux Grands Hommes de la Martinière and the Colonne du Méridien punctuate the climb toward the Croix-Rousse.
What is the history of Lyon 01?
The 1st arrondissement rose on the northern Presqu'île below the Croix-Rousse, where the silk canuts kept their looms on the slope. Its lower ground around Place des Terreaux held convents and civic buildings, and the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon now occupies one former abbey. Weavers worked the heights.
Their trade climbed the hill above the district, threaded through the tall workshops that still line the stepped lanes. The Gadagne museums and the Musée des Hospices Civils de Lyon keep the record of that older city between the two rivers.
Where is Lyon 01?
The 1st arrondissement covers the northern Presqu'île of Lyon, rising from Place des Terreaux up the Croix-Rousse slope between the Rhône and the Saône.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Lyon 01?
Terreaux: the museum square and its fountains. Lower Croix-Rousse slope: the old silk-weaver lanes.
Good for
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Updated October 2026