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The history of Lyon goes back as far as 20,000 years BC when small tribes settled in the area that is now known as Lyon;
they built a shrine on the mountain of Fourvière to honour their god, Lug.
In the first century BC (43 BC) the Romans settled on Fourvière and they called the city Lugdunum,
meaning the hill of light or the hill of crows; there might even be a reference to the god Lug of the old tribes and their shrine in his name.
The city prospered in three centuries of Roman ownership; Lugdunum became the second city of the Empire after Rome.
But after the fall of the Roman Empire, Lyon went downhill as well,
and it wasn’t until the Middle Ages that the city regained some of its importance again.
Under the reign of Charlemagne (742-814) the city thrived for a short period, and it was also around this time that Lugdunum became Lyon.
But it was at the beginning of the 15th century that Lyon really regained its old glory, when it became the European Trade capital.
The grow continued during the following centuries, but during the French Revolution, the city lost everything, but its name.
In the 19th and 20th centuries Lyon became an important cultural centre, while during WWII, the city was the centre of the Resistance.
Today Lyon is focused on progress and the future, while at the same time valuing its heritage
for UNESCO has classified 500 hectares of the city as sites of historical interest.
Lyon is situated in an attractive geographical setting with two hills; Fourvière, and La Croix-Rousse, and two rivers,
the Rhône and the Saône, which flow from north to south through the city and turn the old historic city centre into a peninsula.
Lyon is currently France’s 2nd largest city, with 1,8 million inhabitants.
Of course, the city’s rich past has left its mark on Lyon, so many artifacts of the past can be found in the city,
like the the Roman-era Amphithéâtre des Trois Gaules, the Cathedral Saint-Jean Baptiste,
and the Notre-Dame de Fourvière basilica, to name but a few of the many historical point of interests.
Skyscraper wise the city doesn’t have much to offer though,
except that it is home to the only skyscraper of central France,
and the tallest building in France outside of Paris and its suburbs: Tour du Crédit Lyonnais.

Above left and right: a day and early evening shot of Lyon, with Tour du Crédit Lyonnais rising above.
The pictures were taken from the premises of the Notre-Dame de Fourviere basilica, on top of the Fourvière hill.
Above middle: view of the Fourvière hill from the banks of the Saône river,
with the Notre Dame Fourvière basilica and the Tour Métallique on top of the hill.



Above: Lyon's tallest skyscraper: Tour du Crédit Lyonnais (165m/541f, 42 stories, 1977).
The tower, nicknamed 'le Crayon' (the pencil) by the people of Lyon,
is an office tower with a hotel on the top 10 floors.
The tower is situated in La Part-Dieu, a business district in Lyon,
which can be considered as the 2nd downtown area of the city,
after the old historic city centre in between the rivers Rhône and Saône.
Above: Tour Société Suisse (82m/269f, 21 stories, 1990).
This tower can also be found in the La Part-Dieu district.
Above: Tour EDF (no height available, but about 80m/262f, 20 stories, 1975).
Tour EDF is also part of La Part-Dieu district.
Above left: Tour de la Duchère (80m/262f, 28 stories, 1972);
it's the tallest residential building in Lyon (105 apartments).
It can be found in the northwestern part of Lyon, on top of another hill.
Above: Tour UAP (71m/233f, 21 stories, 1972).
The fourth tallest tower of the La Part-Dieu district.
Above left: Gratte-Ciel Tour II (65m/213f, 19 stories, 1934).
A similar tower (Gratte-Ciel Tour I) can be found right next to this tower,
on the other side of the street.
The towers were the tallest buildings of Lyon from 1934 to 1977.
Above right: Tour Banque Populaire Loire et Lyonnais (no height available, 15 stories, 19??).
Above: Tour Métallique (86m/282f, 1894).
This steel framework tower was inspired in design by Paris' Eiffel Tower.
It was built between 1892 and 1894, by a private person.
The 210 tons tower used to have a restaurant and an observation deck,
but these were closed in 1953. These days it's a television tower and not accessible to the public.
It stands on top of the Fourvière hill and at a height of 372m/1,220 it marks the highest point in Lyon.


Above: Notre-Dame de Fourvière basilica.
The basilica is nicknamed "the upside-down elephant" by the people from Lyon,
because of its strange and massive silhouette with four octagonal towers.
It was built between 1872 and 1896 in honour of the Virgin Mary.
A statue of the Virgin Mary can be seen on a tower next to the basilica.
Perched atop the Fourvière hill, the basilica looms impressively over the city
and can be seen from miles away from many different vantage points.
Above: Primatiale Saint-Jean (a.k.a. Cathédrale Saint-Jean Baptiste de Lyon).
The Cathedral was constructed between 1180 and 1480 in a Roman and Gothic style.
Above: a night and day skyline view of the eastern part of Lyon seen from Fourvière hill.



Lyon's 5 tallest skyscrapers:
1. TOUR DU CREDIT LYONNAIS 165m/541f, 42 stories, 1977
2. TOUR SOCIÉTÉ SUISSE 82m/269f, 21 stories, 1990
3. TOUR DE LA DUCHÈRE 80m/262f, 28 stories, 1972
4. TOUR EDF ??m/??f, 20 stories, 1975
5. TOUR UAP 77m/253f, 21 stories, 1972

The building data, the top 5 of tallest buildings and some of the building information are courtesy of
EMPORIS.COM, one of the world's leading architectural resources on tall buildings.

All pictures copyright (c) 2006 Patrick Beckers. All Rights Reserved.
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