Visitor Vids tourist guide to Lyon, France. Make the most of your day out with our three minute guide to the top visitor attractions in Lyon.

Lyon, France’s third biggest city is a busy commercial and tourist centre in east-central France and a UNESCO world heritage site.

Situated on the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, the historic city centre forms a peninsula called the "Presqu'île" between the two rivers. Here you’ll find the main square, the Place des Terreaux with the impressive city hall and the fine art museum, the Musee des beaux-art de Lyon. Housed in a former 17th century convent, it is one of the largest art galleries in France. A few streets away, the Opera House is the home of the Opéra National de Lyon. The original 1831 opera house was re-designed between 1985 and 1993.

Take a stroll through the slopes of the old silk district, called the Croix-Rousse, which features medieval and modern architecture, to the banks of the river Saône. Here you’ll find the Fresque des Lyonnais mural covering an entire building. It depicts 31 famous people from Lyon and is one of 150 wall paintings in the city.

Cross the river to the district called Vieux (Old) Lyon with its impressive medieval Cathedral of St John, the Renaissance quarter of St Jean and quirky museums such as the Miniature and Cinema museum. In this district you’ll find examples of narrow passageways named Traboules. Unique to Lyon, these 4th century short-cuts pass through buildings and link the streets on either side.

Take a ride on the world's first urban funicular railway, linking the old town to the hilly quarter of La Croix-Rousse and the Fourvière district. This large hill to the west of the city houses the bejewelled basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière and the Tour Metallique, a TV tower which replicates the top part of the Eifel Tower. In the Fourviere district you’ll also find extensive Roman remains, testifying to two millennia of urban settlement in Lyon.

Cross back over the river to the impressive science centre and anthropology museum, the Musee des Confluences. Wander through the impressive Place Bellecour the third-largest public square in France, past shops and lively restaurants.

Lyon is renowned for its cuisine and the world-famous chef Paul Bocuse originates from here. No visit would be complete without a meal in a bouchon – a typical Lyonnaise restaurant or a visit on the Rhone-side of the city to the sumptuous Paul Bocuse food hall, a gastronomic delight.