Lyon's painted walls: an artistic curiosity

Since the end of the 1980s, the Cité de la Création association has created numerous murals in the streets of Lyon. The most famous, such as the Fresque des Lyonnais and the Musée Urbain Tony Garnier, are signed by artists from the organisation. Popular with tourists and locals alike, they are an integral part of the architectural heritage of the City of Lights.

The mur des canuts covers an area of 1,200 m² and is the largest fresco in Europe! Originally empty, the wall now bears witness to everyday life in Lyon's Croix-Rousse district. There are references to Guignol and the life of the Canuts in the 19th century, as well as more recent touches such as the Velo'v self-service bicycles in Lyon. This trompe-l'œil fresco has evolved over time, and has undergone several versions, modified in 1987, 1997 and 2013.

Practical info

📍 Departure point: 36 Boulevard des Canuts - Lyon 4th arrondissement. End of the tour in the Terreaux district.

🕑 Length of visit: 2h

👛 Price:

• Adults: 13 euros
• Students and young people aged 8 to 18: 8 euros
• Under 8s: free

🚇How to get there: Metro C - Hénon

On this wall, all the famous people of Lyon are illustrated. The Fresque des Lyonnais depicts 30 faces of men and women from Lyon who have left their mark on history. Sainte Blandine, Paul Bocuse, Juliette Récamier, Ampère, Saint-Exupéry, Bertrand Tavernier, Bernard Pivot... are painted in a trompe-l'oeil setting. Covering an area of 800 m², it is one of the city's major attractions.

📍 Location: 2 Rue de la Martinière - Lyon 1st arrondissement.

The Lumières brothers brought the cinema to Lyon in 1895, and it was only fitting that the city should have its own fresco. Summing up the history of the cinema from its beginnings, with the "Sortie d'usine" (the exit of the mill), to the present day, this is not a fresco but a veritable trailer laid out before the eyes of the spectators. Split between the top section, which features a filming set, the bottom section, which illustrates the staging of the first film, and the films shot in Lyon on the side, this fresco trully is an open-air museum.

📍 Location: 4 Place Gabriel Péri - Lyon 7th arrondissement.

Scientific research is the focus of the "Lyon, health, life" fresco. Lyon's most famous figures from the scientific sphere have their portraits on it: Claude Bernard, Auguste Lumière, Rabelais, Léon Bérard, René Leriche... One of the two walls painted is that of a French Red Cross building, it also highlights the professions of the everyday people who work for the organisation.

📍 Location: 115 avenue Lacassagne - Lyon 3rd arrondissement.

The Gerland fresco is a summary of the high points and major achievements of the district: the Tony Garnier hall, technology parks, top schools, etc. It is located right next to the stadium where World Cup 98 matches were played. Football fans can therefore admire, quite naturally, a collection of memorabilia from the World Cup that earned France its first star.

📍 Location: 18, rue Pierre de Coubertin - Lyon 7th arrondissement.

Montluc was a place of detention, and this fresco, in which the hazy image of Jean Moulin floats against a background inspired by Van Gogh's "Field of Wheat with Crows", is a symbol of imprisonment and suffering. A representation of the Hero of the Lyon Resistance, the Montluc fresco is accompanied by a memorial, for the prisoners tortured and massacred on the premises.

📍 Location: rue du Dauphiné - Lyon 3rd arrondissement.

A giant library featuring works by actors with a connection to Lyon, the fresco La bibliothèque de la cité is a goldmine to be explored with a magnifying glass. Nearly 500 references by Voltaire, Louis Labé and Frédéric Dard are hidden (more or less) in this open-air setting. 400 m² of an impressively detailed corner building are available to walkers, not far from Place des Terreaux.

📍 Location: rue de la platière - Lyon 1st arrondissement.

The Musée Urbain Tony Garnier is unlike any other fresco... Designer of the Etats-Unis district in Lyon, Tony Garnier created a veritable open-air museum. There are 25 painted walls to discover, as well as a show flat from the 1930s, when the site was built.

Practical info

📍 Location: 4 Rue des Serpollières - Lyon 8th arrondissement.

🕑 Duration: between 1h and 1h30 depending on the tour.

👛 Price: from €5 depending on the tour