Our Lyon guide lists 10 places of worship. The best-known historic ones are grouped in two walkable areas: Vieux Lyon, the old town, and the Presqu'île district in the city centre, so you can see several in one day.
Lyon Cathedral, the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, stands on Place Saint-Jean in central Lyon. It is a Roman Catholic church and the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon. In Vieux Lyon, the Église Saint-Georges on Place François-Bertras, in the 5th arrondissement, belongs to the Primatiale parish and is named after Saint George. Nearby, the Temple du Change, also called the Loge du Change, once housed Lyon's stock exchange; it was first built to plans by Simon Gourdet between 1631 and 1653 and rebuilt under Jacques-Germain Soufflot in 1748–1750.
On the Presqu'île, in the 2nd arrondissement, the Church of Saint-Nizier stands between Place des Terreaux and Place des Jacobins and takes its name from Nicetius of Lyon, a 6th-century bishop of the city. On Place des Cordeliers, the Église Saint-Bonaventure is the only medieval building that was not demolished when the rue Impériale was created under the Second Empire.
The guide also lists the Chapelle de l'Hôtel-Dieu, the Chapelle des Jésuites, the Église Saint-François-de-Sales, an evangelical church in Vieux Lyon and a French Orthodox parish. When visiting during services, dress respectfully and keep quiet.
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10 places in our guide
1. Cathédrale Saint-Jean
Lyon
Lyon Cathedral or the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist of Lyon is a Roman Catholic church located on Place Saint-Jean in central Lyon, France. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon.
2. Église Saint-Georges
Lyon
The Église Saint-Georges is a Roman Catholic church located on the Place François-Bertras, in the Vieux Lyon quarter, in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon. It is under the direction of the Primatiale parish and was named in honor of Saint George.
3. Église Saint-Nizier
Lyon
The Church of Saint-Nizier is a church in the Presqu'île district of Lyon, France, in the 2nd arrondissement, between the Place des Terreaux and the Place des Jacobins. Its name refers to Nicetius of Lyon, a bishop of the city during the 6th century.
4. Temple du Change
Lyon
The Temple du Change or Loge du Change, formerly used for the stock exchange of Lyon, stands in Vieux Lyon. It was originally built after plans by architect Simon Gourdet between 1631 and 1653, then rebuilt under the direction of Jacques-Germain Soufflot in 1748–1750.
5. Basilique Saint-Bonaventure
Lyon
The Église Saint-Bonaventure is one of the churches of the quarter Presqu'île, located on the Place des Cordeliers, in the 2nd arrondissement of Lyon. This is the only medieval building not demolished after the creation of the rue Impériale, under the Second Empire by the prefect Claude-Marius Vaïsse.
6. Chapelle de l'Hôtel-Dieu
Lyon
7. Église Évangélique du Vieux Lyon
Lyon
8. Paroisse orthodoxe française
Lyon
9. Chapelle des Jésuites
Lyon
10. Église Saint-François-de-Sales
Lyon
Questions travellers ask
- What is Lyon's cathedral?
- The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist (Cathédrale Saint-Jean), a Roman Catholic church on Place Saint-Jean and the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon.
- Which places of worship are in Vieux Lyon?
- The Église Saint-Georges, the Temple du Change and the Église Évangélique du Vieux Lyon.
- Who is Saint-Nizier named after?
- Nicetius of Lyon, a 6th-century bishop of the city. The church stands between Place des Terreaux and Place des Jacobins.
- What was the Temple du Change?
- Lyon's former stock exchange in Vieux Lyon, built between 1631 and 1653 to plans by Simon Gourdet and rebuilt under Jacques-Germain Soufflot in 1748–1750.
- What is special about Saint-Bonaventure?
- It is the only medieval building that was not demolished when the rue Impériale was created under the Second Empire.