Cheap flights from London to Lyon from £18

The history of Lyon is more than 2 000 years long. The Gallo-Roman museum inside the Fourvière hill contains artefacts from the time when the Roman city of Lugdunum stood here. The dim light and stone walls create a fitting atmosphere to learn more about that period. Two windows allow visitors to observe the nearby Roman ruins. Pay attention to the famous Circus Games Mosaic, one of the few existing representations of a chariot race from ancient times.

The Cathedral, built in the 12th-15th centuries, represents a curious mixture of Gothic and Roman styles. Aside from beautiful old stained glass windows and statues, it has one more thing of interest — an astronomical clock. Originally built in 1393, it was largely destroyed and reconstructed in 1661. The clock indicates not only the date but the position of the Sun, the Moon and the earth. The nine-meter structure supports several automatons, such as angels playing the hymn of Saint Jean-Baptiste on small bells.

Église du Bon-Pasteur was built at the end of the 19th century. Napoleon III laid its first stone. The odd thing about this building is that its entrance is about four meters above the ground — but there are no stairs. Architects included a staircase in their plans, but adding it would have required damaging another building. As a result, it was never constructed, and the main entrance serves only as a decoration. At present, the building is closed, but you can enjoy the view of its magnificent exterior.