Lugdunum Museum and Roman Theatres, Lyon

Lugdunum, Musée et Théâtres Romains, is Lyon's museum of Gallic and Roman history together with the two Roman theatres beside it, on Fourvière hill above Vieux Lyon. The site is part of the Historic Site of Lyon, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998. It suits history lovers, families and anyone heading up to the Fourvière basilica.

Bernard Zehrfuss's spiral of ramps

The museum was inaugurated on 15 November 1975 in a concrete building by the architect Bernard Zehrfuss, which descends the hillside in a spiral of ramps so that it does not block the view over the ruins. Long called the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière, it was renamed Lugdunum on 8 November 2017 after the Roman name of the city. Since then the theatres have been run as part of the same site.

The Claudian Tablet and the Roman capital of Gaul

The collections cover the prehistory of the region, the Gallic world and the Roman city that served as a capital of Gaul. The Claudian Tablet is a bronze plaque recording a speech by the emperor Claudius, born in Lyon, in which he argued for admitting Gauls to the Roman Senate. The Coligny calendar is a rare Gallic calendar in bronze.

The second-century Circus Games mosaic, the sarcophagus of the Triumph of Bacchus, a bronze processional chariot and the silver Lyon-Vaise hoard are other highlights, along with a large group of Latin inscriptions. Large windows look straight onto the theatres.

Grand Theatre, odeon and Nuits de Fourvière

The Grand Theatre was begun around 15 BC, and the smaller odeon beside it keeps part of its marble floor. In summer both host the Nuits de Fourvière festival (June and July). The theatres open from 7:00 to 21:00 between 2 May and 30 September and from 7:00 to 19:00 from 1 October to 30 April. The site has slopes and steps.