Presqu'ile and the Croix Rousse District

Presqu'île, the peninsula flanked by the Saône and the Rhône, is Lyon's modern center, with fashionable shops, a trove of restaurants and museums, and squares graced by fountains and 19th-century buildings. This is the core of Lyon, and you'll be tempted to explore the entire stretch, from the southern point of the peninsula at La Confluence, up past the Gare de Perrache train station to Place Bellecour, and all the way up to Place des Terreaux.