The presqu'île ("peninsula") : Between the Rhône and the Saône, the presqu'île is 5 km long and 700 metres wide. All periods and styles are to be found here, from the Gallo-Roman era through to the Opera House, remodelled in 1993. The Presqu'île is the heart of Lyon's cultural life, with its museums, theatres, opera house, art galleries, retail outlets and nightlife.

The Croix-Rousse : the Croix-Rousse, "the hill that works", lies to the north of the presqu'île. In the early 19th century the silk industry radically changed the entire neighbourhood, bringing with it high-windowed apartments for the silkworkers, who needed light for their work and space for looms that stood 4 metres tall. Today the slopes of the Croix-Rousse are a stepped maze of interlocking houses.