Things to Do in Rhône-Alpes

Perched above Annecy’s Old Town, Annecy Castle (Château d'Annecy) was the princely residence of the Counts of Geneva between the 13th and 17th centuries. After years of neglect and multiple fires, the restored castle is today a historic monument housing the Alpine Lakes Regional Observatory and the Musée-Château d'Annecy Museum.

Tête d'Or Park was designed by landscape architect Denis Bühler and opened in 1856. It’s home to one of France's leading botanical gardens, with more than 20,000 plant varieties, where you’ll find an international rose garden and a zoological area devoted to species of the African plains.

Home to one of France’s most outstanding art collections, the Lyon Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon is often described as the “little Louvre.” Housed in a restored, 17th-century convent, the museum’s collection spans from Antiquity to the Modern Age, from Egyptian artifacts to Cubist canvases.

If you’ve ever wanted to see movie props up close, or you’re just looking for a good rainy-day destination where you can take a break from wandering cobblestone streets, head over to the Musée Miniature et Cinéma (Cinema and Miniature Museum). In a stately building in Old Lyon (Vieux Lyon), you’ll find real objects from hundreds of films, mini masterpieces, and more.

One of Lyon’s most significant Roman–era landmarks, the UNESCO-listed Ancient Theatre of Fourvière (Théâtre Antique de Lyon is a living testament to the city’s millennia-long history. Built around 15 BC, when Lyon was still known as “Lugdunum,” the arena could once seat 10,000 spectators, and is still used for performances today.

Welcoming visitors to Annecy’s Old Town, the 12th-century Island Palace (Palais de l’Île) sits right in the middle of Canal du Thiou on a prow-shaped islet between colorful canal-side streets. Over the years, the landmark building has served as a courthouse, mint, prison, military barrack, and ducal residence.

Centered around the 254-meter hill of the same name, the Croix-Rousse district was the heart of Lyon’s 18th-century silk industry, with the influx of workers earning it the nickname ‘the hill that works’, while neighboring Fourvière was dubbed ‘the hill that prays’. The historic district makes a fascinating addition to a walking tour, with its unique traboules - narrow, tunnel-like passageways that served as the setting to the 19th-century silk-workers revolt - snaking between the historic workshops and running down to the riverside. Today, some of the traboules have been restored, most notably the Passage Thiaffait, which is now home to the ‘Village of Creators’ and lined with artist’s galleries, crafts workshops and fashion boutiques.

The lively district retains its village-like atmosphere and is now crammed with bars, restaurants and cafes, many of which offer impressive views along the riverside. Additional highlights include the daily Croix-Rousse Market, the ruins of the Roman Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls, the landmark Gros Caillou (literally, a ‘Big Rock’) and the Croix-Rousse tunnel, a bus, bike and pedestrian route that burrows through the hill and is now the backdrop for a dazzling light and sound show.

Before 1895, photography was cutting-edge technology. Then, the Lumière brothers changed image-making forever with the Cinematograph, which produced the first moving pictures. Visit the birthplace of this radical invention at Lyon's Lumière Institute (Institut Lumière, a museum, cultural space, and theater celebrating cinema's origins.

The Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art (Musée d'art Contemporain de Lyon is a beacon of modernity in an ancient city, showcasing works by emerging global artists. Enjoy three floors of galleries, rotating temporary exhibitions, and site-specific works. Dine alfresco on the terrace at the Café du Musée, or visit the bookstore for a souvenir.

After the occupation of northern France by the Nazis in World War II, Lyon became the center of the French Resistance until a German crackdown in 1942. Learn more about the role this undercover organization played – and its brutal repression – at the Resistance and Deportation History Centre.

For a bird’s-eye view of historic Lyon, don’t miss the largest animated miniature park in France. At Mini World Lyon, explore four different worlds, around 1,000 mini buildings, and top sights such as Tête d’Or park and Fourvière Hill. You’ll also find a 3D cinema and unique temporary exhibits.

Chamonix’s Amusement Park is open year-round and offers plenty of family-friendly fun from giant swings, electric motorcycles, and water games in the summer to skiing, arcade games, and more during the winter months. The park’s most popular attraction is the exhilarating 4,265-feet (1300-meter long Alpine Coaster, which twists and turns down the mountainside.

Beyond its pivotal role in the French justice system, the Lyon Palace of Justice (Palais de Justice Historique de Lyon is a marvelous architectural statement on the banks of the Saône River. The neoclassical detailing, fluted exterior columns, and river views make this 19th century building a worthy stop on a tour of Old Town Lyon (Vieux Lyon.

Semnoz is one of the most famous mountains of the Bauges range in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in eastern France. It’s a skiing destination that’s also popular in summer for mountain biking, hiking, and rock climbing. If sports aren’t your thing, the birds eye view over Lake Annecy and the surrounding mountain peaks make visiting worthwhile.