Lyon, France

Lyon is the third largest metropolitan area in France It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, 243 miles southeast of Paris. Being named the world capital of Gastronomy, Lyon is a paradise for foodies without a shadow of a doubt. The city is known for its historical landmarks and is also listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO

Today we are walking around the old Lyon and our first stop is Quai Roman Rolland located on the right back of the river Saône.

The first building on the left is Palais de Justice (Justice palace).

The palais de Justice is classified as historical monument. Constructed began in 1835 and was completed in 1845 with a Neo-Classic facade.

The Palais de Justice de Lyon is often called the 'Palace of the twenty-four columns'.

We are now crossing the River Saône by taking the Palais de Justice footbridge. It is located in front of the Palais de Justice.

Designed by Gilbert Lamboley with architectural assistance from Charles Delfante and built by Baudin-Chateayneuf in 1983, according to the Structure Website. The bridge is 450 ft. long, only 13 ft. wide.

Palais de Justice footbridge is a cable-stayed bridge with a single tower near the left bank of the river.

There is a statue on the left on the bridge called "The weight of One self" by Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset. The statue was a public commission inaugurated in September 2013, quickly became a landmark of the Lyon landscape

An young man of white marble, about 10 ft. high, carrying in his arms an inanimate man whom he has just saved from drowning. Observing the sculpture, it appears that the fainted figure is the perfect double of its rescuer. Man carries himself. He is both his savior and his burden. This perfect representation actually questions individual responsibility in one's own destiny and vis-à-vis society.

Panoramic view of the bridge. The statue is on the right.

While on the bridge, this is the view of the city looking to the right.

This is the view from the left on the bridge.

Lots of nice buildings lining the river.

Theatre des Celestins is a theatre building located on Place des Celestins. It is now a municipal theatre directly run by the City of Lyon.

It has a contemporary and classical repertoire as well as producing new work.

The theatre and the square on which it stands are named after a convent and church of the Celestine order, which occupied the site between 1407 and 1789. It was founded on the banks of the Saône on land seized from the Templars by Amedee VIII of Savoy and given to the order.

We are now on Place des Jacobins which is a square with a fountain in the center that was added in 1856.

The square belongs to the zone classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it is also one of the most beautiful squares in Lyon.

The white marble fountain standing in the middle of the square was sculpted in 1885 by Gaspard André. It represents four famous local artists: architect Philibert Delorme, sculptor Guillaume Coustou, engraver and illustrator Gérard Audran and painter Hippolyte Flandrin.