Photography locations in Lyon away from crowds

The Secret Passages of Vieux Lyon run through interior courtyards between buildings in the old town. From the 15th to the 16th century, merchants used these covered routes to transport textiles and protect their goods from rain. The walkways connect different streets and reveal architectural details from the Renaissance period. Some courtyards contain stone spiral staircases, while others feature narrow passages with vaulted ceilings. Light enters through small windows and roof openings. The walls still bear traces of old craftsmanship. These hidden routes offer photographers quiet scenes away from the busy streets of Lyon.

The Musée des Confluences is a science museum located at the junction of the Rhône and Saône rivers in Lyon. Its modern building with a striking futuristic form provides strong contrast to the city's older neighborhoods and offers excellent opportunities for photographers seeking contemporary architecture. The distinctive structure and its riverside setting create interesting photographic possibilities, especially as light changes throughout the day.

This Rose Garden in La Mulatière is a private garden displaying over 800 rose varieties and rare plant species collected since 1950. The garden opens during spring and offers photographers a chance to capture floral arrangements and botanical details away from the usual tourist routes in Lyon. The variety of rose forms and colors creates different photographic subjects, while the quiet setting outside the city center allows for focused work and provides contrast to the more visited locations across the city.

This workers' courtyard in Croix-Rousse was built in 1840 for silk workers and displays a six-story staircase from that era. The architecture reveals the industrial heritage of Lyon's textile district, showing old stone steps, wrought-iron railings, and tall walls that once surrounded workshops. Light filters down from above, casting shadows across the worn stone surfaces.

This media building in Lyon Confluence was completed in 2015 and displays contemporary glass architecture in the redeveloped harbor district. The glass facade reflects the sky and surrounding water, offering strong subjects for architecture and reflection photography. The building sits among renovated industrial structures and contemporary residential towers, demonstrating the transformation of this former industrial zone into a modern urban quarter with wide walkways and open spaces. It represents the contemporary subjects within this collection of photography locations that show how different parts of the city blend old and new.

This island in the Saône in the 9th arrondissement provides photographers with a quieter setting away from Lyon's busier districts. The Benedictine monastery dating from the 5th century and medieval stone fortifications offer historical subjects. The religious architecture and riverside location create opportunities for photographs of old walls, arches, and vegetation growing between the historic structures. A bridge provides access and opens views toward the water and surrounding landscape. Île Barbe demonstrates religious heritage and natural river settings within the city.

This six-story residential building from 1879 has an unusual triangular floor plan and stands at a street corner in Croix-Rousse. The facade shows stone sculptures and ornamental details from the late 19th century. The building appears like a ship's prow wedged between two streets due to its pointed shape. For photographers, it offers interesting perspectives from different angles, especially when light brings out the reliefs and figures on the exterior wall. Maison Brunet is part of a selection of photography locations in Lyon away from crowds, showing both historical and contemporary subjects across different city districts.

This wall painting in Croix-Rousse shows the life of silk workers in the neighborhood. Architectural details combine with depictions of local residents and everyday scenes from the history of the traboules and workshops. The fresco fits into the facades of Croix-Rousse and documents the industrial past through painted windows, staircases, and figures that reflect the former rhythm of the district.

This nineteenth century covered walkway connects two streets in central Lyon and remains away from tourist routes. The Passage Thiaffait houses fashion studios, art galleries and small clothing stores. Natural light falls through the glass roof and creates shadows on the old walls. The architecture shows typical elements of Lyon's covered passages with high ceilings and narrow spaces. Photographers find quiet moments here and architectural details that are characteristic of historic Lyon.

This garden in Croix-Rousse for the photography collection shows mosaics made from seashells and stones set into concrete structures. Mediterranean plants grow between the constructions, creating the look of a personal collection. Spanish mason Jules Senis shaped the garden over many years. The paths lead through different areas with varied patterns and forms. Photographers visiting this location find subjects for close-up shots of details and textures. Light falls differently on the surfaces and changes throughout the day. The garden sits in a courtyard away from main streets.

This elevated public square in the Croix-Rousse district offers photographers a different view of Lyon's rooftops and landmarks. Benches and trees line the edge of the square, creating a restful setting for those seeking alternative vantage points away from typical tourist routes. From this raised location, you can photograph the city from a fresh angle, while the trees provide natural frames for architectural shots.

This museum displays monumental wall paintings on the exterior of residential buildings in Lyon. This selection of alternative photography locations leads to 25 large-scale murals depicting architectural and social concepts from the 20th century. The painted facades stretch across several streets and offer changing perspectives on urban visions. Each mural presents designs and ideas about city planning that architect Tony Garnier developed. The artworks transform ordinary apartment blocks into a walkable open-air gallery.

The banks of the Rhône River in Lyon stretch along green spaces, sports facilities, and wooden decks beside the water with views of the city. This riverside path reveals everyday life as residents jog, cycle, or rest on benches. For photographers, the flowing current, bridges in the background, and people enjoying leisure activities offer visual subjects. Light shifts throughout the day and reflects in the water as boats pass and birds search for food along the shore.

This elevated public garden in the photography collection connects the Fourvière basilica to the Saint-Just district with views of Lyon. The Parc des Hauteurs offers photographers paths and staircases along slopes where historic walls and vegetation frame the urban backdrop. Moving through different levels, you can capture buildings, trees, and the city below from various heights and angles.

This cultural space in Fourvière preserves fragments from Roman times and guides visitors through underground passages that reach back to early centuries. The collections trace how Christianity developed in Lyon through objects, texts, and representations. A place that makes history tangible and offers photographers subjects from different eras, from ancient stonework to vaulted corridors beneath the ground. For this photography collection, it provides historical depth alongside contemporary visual perspectives.

The Théâtre gallo-romain de Lyon Fourvière is a Roman theater from the 1st century BC and offers exceptional photography subjects in Fourvière. The ancient stone seating forms a semicircle that rises through several tiers. During summer months, performances and concerts take place there, with visitors sitting on the old stone benches. The elevated position allows photographs of the theater facade against the city skyline, while stone arches and column remnants provide varied subjects. As part of a photography route through Lyon, this location offers an alternative to busier neighborhoods.

This district fits into the collection of photography locations in Lyon and displays architecture with Alsatian influences in Vieux Lyon. The painted facades and traditional shops offer subjects away from the usual routes. The streets connect residential buildings with restaurants, while the structures show colors and details that recall Alsace. Photographers find quieter corners here than in other parts of the old town, with walls and doors that create different perspectives.

The Roman Aqueducts of Fourvière date from the 2nd century and display stone arches alongside old water channels. They offer photographers a historical subject away from the usual city routes. These structures were part of a larger system that once carried water across long distances, and the remaining sections show Roman building techniques. The arches create interesting light conditions for photography.

This villa in Lyon's 4th district is a former residence that became a cultural center in 1987. Throughout the year, it hosts debates, conferences and literary events. The 19th-century architecture with its clean lines and surrounding gardens offers photographers opportunities to capture both the facade and interior details. As a location away from the usual tourist routes, Villa Gillet allows quiet shots of historical buildings and cultural life in Lyon.

The Orange Cube sits on the banks of the Saône and has been a defining feature of Lyon's modern architecture since 2011. Its metal facade displays triangular surfaces in varying shades of orange, broken up by large circular openings that resemble windows cut into the structure. The shape suggests a slightly tilted cube resting on a base. This location offers photographers clean lines, color contrasts, and changing light throughout the day. Positioned away from main tourist areas, the Orange Cube allows you to work with geometric subjects and contemporary forms in a quieter part of the city.

The Jardin des Chartreux sits in Croix-Rousse and offers photographers a garden that rises in levels across the hillside. This location provides views over the Saône river and city center, with winding paths lined by Mediterranean plants. The different elevations reveal changing perspectives, and seasonal shifts in vegetation bring new subjects to photograph throughout the year.

This footbridge crosses the Saône and links the Saint-Vincent and Saint-Paul districts through metal arches and wooden planks. For photographers in this collection, the Passerelle Saint-Vincent offers quiet views over the riverbanks and the facades across the water, away from the busier bridges further south. Light conditions over the water shift throughout the day, creating framing opportunities through the bridge's arches. The wooden surface and open construction form contrasts with the stone embankments along the river.

Rue Saint-Georges displays architecture from the 15th and 16th centuries with decorated doorways and stone facades, making it a subject for photography in Vieux Lyon. This street runs away from the main routes and offers space for shooting without crowds. The soft morning light reveals the details of the doorways and facades. The narrow form of the street creates perspectives with leading lines. Between the buildings you find passages and courtyards containing historical elements.

This public pool along the Rhône riverbank contains three basins, sunbathing areas and modern changing rooms. The facility offers a quiet spot for photographers seeking views beyond the usual subjects in Lyon. On warm days, locals swim and relax on the lawns. The architecture mixes functional elements with open spaces for rest. Photographers find here perspectives on water, leisure culture and river life.

This quay along the Saône offers photographers in Lyon a quiet alternative to heavily visited sites. Stone benches and trees frame direct views of the old town buildings. Light changes throughout the day, especially early morning and late afternoon when the sun hits the facades across the water. Pedestrians use the path for walking or resting on the benches. The water reflects the historical structures and creates opportunities for reflections and compositions with foreground and background elements.

The Jardin des Curiosités is a public garden in the 5th arrondissement that offers photographers contemporary art installations and metal sculptures as subjects away from the usual tourist routes in Lyon. From here you can see the city and on clear days the Alps on the horizon, which works well for wide-angle shots and city panoramas. The garden combines modern art with an elevated position above Lyon.

The Rue des Fantasques is a sloping street near the Croix-Rousse plateau that fits into this photography collection showing Lyon beyond the main tourist paths. It runs between old stone houses and offers views toward the Saône. Facades with reliefs, wrought-iron balconies, and weathered door frames work well for architecture photography. Narrow lanes branch off, staircases connect different levels, and light falls differently on the walls depending on the time of day. The street passes through a residential area where few people walk, so photographers can capture details and angles without disturbance.

The Montée de la Grande Côte is a stone stairway that connects Place des Terreaux to Croix-Rousse through steps and slopes. Along the way, photographers encounter small gardens and Renaissance buildings, where changing light creates interesting conditions between the structures. This route shows the transition from lower Lyon to the worker courtyards and murals of Croix-Rousse, revealing how different levels of the city connect.

This archaeological garden is part of the photography locations in Lyon away from crowds. The Jardin archéologique Girard Desargues preserves Roman remains from the second century near Fourvière basilica. Foundation walls, columns and other fragments offer photographers chances to capture ancient structures within their urban setting. The exposed elements show building techniques from the Roman era and fit naturally into the historical district.

This large granite boulder was carried here by glaciers during the ice age. Le Gros Caillou sits on higher ground in Croix-Rousse and offers a wide view over Lyon, the Saône river, and the hills beyond. The rock stands in a residential area where the quiet setting provides space for wide-angle shots and city panoramas away from the usual tourist paths.

This passage connects two streets through a painted staircase in the Croix-Rousse district. The walls display murals by local artists that change over time. The narrow pedestrian path cuts through a building and forms a shortcut between two parallel streets. Photography subjects range from staircase details to the colored compositions on the side walls, typical of Lyon's traboules that photographers exploring neighborhoods away from crowds often discover.

This metal tree stands along the Rhône riverbank and belongs to the public artworks that photographers discover in Lyon away from the usual tourist circuits. The sculpture carries round glass bulbs at its branches, which seem to glow when the light is right. The area around it is mostly quiet, and the proximity to the river offers extra subjects for shots with water and sky in the background.