Place de la Baleine, Square and pedestrian zone in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon, France
Place de la Baleine is a small paved square in Vieux Lyon, the historic district of the 5th arrondissement, close to rue Saint-Jean. It has a rectangular shape and is surrounded by stone buildings whose ground floors feature arches and wooden shopfronts.
The square has existed since the Middle Ages and has changed little in about 500 years. It was briefly renamed "place Henri Ferras" after World War II, in memory of a young Lyon resistance fighter shot in 1944, before returning to its original name.
The name of the Place de la Baleine likely comes from a carved wooden sign shaped like a whale that once marked a nearby pub. At the corner of the square, two stone plaques are still visible: one bearing the old name "place Pandaleix" and one with the current name.
The square is pedestrian-only and sits in the middle of the Vieux Lyon walking area, making it easy to reach on foot. A visit fits naturally into a stroll along rue Saint-Jean and the surrounding lanes.
The square was not built as a standalone space but formed by widening the rue de la Baleine, which gives it its narrow rectangular shape. This origin sets it apart from other squares in Vieux Lyon that were planned differently.
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