Hôtel-Dieu de Lyon

This neoclassical building stretches 375 meters (1,230 feet) along the Rhône River with a long colonnade and unified stone façade. Inside, historical rooms coexist with shops, restaurants, and hotel facilities, while a central dome crowns the entire composition.

Starting as a refuge for clergy in the 12th century, it became a medical facility in the 15th century when physicians were first hired. The current neoclassical form took shape in the 18th century under architect Soufflot, marking the building as a major center for medicine in Europe.

The name refers to a medieval lodging house, reflecting its origins in providing shelter to those in need. Today it represents in the minds of locals a place that once cared for the sick and poor, embodying a tradition of charitable service that shaped the city's identity.

You can walk through the courtyards and interior passages freely, finding quiet corners and cafés for a break. The museum dedicated to pharmacy and medical history opens at set times and displays old instruments and preparations from different periods.

Inside is a working pharmacy museum containing hundreds of glass jars stored in mahogany cabinets, showing exactly how medicines were prepared in past centuries. This rare collection lets you understand the everyday work of apothecaries in ways rarely seen elsewhere.

Location: 2nd arrondissement of Lyon

Architects: Jacques-Germain Soufflot

Architectural style: Neoclassical architecture

GPS coordinates: 45.75833,4.83639

Latest update: December 17, 2025 11:19