Vieux Lyon streetscape

This is a typical streetscape in Vieux Lyon. This area lies in a narrow strip of land between the Saône River and the la colline (hill) de Fourvière. Many of these colorful houses date back to the Renaissance when Lyon was the silk capital of Western Europe. Streets in Vieux Lyon are long, winding and narrow with few cross streets. The streets are connected via "les traboules." These are narrow hidden passages that run through the ground floors of houses in old Lyon.
During World War II, Lyon was a center for the French resistance. The resistance was able to hid its fighters in were was able to hide in "Les Traboules." During the renaissance era silk workers could move silk from one building to another without exposing it to the weather. There are few cross streets in Vieux Lyon. As Lyon's population increased buildings were built up against existing houses. The Lyonais created les traboules to allow people to cross from one street to the next without having to walk through someone else's apartment. These are narrow hidden passages that run through the ground floors of houses in old Lyon. Traboule is usually translated into English as a passage way. This does not do justice to these often ornate structures that date back to the Renaissance.