Google Arts & Culture, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, the Biennale de Lyon, the Musée des Confluences, the Opéra de Lyon and the Historical Cities association invite internet users to explore Lyon's historical, architectural and cultural heritage. Everything is online for you to feast your eyes on!
Discover the Treasures of Lyon project
37 virtual exhibitions with history and masterpieces to explore
The five partner institutions have selected key pieces from their collections to create diverse online exhibitions. These 37 virtual exhibitions enable you to get a feel for Lyon's rich heritage so you can explore it in terms of culture, architecture or history.
The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon boasts 12 virtual exhibitions: from Egyptian sculptures to paintings by Rembrandt and Gauguin as well as themed virtual exhibitions on women, heroes or the colour black.
L’Opéra de Lyon offers four virtual exhibitions, including one on its associate choreographer Jiří Kylián, as well as on iconic operas represented within the Opéra such as Carmen and Die Gezeichneten.
Across five exhibitions, the Biennale de Lyon looks back at its programmes since 1991 to present a retrospective of the greatest contemporary artists of the last few decades.
The Musée des Confluences boasts five virtual exhibitions: one on the museum's architecture and purpose, and one for each of its four permanent exhibitions. Exceptional pieces taken from the natural, human and technical sciences are on display.
Finally, the Historical Cities association offers seven guided tours around Lyon's historical districts, such as Les Pentes de la Croix-Rousse, Old Lyon and Fourvière-Saint-Just.
Explore the treasures of Lyon with Manon Bril
Alongside these tours, internet users are invited to follow the YouTuber Manon Bril with her wanderings around Lyon, peppered with quirky historical anecdotes.
Virtual tours of Lyon's key sites
Finally, the Google engineers crisscrossed the streets of Lyon with their Street View technology to create 360° tours made up of thousands of photos put together. This is the first time that it has been possible to virtually explore the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Musée des Confluences and the Opéra. There is even an immersive virtual tour entitled “Plongez en 360°, au cœur de l'Opéra de Lyon” ("a 360° journey through the Opéra de Lyon”). In addition, other famous Lyon locations are also accessible on Google Maps, such as the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, Place Bellecour, the Fresque des Lyonnais, and the Parc de la Tête d’Or.
This means that virtual tourists and anyone with an interest in Lyon can have a taste of its marvels in just a few clicks... let's hope they will come back soon in real life!
