Place Bellecour is the huge open square in the middle of Lyon's Presqu'île, the strip of land between the Rhône and the Saône. At around 6 hectares it is the third-largest square in France, after the Place des Quinconces in Bordeaux and the Place de la Concorde in Paris. In the centre rides Louis XIV, and the story everyone in Lyon has heard about his missing stirrups is not true.
Place Bellecour at a glance
- Where: on the Presqu'île in Lyon's 2nd arrondissement, halfway between the two rivers; the Bellecour metro station serves lines A and D.
- Laid out: as a public square from the early 17th century; the long façades on the east and west sides were rebuilt from 1800 after being torn down in the Revolution.
- What it is today: a pedestrian square of roughly 300 by 200 metres, with the equestrian statue of Louis XIV, the city's tourist office and the kilometre zero for the region's roads.
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes for the statues and the view of Fourvière.
From the archbishop's vineyard to a royal square
In the late 12th century this was a vineyard of the archbishop of Lyon called Bella Curtis, 'beautiful garden', which later turned into marshy pasture. In the 1560s the Baron des Adrets used it as a parade ground, and in 1604 King Henri IV told the city to acquire it as a public square. Louis XIV took a liking to the place in 1658, and in the early 18th century it became the Place Louis-le-Grand, with a bronze statue of the king by Martin Desjardins and long uniform façades designed by the royal architect Robert de Cotte.
The Revolution undid it all. In 1793, after Lyon rose against the Convention, the statue was melted down and the façades on the square were demolished as a punishment for the city. On 21 June 1800 Napoleon, back from his victory at Marengo, laid the foundation stone for their rebuilding, and for a while the square carried his name. The present statue of Louis XIV, by the Lyon-born sculptor François-Frédéric Lemot, was put up in 1825. The buildings around the square have been listed historic monuments since 1930, and the historic centre of Lyon, including the Presqu'île, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What to look for
- Louis XIV on horseback: the king rides in Roman style, with no saddle and no stirrups. The statue was classified as a historic monument in 2016 and returned to its pedestal in 2024 after a year of restoration.
- The Rhône and the Saône: the two bronze figures at the foot of the pedestal, a man for the Rhône and a woman for the Saône, are by the Lyon brothers Nicolas and Guillaume Coustou. Made for the first royal statue, they were hidden in the Hôtel de Ville during the Revolution and put back in the 1820s.
- The east and west façades: the long, matching fronts that frame the square, rebuilt in the early 19th century after the demolition of 1793.
- Saint-Exupéry and the Little Prince: at the west end, a statue of the writer and pilot, who was born in Lyon in 1900, sits on a column with the Little Prince standing behind him. It was put up in 2000 for the centenary of his birth.
- The view of Fourvière: look west over the rooftops to the basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière on its hill above the Saône.
- The empty middle: most of the square is open ground without trees, which is why it hosts big events and, in many winters, a large Ferris wheel.
The sculptor who forgot the stirrups
Lyon's best-known legend about the statue says that Lemot forgot to give the king stirrups and, when he noticed, killed himself in shame. It is not true: Louis XIV is shown riding bareback in the manner of a Roman emperor, so stirrups were never meant to be there, and Lemot died in Paris in 1827, two years after the statue was unveiled.
Tips for your visit
- Come in the morning, when the sun lights up the basilica of Fourvière to the west and the square is still quiet.
- There is almost no shade in the middle of the square. In summer, cross it early or late and rest under the trees at the edges.
- The tourist office in one of the pavilions is a good first stop for maps and current events.
- From here it is an easy walk west over the Pont Bonaparte to Vieux Lyon, or north along the shopping streets of the Presqu'île.
Nearby
- Vieux Lyon and the Cathedral of Saint-Jean-Baptiste: the Renaissance old town across the Saône, about ten minutes' walk over the Pont Bonaparte.
- Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière: the white basilica on the hill, reached by funicular from Vieux Lyon, with a wide view over the city.
- Grand Hôtel-Dieu: the former hospital on the bank of the Rhône, a few minutes' walk east, now restored, with courtyards, shops and restaurants.
- Place des Jacobins: a smaller square just north of Bellecour, with a marble fountain surrounded by Second Empire buildings.
See Lyon with World City Trail
Our Lyon scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 52 minutes of walking. It includes Vieux Lyon and the Cathedral of Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Lyon.
Play the Lyon scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Lyon →
Play the outdoor escape game in Lyon →
Facts checked in October 2026.