Pont Bonaparte is the stone-faced bridge that carries you across the Saône from the Presqu'île, near Place Bellecour, straight into Vieux Lyon. A bridge has stood on this spot since the 1630s, and it has been rebuilt again and again after floods and war. Walk across and the view ahead is one of the best in Lyon: Saint-Jean Cathedral on the riverbank and the basilica of Fourvière on the hill above.
Pont Bonaparte at a glance
- Where: between Quai Tilsitt on the Presqu'île (2nd arrondissement) and Quai Romain Rolland in Vieux Lyon (5th arrondissement).
- Built: the present bridge dates from 1946–1950; the first bridge on this site was built in 1634–1642.
- What it is today: a road bridge with wide pavements, used by cars, buses, cyclists and pedestrians, and one of only two bridges in Lyon able to carry exceptionally heavy loads over the Saône.
- Structure: three arches of reinforced concrete, faced with stone from Hauteville.
- Time needed: 5–10 minutes to walk across and enjoy the view.
Five centuries of rebuilding
The first crossing here was a wooden bridge built between 1634 and 1642 by Jean Christophe Marie and known as the Archbishop's bridge, after the archbishop's palace beside Saint-Jean. Floods damaged it repeatedly: five of its arches were removed in 1709, it was rebuilt in 1732 and demolished again a few decades later. A new stone bridge was begun in 1786 and finished in 1807 under the engineer Carron, and the city council named it after the Treaty of Tilsit, signed by Napoleon that year. It was so low that it acted almost like a dam when the Saône flooded, so it was replaced by a higher bridge in 1863–1864.
In September 1944 the retreating German army blew up the bridge along with most of Lyon's other bridges. The present bridge, with its three concrete arches, was built between 1946 and 1950, and in the 1960s it took the name Pont Bonaparte. In 2023 it underwent a major renovation: its deck and supporting structure were reinforced, cracks in the central span were repaired and the railings restored, and it fully reopened at the end of that year.
What to look for
- The three arches: lean over the parapet or look from the quays to see the shallow concrete arches dressed in pale stone.
- Fourvière: straight ahead on the hill stand the white basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière and, beside it, the slim metal tower.
- Saint-Jean Cathedral: the Gothic facade of Lyon's cathedral rises just beyond the western end of the bridge.
- The Saône quays: look upstream and downstream along the river to the lines of tall pastel houses on both banks.
- The street names: Quai Tilsitt, at the eastern end, still carries the old name of the bridge.
From Tilsit to Bonaparte
Both names on this crossing point back to Napoleon. In 1807 he signed the Treaties of Tilsit with Russia and Prussia, at the height of his power, and Lyon named its new bridge after the victory. When the rebuilt bridge was given a new name in the 1960s, the city chose Bonaparte, Napoleon's family name, while the quay on the Presqu'île side kept Tilsitt.
Tips for your visit
- Cross from the Presqu'île towards Vieux Lyon so that Fourvière and the cathedral are in front of you the whole way.
- Come at dusk, when the basilica and the old town light up and the river reflects them.
- Stay on the pavements: this is a busy traffic bridge, and buses and cyclists use it too.
Nearby
- Saint-Jean Cathedral: the seat of the archbishops of Lyon, with a Gothic facade and an astronomical clock inside, a few minutes' walk from the bridge.
- Vieux Lyon: the Renaissance quarter of narrow streets and hidden passageways called traboules, just across the river.
- Place Bellecour: one of Europe's largest open squares, with an equestrian statue of Louis XIV, a short walk east on the Presqu'île.
- Fourvière funicular: from Vieux Lyon station, near the cathedral, it climbs the hill to the basilica and its panoramic terrace.
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 Saint-Jean Cathedral.
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.