Fourvière Tower, Lyon, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

The Fourvière Tower (Tour métallique de Fourvière) is a steel lattice tower on top of Fourvière hill in Lyon, France. Built in the 1890s and often compared to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it stands under 90 meters tall and today works as a broadcast mast. Its slender outline is one of the most recognisable shapes on the Lyon skyline.

The story behind it

The resemblance to Paris is no accident, but Gustave Eiffel had nothing to do with it. The design is credited to the architect Eugène Collonge, working with engineers, and the tower rose on Fourvière hill at the end of the 19th century. It was conceived as a lookout, a way to enjoy the panorama over Lyon from a height that the hill alone could not give.

Its role changed over the decades. In the 1950s it took on a new life carrying television signals, and it has served as a transmission mast ever since. That is why it is now closed to visitors and cannot be climbed, even though it began life as a place to admire the view.

What to look for

• The criss-crossing steel lattice of the tower, which echoes the Eiffel Tower in Paris but on a much smaller scale.
• The antennas and equipment at the top, a reminder that this is a working broadcast mast and not a monument.
• The way the tower sits on the crest of Fourvière hill, close to the basilica, so the two silhouettes often appear together on the skyline.
• The evening lighting, which makes the tower stand out against the dark hillside.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 15 to 20 minutes to look at the tower from outside; you cannot go up it, so it works best as one stop within a longer walk on the hill.
• Come toward evening if you can, when the tower is lit and the light over the city is softer.
• The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière and its terrace, with wide views over Lyon, are close by, as are the Roman theatres of Fourvière.
• The hill is steep, so wear comfortable shoes, and check current access conditions before you set out.

See it on a quest

The tower is easy to admire from a distance but harder to place in context. Lyon - Fourvière Hill Highlights brings you to it on foot as one stop of a longer route across the hill. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot, which gives you a reason to look closely at what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.