A 15-minute walk from Place Bellecour via the elegant Rue du Président Édouard-Herriot, Place des Terreaux is the other major meeting place of the Gallic capital. Located in the 1st arrondissement, at the Presqu’île’s northern edge, this 7,000m² square is lined with majestic edifices, including those of the City Hall and Palais Saint-Pierre.
Named after its sculptor, who is none other than the one who created the Statue of Liberty, the superb Bartholdi Fountain is a monumental allegory of the Garonne River. Originally commissioned by the city of Bordeaux, which could not afford it after the fountain’s presentation at the Exposition Universelle of 1889, the mayor of Lyon acquired it the following year. This is a purchase met with universal approval when soaking up the sun at one of the square’s many lovely terraces.