Landmark

Le Gros Caillou

Address

196 boulevard de la Croix-Rousse, 69004 Lyon

Source: lyon.fr, checked 12 Nov 2026.

The Gros Caillou boulder on its paved square on the Croix-Rousse plateau in Lyon — Photo: Chabe01 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Glacial erratic boulder of quartzite found in 1890 while digging the Croix-Paquet funicular tunnel, placed on the boulevard in 1891 and now the symbol of the district.

Time needed 10 minutes

Free

What the guides say about Le Gros Caillou

Climb the slopes from Place Sathonay, with the Cour des Voraces on the way, and finish on the plateau at the Gros Caillou, a boulder found while digging a funicular tunnel in 1890.

From Things to Do in Lyon: Vieux Lyon, Fourvière, Croix-Rousse and More

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What's on near Le Gros Caillou

Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Le Gros Caillou, from the weekly Lyon events calendar.

Illumination

Festival of Lights

5 to 8 Dec Streets, squares and parks across the city

Light installations are shown across Lyon in the evening, with more than 25 works on the 2026 programme.

See on the map Event listing

Stay nearby Hotels near Streets, squares and parks across the city, 5 to 9 December

See every upcoming event in Lyon

Nearby

Marché aux livres anciens de la Croix-Rousse Market · 3 min walk Saturday market of eight professional dealers selling old books, postcards and magazines on place de la Croix-Rousse. Marché alimentaire de la Croix-Rousse Market · 3 min walk Food market on the boulevard selling fruit and vegetables, cheeses, meats, charcuterie, fish, bread, pastries, wine and flowers, with 95 traders on... Cour des Voraces Landmark · 4 min walk Courtyard with a monumental open staircase of six flights from 1825 to 1826, and a traboule linking place Colbert to montée Saint-Sébastien and rue... Maison des Canuts Museum · 4 min walk Silk museum and working weaving workshop, with guided visits that include a hand-loom demonstration. Jardin des Plantes Park · 7 min walk Sloping garden of 7,790 square metres on the Croix-Rousse hill, a former botanical garden whose orangery moved to the Parc de la Tête d'Or in 1857. Amphithéâtre des Trois Gaules Landmark · 8 min walk Remains of the Roman amphitheatre finished in 19 AD, with retaining walls set into the Jardin des Plantes, where the first Christian martyrs of Gaul...

Around Croix-Rousse

Silk workers' hill, traboules and Sunday markets

The Croix-Rousse is the hill north of the Presqu'île where Lyon's canuts wove silk in tall workshops with high ceilings. The slopes above place des Terreaux and the plateau around the boulevard now hold markets, theatres and a neighbourhood that still feels separate from the centre.

Croix-Rousse has 14 places on the Roam Lyon map: 5 landmarks, 2 museums, 2 parks and gardens, 2 markets, 2 special spots and 1 church or cathedral. Read the Croix-Rousse guide.

Mur des Canuts Landmark · 8 min walk
Soierie Vivante, atelier de passementerie Museum · 8 min walk
Jardin Rosa Mir Park · 9 min walk
Place Sathonay Landmark · 9 min walk
Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse Special · 9 min walk
Église Saint-Bruno des Chartreux Church · 13 min walk
Les Subsistances Special · 20 min walk

From the blog

Croix-Rousse or Vieux Lyon: Where to Stay and Spend Your Time Read

Good to know

What is the address of Le Gros Caillou?: 196 boulevard de la Croix-Rousse, 69004 Lyon.
How long do you need at Le Gros Caillou?: Plan for 10 minutes.

Stay near Le Gros Caillou

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See hotels near Le Gros Caillou on Booking.comPrices are for the night of Saturday 14 November. You can change the dates on Booking.com. If you book, Roam Lyon earns a small commission from Stay22 at no extra cost to you.