Cathédrale St-Jean, Lyon

French gothic at it's best, says rui_bijie with her background in art history!

The church was erected in the 12th century in replacement of three churches whose vestiges can be seen in the archeological garden right next to St. Jean.

The jewel in the crown is without doubt Church of St Jean and its cathedral built between the 12th and 15th century. Many a king came to kneel in the vast nave where the mortal remains of St Louis, who died during the Crusades in 1271, are laid to rest. Construction work began in 1180 but was to last for three centuries which is why the church has ended up with such an interesting mixture of styles.

The large rose window dates from 1392 and the pilasters, sometimes strange, show the holy history.
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Visit the Cathedral St Jean (don't miss the amazing clock on the left hand sinde of teh Nave, it rings every hour), and the area around it which is well know for the classic architecure. This is the oldest part of Lyon and there are some amazing buildings around (keep looking up !) You can get details of a walking tour around this area from the tourist office (there's one next to the Vieux Lyon metro station and another on the Place Bellecour)

Take a walk across the Soane river and you'll find the Cathedral of St Jean. It has a few nice late night bars.

It was the first thing I saw when I walked out from a bus and I stood there totaly amazed...This huge gothic church really is one of the top must-see's in Lyon...Don't miss going inside...

From the cathedral, you can get a great view of Lyon. The cathedral is shown as the church up on top of the hill (as opposed to the one nearer the water in the foreground).

this is the astronomic 16th century clock inside the cathedrale. At 12 noon, 14h and 15h it is more than worth a visit, very special.

Built between 1180 and 1480, it offers a perfect illustration of transitions from Roman to Gothic architecture.

I think it's beautiful & amazing how these two places of worship line up to create this beautiful scene. We had to walk down the river a while, but it made for such a beautiful picture.

If you happen to be in Lyon on a very sunny, hell-ish day, check out the colorful lights coming in from the rosacea and the vitrals in the cathedral.