Place des Terreaux, Lyon

Place des terraux is almost in the center of Lyon. The big square has a very atmosphere with the surrounding buildings and the special one is the Hotel De Ville.. Dont be confused like me, Hotel de ville is the City Hall .:)

One interesting part of the square is the small fountains coming from the ground, arranged symmetrically and you can watch the water dancing. They are lit up at nights and the scene is really nice.

I had a nice beer on the cafe at the left front where you see in the picture and on a friday night the road adjacent to the cafee was very crowded and many youngs were dancing in the pubs behind the square..

So every French city has its City Hall, a beautifully ornamented building that stands out among all the others. The Lyonnaise version was built by Simon Maupin, and had its façade reformed in 1700 by J.H. Mansart.

Notice the "fountains" originating from the ground, 69 dancing jets of water that are lit up at night, in the beautiful square front of the building (Place des Terreaux).

We snapped this photo in the evening, after the rainstorm had passed. The lighting produced a great effect off of the water. Be wary of the fountains, as jets of water will spray from the sidewalks without warning, where the lights are in the sidewalk. The building in the photo is Hotel de Ville.

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The heart of the Terreaux quarter, the Place des Terreaux is lined with cafes and bordered by several notable buildings, including City Hall, the Fine Arts Museum and the Opera House. The ground of the square itself has numerous small fountains (see other pic), which creates a nice effect. The highlight of the Place des Terreaux is probably the Terreaux Fountain. Its two charging horses (which symbolize two rivers heading to the ocean) really jump out at you, and its turquoise-blue water is striking. The sculptor, Bartholdi, also created the Lion de Belfort and the Statue of Liberty.

Bottom-line: Perhaps not the most famous square in Lyon, but this was my personal favorite.

The Batholdi Fountain is one of the highlights of this square. The sculptor of the fountain also created the Statue of Liberty. The fountain has a tremdous amount of detail and you can almost feel the four horses, which represent four rivers racing for the ocean, pulling the chariot forward. The fountain is very reminiscent of those you see in Rome, both Trevi and the one in Piazza Navona.

The Place de Terraux is basically in the center of Lyon. The square is dominated by the Hotel de Ville, or town hall. The building was constructed in the mid-1600's, but was destroyed by fire soon after. The current facade was completed in 1700. The square is a great place to stop for a snack and let the kids run around the dancing jets of water which shoot out from the ground. The bells of the town hall play every Sunday evening during the summer.

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Along the north side of the Place des Terreaux is the large set of statues and a lead fountain created by the sculptor Bartholdi. which represent the Saone and Rhone rivers heading to the sea. Along the east side of the square is the Hotel de Ville. The facade is a replacement by Hardouin-Mansart and de Cotte for one destroyed in a fire. There is a central dome and side pavilions.

PLACE DES TERRAUX This is where you'll see 17th century Hôtel de Ville (town hall). During summer time, cafes lined up and children take a splash with water that spurts from the ground.

On Place des Terreaux, a magnificent 19th Century fountain by Bartholdi, the French sculptor (Statue of Liberty).

The Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville) is one of the most outstanding in France, was built in 1646 by the Lyonnais Simon Maupain. The painted interior is a fine example of Roman-Baroque decorations in Lyon.