Lyon: World War II and Resistance Walking Tour｜France

Discover Lyon through the history of the Second World War, the German occupation and the French Resistance on a private walking tour with a local guide.

Begin around Place des Terreaux and the Hôtel de Ville, where you will discover how Lyon became one of the most important centres of the French Resistance and how the city was transformed under German occupation.

Continue to Rue Sainte-Catherine, one of the most significant sites connected to the persecution of Lyon's Jewish population. Learn about the Union Générale des Israélites de France (UGIF), the Jewish families and refugees who sought assistance in the city, and the Gestapo raid that took place here in 1943.

The tour then explores the story of Klaus Barbie, the former Gestapo chief in Lyon. Discover the circumstances of his arrest and extradition, and visit the Cour d'appel de Lyon, where his historic trial took place in 1987.

Continue to Place Bellecour, a major gathering place during the Liberation of Lyon, and discover how the Resistance operated through networks that often remained hidden within the ordinary streets of the city.

Depending on access and the itinerary of the day, the tour can also include Montluc Prison and Fort de Montluc, places closely associated with repression, imprisonment and the history of the Resistance during the war.

Finally, discover the story of the clandestine Resistance press in the Montplaisir district and learn how newspapers, leaflets and secret messages were produced and distributed to resist the German occupation.

Throughout the tour, your guide connects the places you see today with the people and events that shaped Lyon during one of the darkest periods of its history.