3/11.- Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourviere The beautiful Fourvière Basilica sits at the top of the Fourvière Hill. The name of this hill may come from the first inhabitants of the mountain: the Romans -- who called the hill Forum Vetus. The Fourvière Basilica is pretty modern. It was built in the 19th century by the architect Bossan. Because of its 4 octagonal towers the basilica is also known as the "upside-down elephant" --I wonder if the side that faces the city is the head or the bottom of the elephant... To get there you have to walk up the hill or take a funicular. In Lyon there is another funicular, that takes you to the Roman theaters, to the Youth Hostel and to St Just. Both funiculars share a base station in 'Vieux Lyon'. Come on, let's go up there... In front of the Fourvière Basilica there is one of the best panoramic views of the city... Here you see a view of the city from the 'Esplanade Fourviere'. The roofs you see at the bottom of the picture are of some of the houses in the town center ('Centre Ville'), between the two rivers. You can see the Saone river from here, but you cannot see the Rohne. The green line in the far middle of the photo are the trees that surround the Rohne banks. Above this line of trees is the 'Part Dieu' district and its main landmark: the 'Credit Lyonnais' Tower. .. => next