Lyon was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Much of the historic district is a true architectural gem for the historical value of its buildings and a very distinctive feature in some of them... Enjoy what is considered as the best destination for a weekend getaway and only 5 hours away from Barcelona on our AVE (high-speed) France trains, AVE (high-speed) International travelling between Spain and France.
The walls of many of Lyon's buildings are true works of urban art. An art that deceives the human eye, the work of authentic masters of hyper-realistic painting.
The "trompe a l’oeil" or optical illusions are a pictorial technique where the artist intends to deceive the beholder using perspective and the technique of chiaroscuro, with lights and shades.
Most of the façades are the work of Cité Création's artists, who have worked on more than 550 frescos on the walls of Lyon for the past 40 years.
One of Lyon's optical illusions
When you are walking around such a beautiful city as Lyon, you will find many of these buildings, but if you want to see the highlights for a while, we recommend you check out some of the most curious and popular murals with optical illusions in Lyon.
Le Mur des Canuts, found on the boulevard of the same name, is surely the best known and considered the largest mural painting in Europe, more than 1,200 square metres. This painting shows the city's activity and reproduces the environment of the "canuts", the silk workers. There are 3 different versions of the mural, one made in 1988, the other in 1998 and a last one is the most recent.
On the corner of Rue de la Platière, you will find La Bibliothèque de la cité, a beautiful mural, 400 square metres long, which symbolises the city's literary heritage. The mural shows famous writers, such as Rabelais or Reverzy, among others.
One of the most beautiful optical illusions in the city is the Fresque des lyonnais, at Quai St.-Vincent, which shows more than 30 of the city's most famous persons, such as Antoine de Saint Exupéry, who created "The Little Prince", the Lumière Brothers, who invented a camera that could record, develop, and project film, or the famous chef Paul Bocuse.
We invite you to enjoy a quiet walk across the city and to experience these murals, because each contains endless details that will surprise you. Moreover, some of them are constantly updated.
Back home, we recommend that you try to find your hometown's optical illusions, such as the ones in Madrid de los Austrias or some fantastic murals are exhibited in the popular neighbourhood of Gracia, Barcelona.
Lyon and other French destinations are only a few hours away from various Spanish cities on our AVE (high-speed) International trains travelling between Spain and France. Quick, comfortable and sustainable.
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