Primatiale Saint-Jean de Lyon

What makes it special

The cathedral was built from 1175 to 1481, and you can read that long build in the stone. The apse and choir at the east end are Romanesque, while the nave and the west front are Gothic, the front in the flamboyant style.

Stand back in the square to see the carved west front and its central rose window. Inside, high vaults carry the nave past the side chapels, and the windows hold medieval stained glass.

The astronomical clock in the north transept is a perpetual calendar and a church calendar at once, tracking Ash Wednesday, Easter, Pentecost and Advent. Its astrolabe shows the phases of the moon and the stars above Lyon, and on its face the sun turns around the Earth, as its makers believed.

North of the cathedral, an archaeological garden lays out the foundations of Lyon's early group of three churches: Saint-Jean to the south, Saint-Étienne in the centre and Sainte-Croix to the north.

Visiting

Timing your visit to the clock comes first, because its automata move to the carillon at noon, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. On Mondays the cathedral opens at 2pm, so the first show you can see that day is at 2pm.

The clock stands in the north transept, on the left towards the front of the church. Arrive a few minutes before the hour, since a crowd gathers.

When it plays, an angel on the left turns over his hourglass while another conducts. The rooster on top then crows three times, stretching its neck and flapping its wings, and the show ends as the big bell beneath it strikes the hour.

Afterwards, walk back down the nave for the glass and the side chapels, then go round outside to the north side. The archaeological garden there is open day and night, and four panels explain the remains.

Guided or on your own

The cathedral's own guides run several guided visits, with tickets sold at the cathedral shop on the day or online. The clock visit explains the mechanism and runs on Wednesdays at 2:15pm and 3:15pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm. Check the cathedral's visit page for current slots, since any slot is dropped when a liturgical event is on.

A history and architecture visit runs on Saturday and Sunday at 4pm. The stained-glass visit lends you binoculars for the detail in the windows; ask at the cathedral shop for its dates.

Tips

This is a working church, so follow any signs about photography, especially while a service is on. For a quieter nave, come early in the morning.

The cathedral has few facilities of its own, and cafés, restaurants and public toilets are close by in Vieux Lyon. Masses, concerts and events run through the year, so check the cathedral's programme before you plan your day around a guided slot.