# Place Bellecour, Lyon > Place Bellecour is Lyon's main square, in the middle of the Presqu'île peninsula between the Saône and Rhône. At 312 by 200 metres it's one of Europe's largest open squares and the largest pedestrian one. An equestrian statue of Louis XIV stands in the middle, a monument to Saint-Exupéry and the Little Prince in a corner, and the tourist office and the city's kilometre zero are here too. The main shopping streets fan out from it, and across the bridge you see Vieux-Lyon and Fourvière. Free; allow 30–60 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/place-bellecour - City: [Lyon](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon), France - YesGo score: 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 40 min - Opening hours: Always open - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Size: 312 × 200 m, 6.2 ha - Metro: A and D, Bellecour station - Tourist office: In a pavilion on the square - Duration: ≈ 30–60 minutes - Location: Centre of the Presqu'île, 2nd arrondissement - Coordinates: 45.75750, 4.83222 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **6.2 ha** — area of Place Bellecour (source: English Wikipedia) - **3rd** — largest square in France (source: English Wikipedia) - **1825** — the Louis XIV statue installed (source: English Wikipedia) - **2000** — the Saint-Exupéry monument (source: English Wikipedia) ## About Place Bellecour Place Bellecour lies at the very heart of the **Presqu'île**, the peninsula between the Saône and Rhône rivers. It measures **312 by 200 metres**, making it France's third-largest square after Place des Quinconces in Bordeaux and Place de la Concorde in Paris, and Europe's largest **pedestrian** square. The name comes from a 12th-century vineyard of the archbishop of Lyon, Bella curtis, 'beautiful garden'. In the early 18th century it became a royal square, ringed with buildings whose façades were designed by Robert de Cotte, Louis XIV's architect. Today Bellecour is Lyon's **kilometre zero**, the point from which all distances are measured. ## What to see - **The Louis XIV statue** — an equestrian monument of 1825. - **Saône and Rhône** — bronze allegories at the base. - **The Little Prince** — the Saint-Exupéry monument. - **The tourist office** — maps, tickets and the Lyon City Card. - **The view of Fourvière** — the basilica above Vieux-Lyon. - **The shopping streets** — Rue de la République and Rue Victor-Hugo. ## The square's statues In the middle stands the **equestrian statue of Louis XIV** by François-Frédéric Lemot, installed in 1825. It took twelve days to haul from Paris on a cart drawn by 24 horses, and the whole city turned out to greet it. At its base are bronze figures of Lyon's two rivers, the **Saône and Rhône**, by the Coustou brothers, from 1720. In the west corner of the square is a monument to **Antoine de Saint-Exupéry** and his **Little Prince**. The writer and aviator was born in Lyon, and the monument went up in 2000 for the centenary of his birth. Lyon's airport is named after him too. > **Start here** A pavilion on the square houses the **Lyon tourist office**: free maps, the Lyon City Card for museums and transport, and tips on where to find open traboules. It's a handy starting point: Vieux-Lyon is 10 minutes away, Place des Terreaux and the town hall 15. ## The square through the year Bellecour is busy all year. In winter an **ice rink** and a 60-metre **Ferris wheel** go up, the wheel looking over the whole Presqu'île and the hills. In December the square is one of the main stages of the Festival of Lights. At Pentecost there's a **pétanque** tournament, plus book fairs, concerts and festivals. On Friday evenings mass rollerblade rides start here. On ordinary days it's where locals and visitors meet. ## Around Bellecour The centre's main streets fan out from the square: pedestrian **Rue de la République** leads to the town hall and Opéra, **Rue Victor-Hugo** to Perrache station, and Rue Édouard-Herriot is full of luxury shops. To the south lies the quiet Ainay quarter with its Romanesque basilica. Across the Saône bridge is **Vieux-Lyon** with Saint-Jean Cathedral, and above it Fourvière Basilica. The square is part of the historic centre on the UNESCO list. ## How to get there 1. Metro A or D to Bellecour, which exits right onto the square. 2. From Vieux-Lyon, 10 minutes on foot over the Pont Bonaparte. 3. From Perrache station, 15 minutes along Rue Victor-Hugo. 4. From Part-Dieu station, metro B then change to A or D. ## Tips for your visit Half an hour to an hour is enough for the square, but it makes a good base for a whole day in Lyon. Drop into the tourist office in the morning, then cross the Saône into Vieux-Lyon. Bellecour pairs naturally with [Vieux-Lyon](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/vieux-lyon) and [Saint-Jean Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/lyon-cathedral) across the river, and a sunset climb to [Fourvière Basilica](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/fourviere-basilica). The square is red gravel with almost no shade, so it's hot on summer afternoons; bring water and a hat. It's flat and easy with a pushchair. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Find the Louis XIV statue - [ ] Take a photo with the Little Prince - [ ] Pick up a map at the tourist office - [ ] Look across to Fourvière - [ ] Stroll down Rue de la République ## Places in Lyon: compare and choose Places in Lyon rated by YesGo. - [Place Bellecour](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/place-bellecour) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free - [Vieux-Lyon](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/vieux-lyon) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free - [Pérouges](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/perouges) — YesGo score 25/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free ## Don't mix it up Place Bellecour is the vast square in the middle of the Presqu'île; Place des Terreaux is the square by the town hall with the Bartholdi fountain. ## Tips - Start at the tourist office. - Water and a hat in summer. - Ice rink and wheel in winter. - Metro A and D, Bellecour. ## Questions ### Where is Place Bellecour? In the centre of the Presqu'île, at Bellecour metro (lines A and D). ### What is there to see on Place Bellecour? The Louis XIV statue, the Little Prince monument and the view of Fourvière. ### How big is Place Bellecour? 312 by 200 metres, or 6.2 hectares. ### How long do I need at the square? 30–60 minutes. ### What is near Place Bellecour? Vieux-Lyon, Saint-Jean Cathedral, Rue de la République and the Ainay quarter. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Tourist office hours and events weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Place Bellecour - Lyon tourist office, visiterlyon.com --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.