Les Traboules

Today, we walked around a lot through these wonderful hidden corridors called Les Traboules which are sometimes covered corridors through private buildings. The spaces are public but the apartments above are not. Les Traboules usually have a courtyard at the centre with narrow stone walk ways between. There is a narrow spiral staircase connecting all the floors all made of stone but smoothed on the outside. The colours are usually terracotta coloured which shows the italian influences. The carvings on some of these walkways are very intricate and delicate. These were mostly build by the aristocrats when Lyon was once the richest city in France due to trade with Italy after the religious wars. During the Second World War, these passages offered escape for members of the French Resistance which Lyon was the centre. Today the walkways are maintained by the city. The connected apartments are mixed between multi-millionaires and those on public assistance. Some of them are amazing and it is a great way to wander around the old section of Lyon.