Lyon - France 2014 - page 1363

• Exit the museum into the Roman Theaters .
Thecloser big theater wasbuiltbyEmperorAugustusandexpandedbyHadrian—at
its zenith, it held 10,000 spectators. Today it seats 3,000 for concerts. The small theater,
an “odeon” (from the Greek “ode” for song), was acoustically designed for speeches and
songs. The grounds are peppered with gravestones and sarcophagi. Find a seat in the big
theater and read up on Roman theaters (see here ) .
From early June through early August, the theaters host Les Nuits de Fourvière, an
open-air festival of concerts, theater, dance, and film. Check programs at the TI and pur-
chase tickets here at the theaters (box office at gate exit toward the Minimes funicular sta-
tion, Mon-Sat 11:00-18:00, closed Sun), or online at www.nuitsdefourviere.com .
• The ancient road between the Roman Theaters leads down and out, where you'll find the
Minimesfunicularstation(totherightasyouleave).TakethefuniculartoVieuxLyon(not
St. Just), where it deposits you only a few steps from St. Jean Cathedral. Take some time
to explore Vieux Lyon. Or, from the Vieux Lyon funicular stop, you can take Métro line D