Croix Rousse in Lyon is the hillside district north of Place des Terreaux. The Jardins des Plantes along Rue de la Tourette is generally considered the border dividing Croix Rousse from from Presqu’île. Croix Rousse is also bordered to its east by the Rhône River.

Croix Rousse used to be the center of silk production in Lyon. The peak of the district’s industriousness was the 19th century when there were more than 30,000 weavers working on looms in the upper floors of its town houses. Because the abodes were tightly packed, traboules were constructed to aid transport of the fabrics and to protect them from exposure to inclement weather on the outside.

There isn’t much to see in Croix Rousse except the Maison des Canuts, which is the Silk Weavers’ Museum. This historic house and its old Jacquard looms were and are still used today to produce silk and textiles.

Attractions
Maison des Canuts