(Lyon, France)

I knew it was around here somewhere. I wandered in the approximate direction of one of the Fourvière district highlights. And even though I was sure I would find it eventually, it was still a surprise when I did. Roman ruins always surprise me.

I hadn’t done a ton of research on what the site contained. But I saw a lot of people in what seemed to be the well-preserved remains of a Roman theatre. I followed the crowd, and discovered that most of the site seemed to be open to the public.

I started with the Odeon Theatre. It could hold about 3000 people for performances (most of which were musical). It was well preserved because it was covered by a landslide for many centuries. It was only rediscovered in the 1700s. I took some time to enjoy the view – of both the theatre and of modern Lyon below.

The Odeon is the only Roman theatre of its type in France that is open to the public. But there was much more to be seen. Moving to the north, I saw the remains of many buildings and what appeared to be another (and larger) theatre below.

Not wanting to rush, I spent some time climbing on and around the various ruined buildings. Some of the walls were still very high compared to other Roman ruins I have seen in Europe – it was quite the labyrinth. And there wasn’t much in the way of protective fencing, so I did have to be careful when I reached the top.

Finally, I turned my attention to the larger theatre, appropriately known as the Grand Theatre. It could seat 10,000 to 15,000 people, and seemed to focus more on comedies and tragedies. It had also been buried for centuries by a landslide. Access to the theatre itself was restricted. In any case, it was being prepared for a series of upcoming concerts. It reminded me of the even larger Roman Arena in Verona, Italy, which was also being prepared for an upcoming concert.

I never tire of visiting Roman sites. Of course, Rome itself wasn’t in the cards for this trip. But other locations, such as Ostia Antica, are just as impressive in their own way. And some, like Volubilis in Morocco, might even surpass the real thing because of their unique location.

The Odeon Theatre and Grand Theatre in Roman Lyon (known as Lugdunum to the Romans) are well worth a part of your day to reflect on empires past. They also provide a nice break from busy modern Lyon.

The common theme of all these Roman sites is the inexorable passage of time. Speaking of time, if I had more of it, I might have visited the on-site museum. Among other things, it had some remarkably well-preserved mosaics.

But wait! There’s more! I had a very busy final day in Lyon – stay tuned!