Montée de la Grande-Côte

In front of you opens the view that makes the climb worthwhile. The Montée de la Grande-Côte links the Terreaux district with the plateau of the Croix-Rousse, 'the hill that works', in about 400 metres of slope.

1From vines to looms

In the Middle Ages it was a track between vineyards. From the 16th century it filled with houses and, in the 18th, with weavers: in 1788 there were 705 looms here. It was the road the canuts took down to deliver their silk to the merchants. On 21 November 1831, the striking weavers marched down this very slope: it was the start of the revolt.

On your way up you passed the plaque at number 95, recalling that France's first consumer cooperative was founded here in 1835. It is also said that in 1895 Marius Berliet tested his first car on this slope, and that it ended up in a pork butcher's shop window.

2What lies beneath

Under the plateau, towards the Rhône side, lie the 'arêtes de poisson', ancient galleries laid out like a fish skeleton. Dating points to the Roman period, but nobody knows what they were for. Since their rediscovery in 1959 they have fuelled all sorts of theories, from hidden treasure to secret passages.

Access is restricted: the city keeps them closed for safety. For now, the mystery stays beneath your feet.

3What to look for

• Fourvière, opposite, with the basilica and the metal tower.
• The tall windows of the old silk workshops.
• The old façades with mullioned windows on the lower part of the slope.