Old town and Saint-Pierre Cathedral
Calvin's pulpit, and a Roman archaeological site under the cathedral floor.
Duration
1 hr 30 min – 2 hrs 30 min
Best time
In the morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
St Peter's Cathedral was built in the twelfth century and then stripped at the Reformation: Calvin preached here from 1536 to 1564, and the bare interior you see is the direct result of his teaching. His wooden chair is kept in a side aisle.
Beneath the floor, an archaeological site of two thousand five hundred square metres exposes continuous occupation since antiquity: an Allobrogian sanctuary, a Roman villa, superimposed early Christian baptisteries. It is one of the largest archaeological excavations under a cathedral in Europe, and it can be visited.
Getting there
On the old town hill, left bank. Bus 36 to the cathedral, or a fifteen-minute climb from the Pont du Mont-Blanc.
What to bring
- Walking shoes
Rules on site
The nave is free; the towers and the archaeological site are charged separately. The tower climb is a hundred and fifty-seven spiral steps, with no lift.
