The story of the Grand Hôtel-Dieu
A hospital stood on this spot by the Rhône from the 12th century, caring for pilgrims and the poor. In the 18th century architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot, who later designed the Panthéon in Paris, gave it its long riverfront façade and its great dome. Rabelais worked here as a doctor in the 1530s.
The hospital closed in 2010. After a major restoration it reopened in 2018 with landscaped courtyards, boutiques, restaurants, the InterContinental hotel and the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie. Along the river, the Berges du Rhône promenade runs for 5 km with lawns, playgrounds and floating bars.
