Traboules

Traboules are architectural passageways that cut through buildings to connect one street with another or to link exterior streets to interior courtyards. They are typically narrow, covered corridors or stairwells, often with vaulted ceilings and stone walls, and may run through a house’s façade or across interior courtyards. The most famous concentration of traboules is in Lyon, especially in the Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) and the Croix-Rousse district, where they form a distinctive element of the city’s historic fabric.

Historically, traboules developed from the Renaissance onward and were later integrated into the daily life of Lyonese neighborhoods. They were closely tied to the silk industry, enabling canuts and other workers to move textiles efficiently and in relative safety from workshops to warehouses or river quays, regardless of weather. The design also offered protection for goods and people moving through dense urban blocks. Some traboules date from medieval times and others from later periods, reflecting the evolving urban landscape.

Today, traboules are valued as cultural and architectural heritage. Many are located on private property, but several are open to the public at certain times or as part of guided tours, particularly during cultural or heritage events. A number of traboules are protected as monuments historiques, underscoring their role in Lyon’s history and in the broader narrative of urban design in the region.