Le Mur des Canuts: You’ll Love this Fabulous Lyon Mural

Planning a trip to Lyon? You’ve probably heard about Lyon’s amazing trompe-l’oeil murals, especially the famous Le Mur des Canuts mural.

Not quite sure what that is?

No worries! I spent sooo much time on my visit last May searching out some of the most famous frescoes in Lyon. I’ve got some amazing photos here that will make you want to go see it in person!

Some of the most incredible attractions in Lyon are its stunning trompe-l’oeil murals. These fantastic pieces of public art cover entire buildings and add a ton of character to the city.

(Even if you just have 24 hours in Lyon, you’ll probably find some of them during your sightseeing.)

Wondering what makes the Mur des Canuts the best Lyon mural? Let’s go find out!

Lace up your shoes and let’s go!

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Le Mur des Canuts: The Best Mural in Lyon

Le Mur des Canuts: The Big Picture

The Mur des Canuts is one of the largest trompe-l’oeil murals in the world, measuring a whopping 1200 m² in area. And it’s one of the most beautiful places to see in Lyon!

To really appreciate this fresco, you’ll need to take your time.

It’s a lot to take in all at once, due to its sheer magnitude as well as the countless details included in the mural.

I recommend starting with the big picture. Back up so that you can see the whole mural without getting a crick in your neck.

And if you want to get a shot of the whole mural (which I of course wanted), you’ll need to cross the road and back up.

Further.

Keep going…

There you go!

From here you can appreciate why the Mur des Canuts is one of the most Instagram-worthy places in Lyon!

I was surprised to find that the mural is painted on a ‘blind wall’ meaning it’s just a blank surface with no windows. A very unattractive building that was not adding much visual interest to the neighborhood, to be sure!

The scene the artists have created brings to life a set of tall residential buildings with balconies and windows. As is common in France, the ground floor is made up of little shops, and a set of stairs ascends the hill in between the buildings.

I adore the profusion of ivy and plants climbing the walls of the building on the right!

Le Mur des Canuts: Scenes and Details

Trompe l’oeil is French for “to deceive the eye”, an art historical tradition in which the artist fools us into thinking we’re looking at the real thing.

ROYAL ACADEMY

The realism of the art is staggering, and it really will have you doing a double take to check whether you’re looking at a real person or a part of the fresco.

Maybe a triple-take.

Once you’ve taken in the grandeur of the overall mural, then come in for a closer look at the mural. You’ll find many ‘slice of life’ scenes incorporated into the mural, and the attention to detail is just so impressive.

Take the central stairway. People are depicted going about their daily activities, such as taking kids to school or heading to work.

But look closer and you’ll discover clever details like pigeons on the railing and an EDF logo on the car on the landing. (EDF stands for Électricité de France.)

And as you peruse the storefronts on the ground floor, you’ll notice a shop honoring the silk workers of Lyon. The ‘REVES DE SOIE’ means ‘Dreams of Silk’.

Lyon is famous for its production of silk. It’s also where the Jacquard loom was invented, which revolutionized the silk-weaving industry.

(You can learn more about Lyon’s silk industry at the Maison des Canuts, one of the top museums in Lyon. They’ve also got a gift shop with silk products like scarves and pocket squares, a perfect French souvenir!)

Another fun component of the Mur des Canuts mural is the little scene of a puppet show, which I included at the top of the post for you.

The puppet Guignol was created in Lyon and is much beloved here.

(If you love puppetry, during your visit to Lyon, head over to Vieux Lyon and check out the Museum of Puppetry or the Guignol Museum. Entrance to both museums are free with the Lyon City Card — a great way to save some cash in France.)

Le Mur des Canuts: History and Evolution

One thing that I find really special about Le Mur des Canuts is that it has a little ‘history’ section of its very own.

After you’re done admiring the splendor of this mural, head around the side of the building to see the evolution of this fantastic fresco. There are pictures of each stage in the mural’s life cycle, and the explanation is written in both French and English.

In the beginning, this was just a ‘blind wall’ with no windows and no visual interest. A group of mural painters, CitéCréation, decided to beautify the neighborhood while honoring the history of the silk workers in Lyon.

With the blank slate to work with, the artists created a scene with tall buildings and hills, looking very much like the Croix-Rousse neighborhood.

Check out these Mur des Canuts photos — all starting in 1987!

As you can see, the first version of Le Mur des Canuts was much more basic than the one you’ll enjoy today. The buildings structures are the same, but the decorations are more simple.

You can see oversized puppet-like characters in some of the windows and a few people on the stairs. Even this simple mural was a success and the creators decided to reinvigorate it in 1997.

The 1997 version is a definite improvement, with brighter colors and the addition of shops on the first level of the buildings. Many more people were added on the stairways.

As a fun touch, the original residents of the 1987 version were updated to age them by ten years to match the age of the mural.

The most recent refresh to the mural was in 2013, and this is the version that people from all around the world come to see today.

In the 2013 update, all that lovely greenery was added in, the shops were updated, and the characters were aged another 15 years.

The mural has more of an urban spirit in this rendition — although I think that the group of break dancers kind of ‘dates’ the mural.

Still, it’s fantastic that the artists keep coming back and bringing new life to this amazing mural. And that’s why I think that Le Mur des Canuts is the best mural in Lyon!

(I do wonder when they’ll do another update… is has been ten years since the last one…)

Le Mur des Canuts FAQ

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Final Thoughts..

The Mur des Canuts mural is definitely one of the most beautiful things to see in Lyon (and it’s free!).

But it’s not the only reason to visit this great city in France!

While you’re here, you’ll want to check out more of the top things to do in Lyon. Visit some of Lyon’s best museums and get a Lyon city card to make the most of your trip.

• Best Lyon Things to Do and See
• Top Food Tours in Lyon
• Most Romantic Ideas for Couples in Lyon
• Best Reasons to Visit Lyon
• Best Museums in Lyon France
• Lyon City Card Review
• One Day in Lyon Itinerary

If you love art and are planning to visit Lyon, you’re going to want to pin this for later!

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