Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere
Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière45°46′ N 4°49′ E
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière suits a visitor who wants Lyon's Marian shrine at the heart of the 8 December story, with free entry and step-free access by lift, and its trade-off is the hill: it stands above the old town, and on 8 December the evening procession and Masses fill it. In 2025 it held Christmas Eve Masses at 17:30, 19:30 and 23:00.
Photo Xavier Caré · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
The gilded statue of the Virgin Mary inaugurated here on 8 December 1852 gave Lyon its candles-in-the-window night, and the Fête des Lumières grew from that. Each 8 December the diocese processes from Saint-Jean cathedral in the old town up to the basilica, and in 2025 the procession left at 18:30.
In 2025 the façade carried Région des Lumières à Fourvière, a projection directed by Gilbert Coudène of Les Allumeurs de Rêves, during the first three festival nights and again from 26 to 31 December from 18:45 to 21:45. On 8 December itself the basilica took no projection. The museum showed a free nativity by the sculptor Goudji, and the crypt held a Lyonnais crèche from 4 December to 2 February.
Worth knowing
- Use the lift at the funicular exit if you come up from the old town by funicular and want to avoid steps.
- Check fourviere.org in November for the 2026 programme of 8 December and the Christmas Mass times.
Quick answers about Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere
What time are Christmas Masses at Fourvière?
In 2025 the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière held Christmas Eve Masses at 17:30, 19:30 and 23:00, and Christmas Day Masses at 07:30, 09:30, 11:00 and 17:30. The 2026 times are not published yet.
Is Fourvière basilica wheelchair accessible?
Yes. Ramps and a lift from the esplanade reach the crypt and the basilica from 09:00 to 18:30, and a second lift stands at the funicular exit; the rooftop visit and the Jardins du Rosaire are not accessible.
Is entry to Fourvière basilica free?
Yes. Entry to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is free; guided visits are booked separately.
In the journal and guides
