La Place du Peuple

Look south and you'll see the beginnings of the Parc du Pilat, look north and you'll be able to spot Carnot station. Place du Peuple, is the one place you have to pass through if you're crossing the city from East to West and it's where the trams take 2 different directions (either down to La Terrasse or up to Bellevue for the ones that will drop you at the station) and it's also a meeting point for lots of Stéphanois. In short, this is a place where people have always gathered and which has been in perpetual motion for centuries: until 1848, it was known as Pré de la Foire, and it was here that the city held its markets and its celebrations. In the 17th century, the square was still lined with trees and washerwomen's stones and it was described as being like heaven on earth! Absolutely true! And where there are washerwomen, there's necessarily a river... but where has it gone? Well, it's right under your feet! The River Furan, which has its source in the Parc du Pilat, crosses Saint-Étienne from North to South and was progressively covered over from the 17th century onwards.

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