Lyon Travel Guide
Get the lowdown on things to see and do in Lyon. Check out our Lyon travel guide for information on top Lyon attractions.
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Lyon lies in the beautiful Rhone valley between the mountains of The Alps to the East, and the high country of Massif Central in the west. Lyon is the third largest city in France - home to around half a million people, and lies in the Burgundy region of the country, an area famous for the excellent wines it exports.
Amongst the many attractions of Lyon itself, the architecture of the old town - Vieux Lyon is particularly pleasant. Roman ruins stand alongside Italianate Renaissance buildings to create a glorious conglomeration of histories.
Standing proudly about the town is the magnificent erection of the Basilica Fourviere, where aside from the incredibly views over the Lyon Skyline, there is also a top class collection of 19th century Byzantine art on permanent display. You need to take a cable car from the city to the Basilica, but it is well worth it in order to see the view.
One of Lyon's most charming sides is the laid back atmosphere that pervades the city, there are few places place than Lyon's central square to sit back and enjoy a coffee at a pavement café while you watch the world pass by. In the evening, Lyon comes alive, and you realise that the reason for the population's reticence during the day is to leave them with enough energy to really get down and party when the lights are out!