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Destinations: Lyon, France


Lyon, a city in France’s historical Rhône-Alpes region, sits at the junction of the Rhône and Saône rivers. Its center reflects 2,000 years of history, with the Roman Amphithéâtre des Trois Gaules, medieval and Renaissance architecture in Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon), and the modern Confluence district on the Presqu’île peninsula. Traboules, covered passageways between buildings, connect Vieux Lyon and La Croix-Rousse hill.

Destinations From Lyon, France


Rhone-Alpes Region

Rhône-Alpes, centered around France’s second city, Lyon, is one of the larger traditional regions in France. The Rhône-Alpes covers vast swaths of snowy peaks with perfect skiing conditions. Lakes, resorts and quaint historic villages complete the idyllic winter wonderland image in this diverse terrain. Bring your snowboard to revel in the thick snow that carpets the French Alps.

Annecy

Annecy is an alpine town where Lake Annecy feeds into the Thiou River. It is known for its Vieille Ville (old town), with cobbled streets, winding canals and pastel-colored houses. Overlooking the city, the medieval Château d’Annecy, once home to the Counts of Geneva, contains a museum with regional artifacts such as Alpine furniture and religious art, plus a natural history exhibit.

Mont Blanc

The roof of Western Europe, rising to 4,810m, Mont Blanc is the world’s third most-visited natural sight. The Massif du Mont-Blanc’s unique setting enables it to offer a huge choice of outdoor activities , ranging from mountaineering, off-piste skiing and climbing to hiking, either along its mountain trails or glaciers.



Geneva, Switzerland

Travel by rail from Lyon: 1 hr 49 mins

Geneva is a city in Switzerland that lies at the southern tip of expansive Lac Léman (Lake Geneva). Surrounded by the Alps and Jura mountains, the city has views of dramatic Mont Blanc. Headquarters of Europe’s United Nations and the Red Cross, it’s a global hub for diplomacy and banking. French influence is widespread, from the language to gastronomy and bohemian districts like Carouge. Geneva is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland.

Grenoble

Travel by rail from Lyon: 1 hr 25 mins

Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère and plays the role of an important scientific centre of Europe.[2][3] The city advertises itself as the “Capital of the Alps”, due to its size and its proximity to the mountains. The Bastille, an ancient series of fortifications on the mountainside overlooking Grenoble on the northern side is visible from many points in the city.

Chambéry

Travel by rail from Lyon: 1 hr 26 mins

Chambery is a beautiful town in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. Chambéry is the birthplace and historic capital of Savoie. It lies in a valley in the Alps surrounded by the Bauges and Chartreuse mountain ranges and provides almost 360-degree views of the French Alps. Chambery is a charming, peaceful place to visit with beautiful architecture, good food and wine, and friendly people. There are many vineyards in the area that visitors can enjoy, and on Saturdays, the city public market is abuzz with the freshest cheeses, meats, and local produce from the Alps.

Vienne

Travel by rail from Lyon: 31 mins

Vienne is a town in southeastern France, located 32 kilometres south of Lyon, on the river Rhône. It was a major centre of the Roman empire. It has preserved a rich built heritage from its long past, including monuments dating back to ancient times: the imposing Temple of Augustus and Livia built in 1BC; the vast 1st-century AD Théâtre Antique, one of the largest theatres in Roman Gaul; and the Garden of Cybele with its Gallo-Roman archaeological remains, among others.

Anse

Travel by rail from Lyon: 20 mins

Anse is a quiet town in the Rhone region, 29km north of Lyon. It was an important town in Gallo Roman times and there are a number of remaining buildings which testify to its important past. The medieval old town of Anse is partly within the original Gallo-Roman Castrum. Buildings include 15th century houses and a communal bread oven. Anse is in the Beaujolais wine region of France and so a visit to some of the local vineyards for a spot of winetasting is almost obligatory.

St Etienne

Travel by rail from Lyon: 46 mins

Saint-Etienne is the second largest city in the Rhone-Alpes after Lyon. It grew up as an industrial town with arms manufacture and the manufacture of ribbons being important from the 16 and 17th centuries and later on coal mining also becoming important. With the decline in these traditional industries St-Etienne has focused on design and new technologies and has also focussed on its heritage and culture. Its old Arms Factory has been turned into a design centre called the ‘Cité du design’.

Marseilles

Travel by rail from Lyon: 1 hr 42 mins

Marseilles is a Provencal city with vitality, centered around 26-century-old port, with a dynamic downtown, big parks, a medieval-village-style neighbuorhood, downtown shopping and wonderful seafood. Marseilles often goes unnoticed and unvisited by travelers who choose to spend their time in France either in Paris or along the sunny beaches of St. Tropez, Cannes, and Nice. They are missing out on one of France’s most diverse cities, both in terms of people and activities.

Bagnols

Travel by rail and bus from Lyon: 1 hr 50 mins

Bagnols is a beautiful little village in the heart of the Beaujolais countryside with an attractive church and a castle in the centre. The main square, called the Place du Chateau has the Chateau running along its lower edge and the village Mairie on one side. These as well as all the other buildings in the village are built in a beautiful golden stone which comes from the quarries just above the village. Bagnols is surrounded by vines used to make the lovely Beaujolais wines of the region.

Trevoux

Travel by rail from Lyon: 1 hr 28 min

Trevoux is a quiet little town on the edge of the Saone river however it has a number of very impressive buildings, evidence of the town’s importance in the past. If you head for the tourist office they can give you a map which highlights the key sights in the town. At the top of the town is Trevoux’s fortified castle with its unusual octagonal tower. Other sights to see include the printing houses where the famous ‘Trevoux Dictionary’ was produced, medieval fortifications, and a 17th century clock tower.

Hameau Duboeuf

Travel by rail from Lyon: 46 mins

Hameau Duboeuf near the town of Belleville is a popular day trip for residents of nearby Lyon. It is a viticulture and wine theme park and a visit warrants at least half a day to see all it has to offer. The park covers 30,000 square metres and is also themed on railways. As well a range of events and exhibitions, there’s also a lovely garden, if you feel like a stroll. Inside there is also the imperial carriage used by Napoleon III. Travel around the park is on a ‘petit train’ a small road train which is particularly enjoyed by children.

Dombes

Travel by rail from Lyon: 37 mins

At around 300 metres above sea level the Dombes plateau is an extensive flat area (more than 500 square kilometres) that is covered with small lakes and villages and a good number of historical monuments and castles – a unique environment in France. The region is especially renowned as a bird-watching and fishing region. The more than 1000 lakes here are man made, dug for the large part by monks wishing to use the clay.

Pérouges

Travel by rail from Lyon: 30 min

Pérouges is a medieval walled town, on a small hill overlooking the Ain River valley 30 kilometres north of Lyon in the Rhone Alps. Perouges has a reputation of being one of the most beautiful village of France, and is one of our favourites. The village now falls between its two medieval gates – the ‘high gate’ and the ‘low gate’. It contains lots of interesting buildings, including a fortified church and the house of the Princes of Savoy (open to the public) with a recreation of a 13th century garden.



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