Discover Lyon and its surroundings
Located between the Saône and the Rhône, the city of Lyon, formerly the capital of Gaul, silk and printing, has now become one of the most important metropolises in France and Europe. Indeed, Lyon is distinguished in various fields: economic, gastronomic, but also cultural. This last plan is the pride of the people of Lyon, as 500 hectares of the city have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The attractiveness of the city is thus enhanced, particularly with places such as Old Lyon, the Croix-Rousse, the museum symbol of the city, which no longer goes unnoticed.
There are also a lot of other interesting cultural assets of the city that fascinate the whole world. Lyon’s gastronomy is one of the most famous in France and in Europe, it is not for nothing that great cooks are from the city. A city of gastronomy has even been opened and contributes to the elegance of the city.
The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
When we talk about Lyon and its surroundings, we are obliged to mention the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes which is a French administrative region. It is located in the south of France, in the central and eastern part. This region was created in 2015 thanks to a territorial reform.
It was set up following the regional elections of December 2015, and brings together the former Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes regions. 12 departments and one metropolis with the status of a territorial collectivity make up this region, which is one of the world’s largest’The Monts de Lyon covers 69 711 km2 with 7 877 698 inhabitants in 2015. With the city of Lyon as its capital, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region includes various geographical, economic, sociological and even cultural areas, like the former Rhône-Alpes and Auvergne regions. While each of these regions benefits from the’a coherence relative to the axes of communication and the beauty of their respective metropolis, the new region seems heterogeneous.
What characterizes the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is that it includes the two main mountain ranges of France, the Alps and the Massif Central. It is therefore a mountainous region. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is also bordered by Switzerland and Italy.
The Rhône department
The Rhône department belongs to the Rhône-Alpes region and has the number 69 in the INSEE code. The Rhône department includes the former Lyonnais and Beaujolais. It has an area of 2725.11 km² with a population estimated at nearly 447.409 inhabitants according to the last estimate made in 2016.
Generally speaking, the Rhône department is a mountainous country, which is divided into two zones oriented from North to South. The Rhône department is made up of a group of interesting cities to visit. Each city, even if it is not very well known, has its own historical, cultural, architectural and other assets that can attract many tourists from all over the world. Graceful sites, pleasant valleys, vast viewpoints abound in the Rhône department.
The department of the Rhône is located at the crossroads of the roads towards the Mediterranean coast or towards the Alps. This department, illustrates through its charming cities, all the French art of living: French culture, French gastronomy, French viticulture.
Beaujolais
Lyon and its surroundings, c’is also Beaujolais. The Beaujolais is a geographical region well known for its wine which is located north of Lyon in France. The region s’It is located in the north of the Rhône department, in the south of the Saône-et-Loire department and in the north-east of the Loire department. Beaujolais was an ancient province of France with Beaujeu as its historical capital. Today, Beaujolais has Villefranche-sur-Saône as its capital’district of the Rhône. The Beaujolais is marked by two natural communication routes which are to the north and south of the mountainous massif: to the south, there is the Tarare passage and to the north, the Beaujeu passage.
Mount Saint-Rigaud is the highest point of the Beaujolais mountains at 1,009 m above sea level’altitude. The rock of’Ajoux at 970 meters and Mount Tourvéon at 949 meters accompany the summit.
The massifs around Lyon
In Lyon and its surroundings, you will be able to discover various massifs. One of the main massifs of the city of Lyon and its surroundings constitute the Monts Lyonnais. They represent a low mountain region which is part of the foothills of the Massif Central and are located in the departments of the Loire and the Rhône, but also in the South of France’west of the plain of Lyon.
The mountains of Lyon’Or constitute a small massif that is northwest of Lyon. They s’The area of Beaujolais extends over a dozen kilometers, from north to south, limited to the south of Lyon’east by the Saône, west by the plain of Lyon’west by a slight depression which delimits it with the northern part of the mounts of Lyonnais. The Monts du Pilat is also a mountainous massif visible from Lyon, located between the Rhône, Ardèche and Loire rivers and dominating the Rhône and Gier valleys.
In the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, there is the Massif Central, which is the most beautiful part of France’extends over the western half of the region to the south’the valleys of the Saône.
The parks around Lyon
The city of Lyon and its surroundings It also has many green spaces that you can discover. You can for example visit the park of the Tête d’Or in Lyon. It is a park of exceptional beauty with sublime botanical gardens, breathtaking rose gardens, a magnificent small zoo. The Parc de la Tête d’Or has everything to please. Another green space that is well worth a visit is the Grand Parc Miribel Jonage in Vaulx-en-Velin.
If you are a family or a couple, you will be able to enjoy hours of sailing, especially in the inflatable water park. Still in terms of green spaces to discover in Lyon, you will certainly not miss the Jardin des Cinq Sens at the Village d’Ivoire. The garden borders Lake Geneva and offers a wonderful warm and romantic atmosphere to visitors.
Another ideal park for walking is the Domaine de Lacroix-Laval, located in Marcy-L’étoile.