Let me introduce you to My Beloved Lyon
I have just realized that actually I hadn’t told you anything about Lyon. And it is so worth learning more about this 3rd largest city in France. Yes, Lyon is one of the biggest French cities among Paris and Marseille which are going neck to neck with each other as it comes to population and economical parameters.
Lyon is a city located in the east-central France. It is a half way between sea and mountains and between Paris and Marseille. It is situated about 470 kilometres from Paris and 320 km from Marseille. Lyon is the capital of the Rhône-Alpes region and it belongs to the Rhône department which is the second level of administrative divisions on the map of France. The city of
Lyon is divided into 9 municipal arrondissements, Each of them is identified by a number and it has its own council and town hall.
Lyon is a city of two rivers which run through it. “La Saône” comes from the North-East of France and “le Rhône” comes from Switzerland to the Mediterranean Sea. They meet in Lyon and merger. They form a peninsula which is called Lyon Presqu’île. This part of the town is known as the city’s commercial and cultural centre.
The municipality Lyon is inhabited by 491,268 (Jan 2011) Lyonnaises. But when you add to the Lyon’s population the residents of its suburbs and satellite towns Lyon becomes the 2nd-largest metropolitan area in France. Its population counts then over 2mln (Jan 2011)
Lyon is known for its historical and architectural landmarks. Obviously many of the Lyon’s monuments are registered on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the past Lyon was known as an important area for the production and weaving of silk. Recently, Lyon became well known as a gastronomic city. It is now the French capital of gastronomy and this is thanks to the presence of
many amazing chefs including Paul Bocuse and other gastronomes like Colette Sibilia. Lyon is famous for its “cuisine bourgeoise” and the habit of using offal, You still have a chance to taste many traditional dishes in the famous “bouchons” (traditional Lyon restaurants). Lyon is also a centre of the cultural life. Did you know that Lyon is the birthplace of cinema. It was Auguste and Louis Lumière, who invented there the cinematographe.
Economically, Lyon is a major centre for banking, chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries. The GDP of Lyon is 62 billion euro. It makes Lyon the second richest French city after Paris.
Lyon has a good location for international organisations therefore the headquarters of Interpol, Euronews and International Agency for Research on Cancer are situated in the city.
My Little Facts Sheet about Lyon:
- Region: Rhone-Alpes
- District: Lyon
- Area code : 69123
- Zip code :69000
- Nearby cities: Grenoble, Saint Etienne
- Motto: Avant, avant, Lion le melhor.
- Subdivisions: 9 arrondissements
- Area: 47.87 km2
- Urban area Population 2.2 million
- Main sites: The old city (UNESCO world heritage site), Notre Dame de Fourvière, St. John’s Cathedral, the Musée des Beaux Arts, the Roman theatre.
- Nearby attractions: Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhone vineyards, Vienne, the mediaeval city of Pérouges – and within just over an hour’s drive, the Alps.
So this is really a short introduction to Lyon. If you are interested and want to learn more, keep an eye on my blog and also visit Lyon’s Official Site. If you have any questions or comments to share, just give me a shout as I would love to hear from you especially if you share the love for Lyon!
