Lyons, France’s second largest city after that of Paris with a population estimated to be 1,8 million, is an industrial and commercial city. It is located at the intersection of the Rhône and the Saône which are navigable, and it backs onto the Fourvière and Croix Rousse hills. Being a two millennia old city, it has a centre listed as a World Heritage Site. The main part of the city, with the principal government offices and museums, is situated across between the Rhône in the east and the narrower Saône on the west.

Lyons has long been the main centre of the French textile industry. At the same time, it has also a variety of industries, considerably the chemical and metalworking industries. The Lyons Trade Fair, held annually in spring, provides a general survey of the city’s industry and commerce.

With the norrow streets and its “traboules” (narrow secret passages), on the big squares of the peninsula, Lyons offers an unusual journey through time and across cultures. The places to visit and the activities to attend are mainly Roman Theatres and Old Renaissance Lyon, Fine Arts, Cinéma-Lumière, Textiles, Gallo-Roman Civilisation, over 200 sites floodlit each evening, fashion, antiques, markets, squares, gardens, its small traditional restaurants, its top-flight restaurants, boat trips along the Rhône and the Saône, Beaujolais, Côtes Rôties, Côtes du Rhône.