France Lyon Holidays

Lyon is located in the Rhone-Alpes region of France, and is the third biggest city behind Paris and Marseille. Rich history, lots of great museums, cultural sports, vibrant nightlife, and hundreds of great restaurants make Lyon one of the top destinations in France. It is also one of the rare cities with two rivers that flow through the city – one is Rhône and the other one is Saône. Lyon is also UNESCO protected city, with its Old Town labeled as one of the World Heritage Sites since 1998. The city is well known for the gastronomy scene and great cuisine.

Lyon Weather

Lyon has a sub-tropic climate. Winter months are not that harsh, with January being the coldest month with average temperatures of 3 C. July is the hottest month with average temperature in the upper 20s C, and spring and autumn months are almost always pleasant with average temperatures around 20 C.

Sightseeing in Lyon

A must-visit place in Lyon is Vieux-Lyon or the Old Town. Mazes of charming narrow streets will give you the feel like traveling in the past. Architecture in Vieux-Lyon is stunning with lots of Renaissance buildings dating between 15th and 17th century and hidden ‘traboules’. Traboules are tunneled passageways which used to serve as a cover and shelter for the merchants in the past. Visit the beautiful Basilica Notre-Dame at Fourvière, from where you can enjoy magnificent views on the whole city of Lyon. Vieux-Lyon is divided in three sections called St.Jean, St.Paul and St.Georges after the churches located in each section. You can join some of the numerous guided tours and thoroughly explore each section of the Old Town.

Institut Lumière

Film lovers should visit the attractive Institut Lumière where you can learn more are about the movie scene and the cinematographic pioneers Louis and Auguste Lumière. St. Jean cathedral and its archaeological gardens, St. Georges neighbourhood, Palais de Justice, the area of Croix-Rousse, Place Bellecour and Parc de la Tête d'Or are just a few of the many fantastic spots to see in Lyon.

Dining in Lyon

When it comes to gastronomy, Lyon has plenty to offer. From small street eateries to Michelin Star restaurants – the choice is incredible. If you want to try something local, then visit the so-called ‘bouchon’ restaurants. Bouchon is a typical Lyonnais restaurant where you can taste local dishes such as roasted pork, sausages or duck pâté.

Festival of Lights

A great thing to see in Lyon is the famous Festival of Lights which is the most attractive event in the year. It starts on 8th of December and it lasts for four days. It started as a religious event and as a ritual for paying tribute to the saint patron of the city - Virgin Mary. In the recent years it became an international event attracting almost five millions of tourists annually. You can see some fantastic light and sound shows from top artists and there are lots of festivities going on. Besides Festival of Lights, Nuits de Fourvière festival is smaller, but also attractive festival of music held between June and August in the Roman theatres in the city.