Welcome to Lyon
A World Heritage City since 1998
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee declared that "Lyon, an eminent example of human settlement, represents an exceptional example of the continuity of urban installation over a period of more than two thousand years". Whereas the districts of most European cities stand on the remains of what preceded them, the geography of Lyon has caused its districts to extend eastwards over the centuries, ensuring remarkable physical continuity between the centres of each era. The "Plan Lumière" provides a breathtaking panorama of Lyon at night, highlighting its rich and diverse heritage. However, the city really comes into its own on 8 December, when it stages a unique and enchanting spectacle in honour of the Virgin Mary.
A City of Gastronomy
In 1935, Curnonsky exalted Lyon as the "world capital of gastronomy" in "Le principe des gastronomes". Lyon can pride itself in its art of living, being blessed geographically by its proximity with different countries, varied products and a long history. Lyonnais culinary art above all owes its maestria to the wealth and quality of the products gathered from its neighbouring regions. However, it is the craft and creative imagination of man that raises cuisine to the rank of gastronomy. The Michelin Guide has awarded many restaurants in the Lyon region with its much sought after stars, spreading the fame of Lyonnaise gastronomy all over France and throughout the world. Famous chefs and their restaurants can be found next to "bouchons", the name given to traditional small restaurants that serve Lyonnaise specialities in picturesque decors. It is therefore quite natural and wholly justified that Lyon is home to such international institutions and events as the Institut Bocuse (school of culinary arts and the hotel trade), the Bocuse d'Or, the Fondation Bocuse, and the project for the Palace of Savours.
A City Astride a Hub
The geostrategic position of the Lyon region, at the head of the Rhone Valley, a major route between Northern and Southern Europe, is made even stronger by the development of the single European market. The second most dynamic economic region after the the Ile de France, and located close to the borders of Switzerland and Italy, the Rhône-Alpes and its capital, Lyon, draw advantage from major structural, infrastructural and communication facilities, allowing them to play a leading role in Europe. Lyon is at the centre of a hub of 5 motorways that link it with the major European markets. With more than 1,140 km of motorways and 3,600 km of roads, the network in the Rhone-Alpes region is the densest in France and puts Lyon within a day's journey for 180 million Europeans.
Saint-Exupéry International Airport
Saint-Exupéry Airport, the TGV railway lines and major European motorways make Lyon a genuine hub for European transport. The different links between air, rail and road transport ensure rapid and direct access from important French and European cities, such as Milan, Paris and Munich. Operational 24 hours a day, the airport provides flights to more than a hundred cities, half of which are abroad. With 40 airlines and annual traffic of more than 5 million passengers, Lyon Saint Exupéry is now the leading French airport after Paris Roissy and Paris Orly. The recent presence of Hub Air France now permits 200,000 passengers per year to connect with 46 domestic and European lines.
A City of Conferences
Resolutely convinced of its international vocation, Lyon has the facilities to match the world class events it welcomes. Every year, around thirty international events such as the G8, the UNCTAD World Congress, Pollutec (international environment show), Biovision (world forum of life sciences), etc., are organised in Lyon in partnership with the Tourist Office and the Conferences.
Would you like to know more?
Economic Development Agency for the Lyon Region (ADERLY)
Lyon and the information society
visit digital Lyon during the Summit
The City of Lyon has set up a municipal programme known as the Lyon Programme for the Information Society (PLSI) to encourage the integration of information and communication technologies in the conurbation. This support programme has four main aims:- to develop educative Internet with multimedia equipment and broadband connection of all the city's schools;
- to reduce the digital divide by supporting a network of public access points to the Internet in Lyon;
- to promote the emergence of electronic administration by developing a number of online public services (municipal call centre, community portal);
- to permit the integration of ICTs in the local economic fabric and encourage Lyon's digital economy.
A PLSI mission coordinates a network of local actors involved in the information society in Lyon.
For further information: http://www.internet-lyon.org
