Lyon, France

Lyon is the third largest city in France, is located 431km (268 miles) southeast of Paris and 311km (193 miles) north of Marseille, is the capital of the Alpes region and the second largest contributor to the French economy after Paris, has a population of 413 000 inhabitants.

Lyon is between two hills: the Fourvi and Croix-Rousse and between two rivers: the turbulent Rhine and the tranquil Sa. Lyon is a very industrial city, textile manufacturing is one of the most important here, but not only that, this city is known as the capital of gastronomy, like Paris, this city has the largest number of Michelin-starred restaurants, the most famous chef Paul Bocuse has his restaurant in Lyon and this city can be called the cuisine's paradise.

Lyon is considered an UNESCO World Heritage List since December 1998, specifically the Saint-Jean and the Croix-Rousse areas. A very beautiful city with its architectural renaissance buildings and monuments.

Lyon is also called the 'city of light' because of its history which began on Fourvi Hill, when the city was under the Romans, and the city was proclaimed capital of the three Gauls, while during this period Lyon obtained a big development in economic, politic, religious and military aspects. The tradition od the city of Lights or 'Lugdunum' (as called by the Romans) is still present, every evening more than 100 sites across the city are lit up to show the splendor of Lyon's architecture.

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