Jump to content

Lyon

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 67.230.193.170 (talk) at 19:50, 21 September 2010 (→‎Culture). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the French city. For other uses, see Lyon (disambiguation).
Lyon
Flag of Lyon
Flag
Coat of arms of Lyon
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Avant, avant, Lion le melhor.
(Franco-Provençal: Forward, forward, Lyon the best)
Location of Lyon
Map
CountryFrance
RegionAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes
MetropolisLyon Metropolis
ArrondissementLyon
Cantonchief town of 14 cantons
Subdivisions9 arrondissements
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Gérard Collomb (PS)
Area
1
47.95 km2 (18.51 sq mi)
 • Urban
 (1999)
954 km2 (368 sq mi)
 • Metro
 (1999)
3,306 km2 (1,276 sq mi)
Population
 (2006
greater Lyon : 1,245,000)
472,305
 • Rank3rd in France
2nd agglomeration
 • Density9,800/km2 (26,000/sq mi)
 • Urban
 (1999)
1,348,832
 • Urban density1,400/km2 (3,700/sq mi)
 • Metro
 (2006)
1,748,271
 • Metro density530/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
69123 /
Elevation162–305 m (531–1,001 ft)
Websitehttp://www.lyon.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Historic Site of Lyons
UNESCO World Heritage Site
CriteriaCultural: ii, iv
Reference872
Inscription1998 (22nd Session)

Lyon (French pronunciation: [ljɔ̃] ⓘ; Arpitan: Liyon, IPA: [ʎjɔ̃]; English: /liːˈɒn/ or anglicized as Lyons[1]/ˈlaɪ.ənz/), is a city in east-central France in the region Rhône-Alpes, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at 470 km (292 mi) from Paris, 320 km (199 mi) from Marseille, 160 km (99 mi) from Geneva, 280 km (174 mi) from Turin, and 600 km (373 mi) from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais (singular and plural).

Lyon is a major centre of business with a reputation as the French capital of gastronomy and having a significant role in the history of cinema due to Auguste and Louis Lumière. The local professional football team, Olympique Lyonnais, has increased the profile of Lyon internationally through participation in European football championships.

The population of the city of Lyon is 472,305. Together with its suburbs and satellite towns, Lyon forms the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris, with the population of its urban area estimated to be 1,348,832 (Insee, 1999) and that of its metropolitan area 1,748,271 (2006). Its urban region (Urban Community of Lyon), represents half of the Rhône-Alpes région population with three million inhabitants.[2]

Lyon is the capital of the Rhône département, and also the capital of the Rhône-Alpes région. The city is known for its historical and architectural landmarks and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lyon was historically known as the silk capital of the world. The city is known as the culinary capital of France.

Economically, Lyon is a major industrial centre specializing in chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries. The city contains a significant software industry with a particular focus on video games, and in recent years has focussed on a growing local start-up sector[3]. Lyon also hosts the international headquarters of Interpol, Euronews, International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Lyon is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission Intercultural cities programme. Lyon is ranked 2nd in France as an economic centre and convention centre on some measures[4]. Lyon was in 2009 ranked 10th globally and 2nd in France for innovation[5][6].

History

Main article for early history: Lugdunum
Main article for later history: History of Lyon
Further information: [[:Ecclesiastical history of Lyon]]
Lucius Munatius Plancus, founder of Lyon

Lyon was founded on the Fourvière hill as a Roman colony in 43 BC by Munatius Plancus, a lieutenant of Caesar, on the site of a Gaulish hill-fort settlement called Lug[o]dunon, from the Celtic god Lugus ('Light', cognate with Old Irish Lugh, Modern Irish Lú) and dúnon (hill-fort). Lyon was first named Lugdunum meaning the "hill of lights" or "the hill of crows". Lug was equated by the Romans to Mercury.

Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa recognized that Lugdunum's position on the natural highway from northern to south-eastern France made it a natural communications hub, and he made Lyon the starting point of the principal Roman roads throughout Gaul. It then became the capital of Gaul, partly thanks to its convenient location at the convergence of two navigable rivers, and quickly became the main city of Gaul. Two emperors were born in this city: Claudius and Caracalla. Today, the archbishop of Lyon is still referred to as "le primat des Gaules" and the city often referred to as the "capitale des Gaules".

The Christians in Lyon were persecuted for their religion under the reigns of the various Roman emperors, most notably Marcus Aurelius and Septimus Severus. Local saints from this period include saints such as Blandina (Blandine), Pothinus (Pothin) , and Epipodius (Épipode), among others.

The great Christian bishop of Lyon in the 2nd century was the Easterner Irenaeus.

Lyon under siege (1793)

Burgundian refugees from the destruction of Worms by Huns in 437 were resettled by the military commander of the west, Aëtius, at Lugdunum, which was formally the capital of the new Burgundian kingdom by 461.

In 843, by the Treaty of Verdun, Lyon, with the country beyond the Saône, went to Lothair I, and later became a part of the Kingdom of Arles. Lyon only came under French control in the fourteenth century.

Fernand Braudel remarked, Historians of Lyon are not sufficiently aware of the bi-polarity between Paris and Lyon, which is a constant structure in French development from the late Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution (Braudel 1984 p. 327). The fairs in Lyon, the invention of Italian merchants, made it the economic countinghouse of France in the late 15th century. When international banking moved to Genoa, then Amsterdam, Lyon simply became the banking centre of France; its new Bourse (treasury), built in 1749, still resembled a public bazaar where accounts were settled in the open air. During the Renaissance, the city developed with the silk trade, especially with Italy; the Italian influence on Lyon's architecture can still be seen[citation needed]. Thanks to the silk trade, Lyon became an important industrial town during the 19th century.

Lyon in the 18th century

Lyon was a scene of mass violence against Huguenots in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacres in 1572.

During the French Revolution, Lyon rose up against the National Convention and supported the Girondins. In 1793, the city was under siege for over two months, assaulted by the Revolutionary armies, before eventually surrendering. Several buildings were destroyed, especially around the Place Bellecour, and Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois with Joseph Fouché administered the execution of more than 2,000 people. A decade later, Napoleon himself ordered the reconstruction of all the buildings demolished during this period.

The silk workers of Lyon, known as canuts, staged two major uprisings: in 1831 and 1834. The 1831 uprising saw one of the first recorded uses of the black flag as an emblem of protest. The world's first funicular railway was built between Lyon and La Croix-Rousse in 1862.

Lyon in 1860
The Saône River in Lyon as seen from Pont La Feuillée
View from Fourvière

Lyon was a centre for the occupying German forces and also a stronghold of resistance during World War II, and the city is now home to a resistance museum. (See also Klaus Barbie.) The traboules, or secret passages, through the houses enabled the local people to escape Gestapo raids.

Geography

Lyon's geography is dominated by the Rhône and Saône rivers that converge to the south of the historic city centre forming a peninsula or "Presqu'île"; two large hills, one to the west and one to the north of the historic city centre; and a large plain which sprawls eastward from the historic city centre.

To the west is Fourvière, known as "the hill that prays", the location for the highly decorated Notre-Dame de Fourvière basilica, several convents, the palace of the Archbishop, the Tour métallique (a highly visible TV tower, replicating the last stage of the Eiffel Tower) and a funicular (a railway on a steep hill).

To the north is the Croix-Rousse, "the hill that works", traditionally home to many small silk workshops, an industry for which the city was once renowned.

The original medieval city (Vieux Lyon) was built on the west bank of the Saône river at the foot of the Fourvière hill, west of the Presqu'île. This area, along with portions of the Presqu'île and much of the Croix-Rousse is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Place Bellecour is located on the peninsula (Presqu'île) between the rivers Rhône and Saône and is the third largest public square in France and one of the largest in Europe. Specifically, it is the largest clear square (i.e., without any patches of greenery, trees or any other kind of obstacles) in Europe.[citation needed] The broad, pedestrian-only Rue de la République leads north from Place Bellecour. The 2nd arrondissement has many of the finest old residential buildings in Lyon and the area is known for its concentration of old Lyonnaise Catholic families, particularly in the Ainay part of the arrondissement.

East of the Rhône from the Presqu'île is a large area of flat ground upon which sits much of modern Lyon and most of the city's population. Situated in this area is the urban centre of Part-Dieu which clusters the former Tour du Crédit Lyonnais, "Part-Dieu Tower" today, the Tour Oxygène, the Tour Swiss Life , the Part-Dieu shopping centre, and one of Lyon's two major rail terminals, Lyon Part-Dieu.

North of this district is the relatively wealthy 6th arrondissement, which is home to the Parc de la Tête d'Or, one of Europe's largest urban parks, the prestigious Lycée du Parc to the south of the park, and Interpol's world headquarters on the park's western edge. The park contains a free zoo that has recently been upgraded.

Several buildings are being constructed in Part-Dieu such as the Tour Oxygène and other projects such as the Tour Incity.

Panorama of the city of Lyon
Panorama of the inner city of Lyon, taken from the Basilique of Fourvière.

Climate

Lyon is classed as borderline Oceanic and Humid Subtropical (Koppen Cfb/Cfa). Winters are cooler than much of the rest of France due to its more inland position, but generally not cold, averaging 3.2 °C (37.8 °F) in January. Summers are very warm, averaging 21.3 °C (70.3 °F) in July. Precipitation is adequate year-round, at an average of 840 millimetres (33.1 in), but the winter months are the driest.

Climate data for Lyon
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.2
(43.2) 		8.4
(47.1) 		12.4
(54.3) 		15.3
(59.5) 		20.0
(68.0) 		23.5
(74.3) 		27.0
(80.6) 		26.7
(80.1) 		22.3
(72.1) 		16.7
(62.1) 		10.2
(50.4) 		7.1
(44.8) 		16.3
(61.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 0.1
(32.2) 		1.2
(34.2) 		3.3
(37.9) 		5.6
(42.1) 		9.9
(49.8) 		13.1
(55.6) 		15.6
(60.1) 		15.3
(59.5) 		11.9
(53.4) 		8.4
(47.1) 		3.6
(38.5) 		1.5
(34.7) 		7.5
(45.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 52.9
(2.08) 		50.5
(1.99) 		54.8
(2.16) 		72.3
(2.85) 		87.8
(3.46) 		80.2
(3.16) 		62.0
(2.44) 		69.0
(2.72) 		88.3
(3.48) 		94.7
(3.73) 		75.1
(2.96) 		55.5
(2.19) 		843.1
(33.19)
Average precipitation days 9.4 9 8.8 9.5 11.3 8.8 6.8 7.2 7.7 10.3 9.2 9.5 107.5
Mean monthly sunshine hours 69 97 172 180 225 232 275 259 187 111 70 55 1,932
Source 1: World Meteorological Organization[7]
Source 2: Météo France [8]

Administration

Lyon's early 17th-century town hall.
The Notre-Dame de Fourvière Basilica, which overlooks the city
Bartholdi Fountain at the Place des Terreaux
Statue of Louis XIV, with Ferris wheel in background, at Bellecour
The Ile Barbe island along the Saône in Lyon's 9th arrondissement
Part Dieu District by night

Lyon is the capital of the Rhône-Alpes région, the préfecture of the Rhône département, and the capital of 14 cantons, covering 1 commune, and with a total population of 488,300 (2007).

Arrondissements

Main article: Arrondissements of Lyon

Like Paris and Marseille, Lyon is divided into a number of municipal arrondissements (sometimes translated into English as boroughs), each of which is identified by a number and has its own council and town hall.

Five arrondissements were originally created in 1852, when three neighbouring communes (La Croix-Rousse, La Guillotière, and Vaise) were annexed by Lyon.

Between 1867 and 1959, the 3rd arrondissement (which originally covered the whole of the Left Bank of the Rhône) was split three times, creating a new arrondissement in each case.

Then, in 1963, the commune of Saint-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe was annexed to Lyon's 5th arrondissement. A year later, in 1964, the 5th was split to create Lyon's 9th – and, to date, final – arrondissement.

Within each arrondissement, there are a number of recognisable quartiers or neighbourhoods:

Culture

  • Since the Middle Ages, the residents of the region, speak several dialects of Arpitan language. The Lyonnais dialect was partly replaced by the French language as the importance of the city grew. However, it is still alive and, in addition, some "frenchified" Franco-Provençal words can also be heard in the French of the Lyonnais, who call their little boys and girls "gones" and "fenottes" for example. [citation needed]
  • Lyon was an early centre for printing books, and nurtured a circle of 16th century poets. [citation needed]
  • The Lumière brothers pioneered cinema in the town in 1895. The Musée Lumière, built as Auguste Lumiere's house, and a fascinating piece of architecture in its own right, holds many of their first inventions and other early cinematic and photographic artefacts.
  • December 8 each year is marked by the Festival of Lights (la Fête des lumières), a chappy dayselebration of thanks to the Virgin Mary, who purportedly saved the city from a deadly plague in the Middle Ages. During the event, the local population places candles (lumignons) at their windows and the city of Lyon organizes impressive large-scale light shows onto the sides of important Lyonnais monuments, such as the medieval Cathédrale St-Jean.
  • The church of Saint Francis of Sales is famous for its large and unaltered Cavaillé-Coll pipe organ, attracting audiences from around the world. Lyon also features a renowned opera house.
  • Lyon is also the French capital of "trompe l'œil"-walls, a very ancient tradition. Many are to be seen everywhere around the city. This old tradition is now expending in a contemporary expression. See for example Guillaume Bottazzi art work.[9][10]
  • The Brothers of the Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic congregation that operates schools in Europe and North America, was founded in Lyon in 1821.
  • The African Museum of Lyon is one of the oldest museums situated in Lyon.[11]
  • The Museum of Resistance and Deportation looks at the various persons prominent in the Resistance movement in World War II. The building is strongly linked to Klaus Barbie. Lyon sees itself as the centre of the French resistance and many members were shot in Place Bellecour in the town centre. The exhibition is largely a series of mini-biographies of those involved.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Historic Site of Lyon was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. In their designation, UNESCO cited the "exceptional testimony to the continuity of urban settlement over more than two millennia on a site of great commercial and strategic significance."[12] The specific regions composing the Historic Site include:

  • the Roman district and Fourvière;
  • the Renaissance district, Vieux-Lyon
  • the silk district (slopes of Croix-Rousse), and
  • the Presqu'île, which features architecture from the 12th century to modern times.[13]

Both Vieux-Lyon and the slopes of Croix-Rousse are known for their narrow passageways (traboules) that pass through buildings and link streets on either side.

Gastronomy

For several centuries Lyon has been known as the French capital of gastronomy, due, in part, to the presence of many of France's finest chefs in the city and its surroundings (e.g. Paul Bocuse). This reputation also comes from the fact that two of France's best known wine-growing regions are located near Lyon: the Beaujolais to the North, and the Côtes du Rhône to the South. Beaujolais wine is very popular in Lyon and remains the most common table wine served with local dishes.

Lyon is the home of very typical and traditional restaurants: the bouchons. Bouchons are usually convivial restaurants serving local dishes, and local wines.

Lyon is famous for its morning snacks formerly had by its (silk) workers, the mâchons, made up of local charcuterie and usually accompanied by Beaujolais red wine. Traditional local dishes include Rosette lyonnaise and saucisson de Lyon (sausage), andouillette (a sausage of uncleaned intestines), pistachio sausage, coq au vin, esox (pike) quenelle, gras double (tripe cooked with onions), salade lyonnaise (lettuce with bacon, croutons and a poached egg), marrons glacés, coussin de Lyon and cardoon au gratin.

Economy

The GDP of Lyon is 62 billion euro,[14] and the city is the second richest city after Paris. Lyon and its region Rhône-Alpes represent one of the most important economies in Europe and, according to the Loughborough university, can be compared to Philadelphia, Bombay or Athens concerning its international position. The city of Lyon is working in partnerships to more easily enable the establishment of new headquarters in the territory. (ADERLY, Chambre du commerce et d'industrie, Grand Lyon...). According to the ECER-Banque Populaire, Lyon is the 14th favorite city in the European Union concerning the creation of companies and investments.

Headquarters

Lyon is the headquarters of many companies like Euronews, Lyon Airports, BioMérieux, Sanofi Pasteur, LCL S.A., Cegid Group, Boiron, Infogrames, Groupe SEB, LVL Medical, GL Events, Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (C.N.R.) ... , and intergovernmental agencies IARC, Interpol.

Business quarter

The specialization of some sectors of activities have the consequence of creating several main business centers: La Part-Dieu, located in the 3rd arrondissement is the second biggest business district after La Défense in Paris with its emblematic Tour du Crédit Lyonnais (Pencil tower) and Oxygen Tower. Cité Internationale (International City), completely created by the architect Renzo Piano and finished in 2006. This zone is located in the border of the Parc de la Tête d'Or in the 6th arrondissement. The worldwide headquarters of Interpol is located there. The quarter of the Confluence, in the south of the historic centre is a new pole of economical and cultural development. This zone is located in the south of Bellecour and the Perrache railway station.

Tourism

Tourism provides a big boost to the Lyon economy with one billion euros in 2007 and 3.5 million hotel nights in 2006 provided by non-resdients. Approximately 60% of tourists visit for business with the rest for leisure. In January 2009 Lyon ranked first in France for hostels business. The festivals most important for attracting tourists are the Fête des lumières (Festival of Lights), the Nuits de Fourvière every summer, the Biennale d'art contemporain and the Nuits Sonores.

Research

Laboratory P4 Jean Merieux

Lyon is home to some of the most dangerous viruses in the world (class 4) in the Jean Merieux laboratory of research, like Ebola, Marburg, Nipah, Hendra, and Lassa.[15]

Main sights

The Roman-era Theatre on the Fourvière hill
The Saint-Jean Cathedral, seat of the Archbishop of Lyon
Place Bellecour, the "official" center of Lyon
ONLY LYON on the Place Bellecour

These are the main sights in Lyon.

Noteworthy sites

Antiquity

Middle Ages and Renaissance

  • Cathédrale Saint-Jean, medieval cathedral of Lyon with architectural elements of the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. It is the principal religious structure in Lyon.
  • Basilica of St-Martin-d'Ainay is one of the rare surviving Romanesque basilica-style churches in Lyon.
  • Église Saint-Paul, Romanesque (12 and 13th century) and Gothic (15-16th century) church.
  • Église Saint-Bonaventure, 14th- and 15th-century Gothic church.
  • Eglise Saint-Nizier, Gothic church from the 15th century. Its doorway was carved in the 16th century by Philibert Delorme.
  • Vieux Lyon (English: Old Lyon) area – Medieval and Renaissance quarter of the town, with cobbled streets, shops, and dining.
  • The many Renaissance hôtels particuliers of the Old Lyon quarter, such as the Hôtel de Bullioud, also built by Philibert Delorme.

17th and 18th century

19th century and modern city

Museums

Parks and gardens

A view of one of the many gardens in the Parc de la Tête d'Or

The garden was established in 1857 as a successor to earlier botanical gardens dating to 1796, and now describes itself as France's largest municipal botanical garden. Today it contains about 15,000 plants, including 3500 plants of temperate regions, 760 species of shrubs, a hundred species of wild roses, 750 varieties of historical roses, 200 varieties of peonies recognized by the Conservatoire Français des Collections Végétales Spécialisées (CCVS), 1800 species of alpine plants, 50 varieties of water lilies, and 6,000 species in its greenhouses.

The garden's greenhouses enclose a total of 6,500 m2 (69,965.42 sq ft) in area, and include a central pavilion for tropical plants including camellias over a hundred years old; a greenhouse-aquarium with Amazonian water lilies; a Dutch greenhouse containing carnivorous plants; small greenhouses with orchids; and small cold greenhouses with azaleas, cactus, and so forth.

  • Parc de la Tête d'Or, (literally, Golden Head Park), in central Lyon is the largest urban park in France at 117 hectares. Located in the 6th arrondissement, it features a large lake on which boating takes place during the summer months. Due to the relatively small number of other parks in Lyon, it receives a huge number of visitors over summer, and is a frequent destination for joggers and cyclists. At the northern end of the park, there is a small zoo, with giraffes, elephants, tigers and other animals. There is also sporting equipment, such as a velodrome, boules court, mini-golf, horse riding, and even a miniature train.

Colleges and universities

International primary and secondary level schools in Lyon

There are some international schools in Lyon, including:

Sport

Lyon is home to the Ligue 1 football team Olympique Lyonnais, commonly known as "Lyon" or "OL". The team has enjoyed unprecedented success recently, winning seven consecutive national titles and establishing themselves as France's premier football club. The team competes in the prestigious UEFA Champions League and currently plays at the Stade de Gerland, where the Danone Nations Cup is held every year. The team is set to move to a new stadium in Décines-Charpieu (in the eastern suburbs) in 2010, which will hold 61,556 people. Lyon also has a rugby union team, Lyon OU, currently playing in division 2, Rugby Pro D2. In addition, Lyon has a rugby league side: Lyon Villeurbanne Rhône XIII, or LVR XIII,[16] play in the French rugby league championship. The club's current home ground is Stade Georges Lyvet in Villeurbanne. Lyon is also home to the Lyon Hockey Club, an ice hockey team that competes in France's national ice hockey league. Finally, Villeurbanne also has a renowned basketball team, ASVEL, who play at the Astroballe arena in Laurent Bonnevay.

Transport

Air

The Saint-Exupéry International Airport is located 20 km (12 mi) east of Lyon, and serves as a base for domestic and international flights. With its in-house train station (Gare de Lyon Saint-Exupéry) the airport is also connected to the TGV network.

The Lyon-Bron Airport is a smaller airport dedicated to General Aviation (both private and commercial), located 10 km (6.2 mi) east of the city centre. Having helipads, the facility hosts a Gendarmerie and a Sécurité Civile (civilian defence) Base. This smaller airport used to be Lyon's international airport before all the airline's activities got transferred to Lyon Saint-Exupéry.

Rail

Lyon is connected to the north (Lille, Paris, Brussels, and in the future Amsterdam) and the south (Marseille, Montpellier, and in the future Barcelona, Turin) by the TGV. It was the first city to be connected to Paris by the TGV in 1981.

Lyon has two major railway stations: Lyon Part-Dieu, which was built to accommodate the TGV and has become the principal railway station for extra-regional trains; and Lyon Perrache, which is an older station that now primarily serves regional rail services. In practice, many trains, including TGVs, serve both stations. Smaller railway stations include Gorge-de-Loup, Vaise, Vénissieux, Saint-Paul and Jean Macé.

Road

Network of highways around Lyon

The City is at the heart of a dense road network and is located at the meeting point of several highways: A6 (to Paris), A7 (to Marseille), A42 (to Geneve), A43 (to Grenoble). The city is now bypassed by the A46.

Intercity coach

Lyon is served by the Eurolines intercity coach organisation. Its Lyon terminal is located at the city's Perrache railway station, which serves as an intermodal transportation hub that also includes tramways, local and regional trains and busses, the terminus of metro line A, the bicycle service Vélo'v, taxis, and high-speed TGV trains.

Public transport

public transport map
Further information: [[:Lyon Metro, Tramways in Lyon, Transports in Rhône-Alpes and TER Rhône Alpes]]

The TCL (French: Transports en Commun Lyonnais), Lyon's public transit system, consisting of metro, buses and tramways, serves 62 communes of the Lyon agglomeration. The subway network has 4 lines (Template:Lyon Metro icon Template:Lyon Metro icon Template:Lyon Metro icon Template:Lyon Metro icon), 39 stations and runs with a frequency of up to a train every 2 minutes. The bus network consists of normal buses, trolleybuses and coaches for areas outside the centre. There are four tram lines since April 2009: T1 from Montrochet in the south to IUT-Feyssine in the north, Tram T2 from Perrache railway station in the southwest to Saint-Priest in the southeast, Tram T3 from Part-Dieu to Meyzieu, and Tram T4 from Mendès-France to Feyzin. There are also two funicular lines from Vieux Lyon to Saint-Just and Fourvière. Despite the existence of several systems and operators the ticketing is unified through a unique system.

The REAL project intends on promoting and eventually increasing, the usage of public transport means by commuters.

Public bicycle service Vélo'v

Rhônexpress (formerly The LESLYS - Liaison ExpresS LYon Saint-Exupéry[17]) will provide the metropolis with a light train shuttle ("Tram-Train") connecting the airport to the city's downtown. Rhônexpress (a consortium created for this purpose by major French construction companies) was awarded the operation of this rail link by the prime owner of the infrastructure (Département du Rhône) through a PPP (Public-Private-Partnership) vehicle.[18]

The public transit system is complemented by Vélo'v, a bicycle network providing a low cost and convenient bicycle hire service where bicycles can be hired and dropped off at any of 340 stations throughout the city. Borrowing a bicycle for less than 30 minutes is free.

Lyon's tramway

International attraction

The unusual project Lyon Dubai City, a reproduction of some districts of Lyon in Dubai, is a major point for the tourism in Lyon.

People from Lyon

Movies in Lyon

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Twin towns — Sister cities

Lyon is twinned with:[19]

The lion is a common sight in Lyon:

See also

Other

Lyon centre, view to Fourvière Hill from Presqu'île near Place Bellecour

References

Notes
  1. ^ The spelling Lyons with a final [s] is probably the result of a confusion with the Norman village Lyons-la-Forêt, famous resort of the Anglo-Norman kings such as Henry I of England or Richard the Lionheart. Lyon and Lyons don't share the same etymology : Lyon is a former Lugdunum and Lyons a former *Licontio
  2. ^ "The RUL website (French)". Regionurbainedelyon.fr. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  3. ^ http://www.business.greaterlyon.com/city-business-support-lyon-entrepreneurship-system.85.0.html?&L=1
  4. ^ http://www.en.lyon-france.com/business-and-press/business-tourism/p-616/why-lyon.php
  5. ^ http://www.innovation-cities.com/top-innovation-cities-75-ranked-worldwide/
  6. ^ http://www.innovation-cities.com/release-innovation-cities™-europe-25-index/
  7. ^ "Historical Weather for Lyon". worldweather.org. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  8. ^ "Prévisions météo de Météo-France". Météo France. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  9. ^ "Pierre Alain Muet Archives 2008". Pa-muet.com. 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
  10. ^ "Bottazzi fait le mur". Brefonline.Com. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  11. ^ "The African Museum of Lyon Website". Musee-africain-lyon.org. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  12. ^ Entry on Historic Site of Lyons UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  13. ^ UNESCO World Heritage Site. City of Lyon official website. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  14. ^ "Chiffres-clés Lyon & sa région" (PDF) (in French). {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |autor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "Le laboratoire P4, ménagerie virale". LeMonde.fr. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  16. ^ Le site de Lyon Villeurbanne Rhône à XIII - LVR XIII[dead link]
  17. ^ Press release for the official name change signature
  18. ^ Press release from local authorities reporting the contract awarding to Rhônexpress
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Partner Cities of Lyon and Greater Lyon". © 2008 Mairie de Lyon. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
  20. ^ "Twinning the Cities". City of Beirut. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  21. ^ "Partner Cities". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
  22. ^ "Sister Cities of Guangzhou". Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
  23. ^ "Frankfurt -Partner Cities". © 2008 Stadt Frankfurt am Main. Retrieved 2008-12-05. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ "Leipzig - International Relations". © 2009 Leipzig City Council, Office for European and International Affairs. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
  25. ^ "Official Yokohama City Tourism Website: Sister Cities". © Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
  26. ^ "Yerevan Municipality - Sister Cities". © 2005-2009 www.yerevan.am. Retrieved 2009-06-22. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ "Twin Cities". The City of _Łódź_ Office. Template:En icon and Template:Pl icon © 2007 UM_. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
  28. ^ "Milano - Città Gemellate". © 2008 Municipality of Milan (Comune di Milano). Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  29. ^ "Twin towns of Minsk". © 2008 The department of protocol and international relations of Minsk City Executive Committee. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
  30. ^ "Montreal partner city". Lyon.fr. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  31. ^ "Saint Petersburg in figures - International and Interregional Ties". Saint Petersburg City Government. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lyon.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lyon&oldid=386159849"