The city of Lyon is often, in fact pretty much always, overlooked by France's most popular attraction – Paris.
Yes we all know about the beauty of the French capital, its historic monuments, dining scene, spectacular river banks… and the list goes on.
But what about the city of Lyon, just a two-hour trip to the south by train? We never hear Lyon bragging about what it has to offer.
Just for starters, it's rich in Roman history and the first motion film camera was invented there, but there's actually a whole lot more going for this city than you might have thought.

(Photo: AFP)
- Lyon has around 490,000 people in the city, making it France's third most populous (after Paris and Marseille)
- The locals are called the Lyonnais
- The old town in the centre of the city is an Unesco heritage site
- It's regularly cited as France's capital of gastronomy
- It's the only French city with an anagram for a slogan (“Only Lyon”)

(Photo: AFP)

(Skiers in Tignes, not far from Lyon. Photo: AFP)

(A street in Pérouges. Photo: Ana Rey/Flickr)

(A look over Lyon. Photo: robin robokow/Flickr)
- Paris – €7,786 per sqm
- Lyon – €3,167 per sqm

(A closer look at the Pentes de la Croix Rousse. Photo: Net Circlion/Flickr)
5: It's good for your French

(Photo: David Basanta/Flickr)

(The quenelle – this one sweet – is a popular Lyonais food. Photo: Liliana Fuchs/Flickr)

(Photo: AFP)

(The old town of Lyon. Photo: Michael Muraz/Flickr)

(Inside the Notre-Dame de Fourvière cathedral. Photo: AFP)


(Tourists check out the view from the cathedral. Photo: AFP)

(One of the many bridges in Lyon. Photo: Connie Ma/Flickr)

(Detail on the outside the Notre-Dame de Fourvière cathedral. Photo: Stanil Dobrev/Flickr)
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