Lyon, the former capital of Gaul, located at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers, has witnessed extensive development. Its role in all fields has grown stronger over the centuries and its reputation for cuisine is second to none.

At the heart of a beautiful region, with its mosaic of varied countryside and landscapes, its extremely wide range of human activities and its rich heritage, the city of Lyons itself, with its international ambitions, has flourished since Roman times. A region of beautiful agricultural landscapes dedicated to the gastronomic arts.

The capital of the Roman province called the Three Gauls experienced its first period of prosperity during Augustus’ reign; at the time it was called Lugdunum. Several other emperors came through, each building aqueducts, monuments, etc…During the Middle Ages and through the Renaissance, huge fairs drew throngs of merchants and bankers—German, Flemish, Swiss, and Italian. Lyon became an essential commercial hub for the French kingdom; not only was it a marketplace for exchanging goods, but also a financial center, with fixed exchange rates for European currencies, and inventive (for the time) financial transactions, such as loans. The city also obtained the right to manufacture silk, a source of immense prestige for centuries to come. Lyon earned the title of silk capital of the world, supplying the royal courts of Europe and ecclesiastic authorities, creating new styles for the epoch’s haute couture, and innovating fabrication techniques (especially looms). Other industries sprang up: chemical production, pharmaceuticals, mechanics, and metallurgy—which explains in part why Lyon still is a leader in these areas.

At Lyon, the Rhône River—which originates in the Alps—converges with the Saône, butts up against the Massif Central and turns towards the South. This waterway has been an important transit route since Antiquity. The Rhône Corridor has seen just about every form of transportation, and benefited from every technological improvement. It has most certainly facilitated a few invasions, but it also made it substantial economic growth possible. The river passes through some very diverse regions. Just before the confluence of the Saône and the Rhône are the peaceful landscapes of La Dombes, sprinkled with lakes. On the eastern border of the Massif Central is an area of rugged countryside, including Beaujolais, the Lyonnais and Forez hills, Velay, and Vivarais. Between these regions are basins, like those of the Roanne, St-Etienne, and Puy, where cities and towns are concentrated. On the left bank of the river, at the bottom of the alpine foothills, the Bas-Dauphiné, the Valentinois, and the Tricastin are the gateway to the Midi, the South. This impetuous river—often called a “wild bull”—has been tamed, thanks to enormous public works that ease navigation, produce electricity, and irrigate the valley.

People joke that there is a third river in Lyon, in addition to the Rhône and the Saône: Beaujolais wine. The world awaits the arrival of this magic liquid every year on the third Thursday of November. It comes from an eponymous region that stretches along the right bank of the Saône, an area that for centuries has owed its livelihood to wine. The final product varies according to differences in the soil, the exposition of the land, and the altitude, even though Beaujolais wines all use the same grapes: gamay noir. Just pronouncing the name of one of the ten “grands crus” is a pleasure. The area is also known for its picturesque landscapes, the friendliness of its inhabitants, and their exuberance, so joyously illustrated in the novel Clochemerle.

Continuing down the right bank of the Rhône stretches the Forez hills, a land of contrasts. Plains, heaths, and farmland overlook the Loire Valley; the river flows down from Mount Gerbier de Jonc in the Vivarais, chestnut tree country. This massifs’ unusual terrain is the result of a mix of two ancient lava flows: rocky crags of schist against a background of limestone, cut into deep gorges by rivers over millennia. The most spectacular, the Ardèche Gorges, offer magnificent landscapes and remarkable natural phenomena, like the famous Pont d’Arc. Back when the Loire was still an impetuous river, it cut a breach in the Velay, a land of grassy plateaus and basalt peaks, so that it could pour into the first of several basins, that of Puy (see Auvergne). So many different areas, so many different lifestyles and traditional homes, all reflecting the local customs and economy.

On the left bank of the river, the plain, which extends all the way to the Donzère Pass, is a boon to agriculture. The mild climate, soils, and irrigation systems are particularly well suited to fruit production (peaches, pears, apples, cherries, apricots, currents, etc.) The Valence Plain is the gateway to the Midi. The first signs of the Mediterranean climate appear here: mulberry and olive trees. To the south, the Tricastin region extends into a picturesque area called the Diois, where the Drôme River snakes through a veritable labyrinth of steep, vineyard-covered slopes. In summertime, the air is perfumed with the scent of linden trees and lavender. The lifeblood of the Rhône Valley is the Côtes-de-Rhône wine production, a full-bodied elixir that rightly enjoys a high reputation.

The architectural heritage is as rich and varied as the landscapes and traditions. This diversity is explained by the region’s location and history. The two major cities of the Roman era boast impressive monuments: in Vienne, the Temple of Augustus and Livia, the theater, and the Gallo-Roman town of St-Romain-en-Gal; in Lyon, the theater and the Odeon, the aqueducts, the Claudian Tables, as well as various objects on display at the Museum of Gallo-Roman Civilizations. Romanesque churches abound, showing a range of influences from nearby artistic centers, in particular Burgundy and Auvergne. The city of Puy possesses an architectural ensemble that is unique in France, thanks to its remarkable location, its spectacular hills topped with chapels and statues, its Romanesque cathedral, and its cloister. The historic center of Lyon (Fourvière Hill, Presqu’île, Old Lyon, Croix-Rousse) has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO—a distinction rarely bestowed on cities, and that it shares with Venice, Prague, and St-Petersburg. According to UNESCO, this means that Lyon is “an exceptional site, a remarkable urban landscape, and an eminent example of human settlement.”

The city’s most popular personality is an old puppet that still seems contemporary. Feisty Guignol, and his joyful sidekick Gnafron, have delighted generations of children in marionette theaters. In Lyon, traditions live on, particularly those that have to do with invention. One of the most extraordinary discoveries that happened here was the Lumière brothers’ “cinematograph.” Who would have thought that these short, jumpy sequences of images, which amazed the Lyonnais, would give birth to the Seventh Art? This city also produced two inventions that would become very important in the textile world: the Jacquard loom and the sewing machine. In the domain of leisure activities, let’s not forget that boule Lyonnais, the local form of bowls, has become a national sport in France. The town of Annonay is proud to be the site where the Montgolfier brothers first successfully flew their hot-air balloons in 1783. Later that year, they repeated this demonstration before the King and his court at Versailles.

Local tradition is at the origin of many festivals and events: wine festivals, medieval festivals, nautical jousting, pottery fairs, hot air balloon events, folklore festivals, bowls tournaments, etc. Naturally, many events are focused on the local food and drink: game fowl, wines and fruits of the Rhône Valley, fish and poultry of La Dombes and La Bresse, fish from Alpine lakes, Charolais beef, smoked ham, rosette salami from Feurs, crayfish and trout from Forez, chestnuts, mushrooms, game fowl, poultry, and pork products from the Vivarais, potatoes, meats, and cheeses from the Bas-Dauphiné, and of course, wine—Beaujolais and Côtes-du-Rhône, but also from the Côte Roannaise, Forez, the Ardèche, the Diois, etc.

It’s not surprising that with such excellent ingredients at hand, gastronomy is a refined art form. The fact that Curnonsky, the “Prince of Gourmets,” does not hesitate to call Lyon the “world capital of gastronomy,” says it all. In Lyon, tradition dictates that one does go to a bistro, but to a “bouchon,” where a solid morning snack, or “manchon,” is a time-honored ritual. A local writer even declared that here “breakfast starts with ham!” In the 16th century, the “chair-cuitiers,” or “cooked meat makers” guild was founded—they were the first to illustrate that “everything in a pig is good.” The illustrious Rabelais, who was very impressed by charcutiers’ and cooks’ creations, sprinkled his works with pork-inspired names like Grasboyau, Boudinandière, and Friselardon.

The fame of this very old cuisine is taken to new heights thanks to the talented male and female chefs who add their own touch of genius to local recipes. Some examples of the latter: the “sapper’s table,” a dish made with beef belly; cervelle de canut, a cheese made with fresh herbs; andouillette Lyonnaise, an excellent tripe dish; and bugnes, a light dessert as simple as it is popular. As they say about a recently deceased Lyonnais who has lived an exemplary life: “His soul rose to Heaven like a bugne!”
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