Lyon Holiday

Traditions and culture in Lyon

The locals in Lyon still speak French with influences from dialects of Arpitan language, which was prominent centuries ago but has since been gradually eroded with the city's emergence as an industrial, commercial and banking centre.

Lyon was also home to the Lumiere brothers, who invented cinema in 1895, and the Musee Lumiere still stands today as a testament to some of their early discoveries.

December's Festival of Lights is whole-heartedly celebrated, as residents place candles in their windows and light shows are staged to commemorate the Virgin Mary reportedly saving the city from a deadly plague in the Middle Ages.

Lyon was also traditionally regarded as the silk capital of the world, while the church of Saint Francis of Sales also draws in audiences from all corners of the world with its unaltered Cavaille-Coll pipe organ.

Things to do in Lyon

No holiday guide of Lyon would be complete without paying homage to the fantastic food on offer which has long seen it dubbed as the gastronomical capital of France.

The presence of many of the country's finest chefs ensures that all tastes are catered for, with local, traditional dishes and wines broadly available in convivial restaurants known as 'bouchons'.

There are also several tourist attractions, not least the Place Bellecour, the focal point of the city and the largest clear space without obstacles in Europe.

Other places of interest for lovers of architecture include the Byzantine-style church of Ainay, the recently-renovated Opera National de Lyon and the Cathedrale Saint-Jean.

The Roman ruins situated in the hills in close proximity to the Fourviere Basilica are also worth checking out, as is the accompanying Gallo-Roman museum.

There are plenty of opportunities to engage in boating, cycling or inline skating, while Lyon also plays host to a vibrant and buzzing nightlife with a busy clubbing and drinking scene.

With cheap flights to the city also readily available, it certainly serves an inexpensive, diverse and entertaining holiday destination.

Weather in Lyon

The holiday information for Lyon is completed by its climate, which is largely influenced by the often chilly weather patterns of the Rhone-Alps region.

Winters tend to be cold (lows of 7C), while spring and summer tend to be far more pleasant, with average temperatures during the latter reaching 27C.

Rainfall, which is greatest during October and between April and May, can be something of a nuisance, but the locals believe that the warm, long summer days more than make up for this.

Destination checklist for Lyon

Lyon has a population of 470,000.

The city is one hour ahead of BST time.

The official currency is the Euro.

French is the official language spoken.

Lyon's international dialling code is +33.