Backstage

The Lyon region

Discover the Lyon region.

Furniture rental in the Lyon region

Square is a furniture rental company for trade shows and events that stands out for its attachment to the Lyon region.
This is why we invite you to share our enthusiasm and discover some of the wonders of our Lyon region.

At the crossroads

The Lyon region is located in the south-east of France. It is made up of the city of Lyon, as well as many surrounding villages and towns.
It is a region rich in culture, history and heritage, with many historical monuments.
It is strongly influenced by its geographical location at the crossroads between France, Italy and Switzerland, as well as by its past as a center of commerce and textiles.

A little history

The area is steeped in history, with traces of civilizations dating back to antiquity.
The city of Lyon itself was founded by the Romans in 43 BC. It became one of the main cities of the Roman Empire.
The region has been influenced by different empires and kingdoms over the centuries, including the Franks, the Burgundians and the kings of France.

During the Middle Ages, Lyon became a prosperous city and an important commercial and cultural center.
It was also an important crossing point for pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela.
In the 15th century, Lyon became an important place for printing, with famous printers like François Juste and Etienne Dolet.

Over the following centuries, Lyon continued to develop as a cultural, commercial and industrial center.
The city experienced significant economic growth in the 19th century, particularly in the textile and silk industries.
The Lyon region also played an important role in the French Resistance during the Second World War.

Today, Lyon is considered one of the main cities of France, with a population of over 500,000.
It is an important cultural, academic and economic center.

Lyon-2022@Aldg692VX

Many points of interest

There are many sites of cultural interest, such as museums, theatres, churches and historic buildings worth seeing.
The region is also very rich in natural landscapes and panoramas.
Here is a brief list of natural and historical places to visit in the Lyon region:

  • Parc des Hautes-Bruyères: a natural park of 30 hectares located on the heights of Lyon. It offers breathtaking views of the city and beautiful walks to take.
  • Parc de la Tête d’Or: the largest urban park in France. A lake, gardens, a zoo, a natural history museum, and green spaces to relax.
  • Basilique de Fourvière: a historical monument built in the 19th century, offering a breathtaking view of Lyon and its surroundings.
  • Théâtre antique de Fourvière: a Roman theater dating back to the time of the Roman Empire. It is used for theater performances and concerts in the summer.
  • Lyon Museum of Fine Arts: an art museum containing works by great artists such as Monet, Renoir, and Cézanne.
  • Old Lyon: a historic district of Lyon with beautiful cobbled streets, traboules (covered passages) and Renaissance houses.
  • Hill of the Croix-Rousse: a historic district of Lyon. It is known for its silk-related history and for its breathtaking views of the city.
  • Villars-les-Dombes Bird Park: an animal park with more than 400 species of birds from all over the world.
  • Monts du Lyonnais: a chain of mountains with panoramic views of the Lyon region and hikes to do.
  • The wine route of the Lyon region: a tourist route that crosses the vineyards of the region. On the program, wine tastings and visits to cellars.

There are of course still many other places to visit in the region.
30 sites to discover.

Basilica of Fourvière
Old Lyon

Gastronomy

Lyon’s gastronomy is famous for its rich and tasty dishes. It happily combines the influences of French, Italian and Swiss cuisine.
We mainly use local products such as cheeses, charcuterie, meats or wines from the region.
The traditional dishes of the region are generally prepared with meat, vegetables and thick sauces.

Here are some typical dishes of Lyon gastronomy:

  • The quenelle: a specialty from Lyon consisting of a ball of pastry made from fish or meat, steamed.
    It is often served with a Nantua sauce (sauce made from crab and cream)
  • Gratin dauphinois: a traditional dish made with potatoes and milk. It is sometimes accompanied by bacon bits or grated cheese.
  • Lyon sausages: grilled pork sausages. They are often accompanied by mashed potatoes and green beans.
  • Le tablier de sapeur : a slice of grilled veal tripe served with a mustard sauce.
  • Lyonnais pot-au-feu: a traditional dish made with beef, vegetables and spices.
  • Le coq au vin: based on cuts of rooster marinated then braised in red wine accompanied by bacon bits, mushrooms and onions.
Tablier de sapeur @Anca Luca

Lyon’s restaurants are renowned for their quality and authenticity. As proof, there are many Michelin-starred chefs in the region.
The Bouchons Lyonnais are also famous for their traditional cuisine, served in rustic and friendly settings.
Finally, the Lyon region is also famous for its wines.
The red wines of Beaujolais and the Rhône, or even the white wines of Pouilly-Fuissé accompany traditional dishes from Lyon.

Cultural life

The Lyon region is also an important hub for cultural events. There are numerous music, theater and film festivals taking place throughout the year.

We can notably cite the Lumière Festival dedicated to cinema. This takes place every year in Lyon in October. It is one of the most important cultural events in the region.
It celebrates cinema in all its diversity with screenings of recent films and classics, meetings with directors and actors.
You can also attend masterclasses there, or even visit exhibitions devoted to cinema.
The festival also welcomes renowned guests from the international film industry.

Besides the Lumière Festival, there are other important cultural events in the Lyon region.

  • The Vienne Jazz Festival: It takes place every summer in the city of Vienne near Lyon with internationally renowned jazz concerts.
  • The Lyon Street Theater Festival: a street theater festival. It takes place every summer in the streets of Lyon, with theater, dance and circus performances.
  • Les Nuits de Fourvière: a performing arts festival that takes place every summer in the ancient theater of Fourvière, with concerts, plays, and dance performances.
  • Les Nuits Sonores: an electronic music festival that takes place every year in May in Lyon. Emblematic places in the city host concerts and DJ sets.

There are also classical music festivals, such as the Festival de Musique de Saint-Etienne. This takes place every year in June and July.
It hosts international artists and orchestras for concerts across the region.

The Lyon region in the arts

It has been a place of inspiration for many artists, whether filmmakers, writers or painters.
The works that highlight the Lyon region allow you to discover and appreciate the different aspects of the city and its surroundings.

Movies

The directors used the city and its surroundings as a setting for their works.

  • Les Lyonnais: directed by Bertrand Tavernier in 2011, this one tells the story of gangs in the city of Lyon in the 1930s.
  • The life of the dead: directed by Eric Reinhardt in 2001, it describes daily life in Lyon through the eyes of a main character.
  • The Beautiful Team: a film from the 1930s directed by Julien Duvivier, which takes place in the working-class districts of Lyon. It features a team of workers trying to change their lives.
  • Les Choristes: directed by Christophe Barratier in 2004. It takes place in a boarding school for boys in the 1950s in Vienne, near Lyon.

Literature

The Lyon region is also a popular and inspiring place for novels.

  • “The Disappearance” of Georges Perec, a love story that takes place in the city of Lyon,
  • “The Man in the Brown Suit” by Georges Simenon, an investigation that takes place in the streets of Lyon,
  • “Life backwards” by Jean Echenoz, a novel set in the 1960s in Lyon.

Painting

There are also many painters from Lyon who were inspired by their hometown.
Among these, a group of painters became known in the 19th century, under the name of the School of Lyon.
They had developed a distinctive style combining painting of landscapes and scenes of daily life.
The painters of the School of Lyon were often autodidacts having worked outside the official academies of painting.
They were influenced by painters from the Barbizon School in France and by American nature painters.
The most important painters of the School of Lyon are: Jean-François Raffaëlli, Émile Friant, Gustave Courbet, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes and Léon Bonnat.

Treasures

The Lyon region is therefore a destination rich in history, culture and gastronomy.
Moreover, it is surrounded by beautiful natural landscapes. You can walk in the surrounding hills and mountains, visit natural parks, rivers, lakes…
With its many treasures to discover, you won’t run out of things to do and see.

https://www.lyon-france.com/La-metropole-et-sa-region
https://www.patrimoine-lyon.org/