A city where life is good

Lyon on a global scale?

  • 19th best city in the world (Time Out 2022),
  • 1st destination in the world to discover in 2022 (World Travel Awards 2021),
  • Lyon is one of the top 5 French destinations to discover in 2022 and the most sought-after abroad,
  • 1st French city and 7th in the world in the GDS index 2021 (World reference ranking for sustainable tourism),
  • 1st most attractive French city in France (Arthur Lloyd Barometer 2021),
  • In 2021, the city won 1st place among French cities in the World’s Leading Emerging Tourism Destination for the year 2022,
  • In 2022, Lyon is in the top 5 of the ranking of the best student cities in France (according to the magazine L’Etudiant),
  • The city is in second place in the QS Best Student Cities 2023 ranking (ranking of the world’s best student cities).

The City of Lights and its assets

Discover the AURA Region and the Alliance Française de Lyon

  1. Choose the human-sized metropolis of Lyon

Unlike some large cities where the race for housing is a dreaded ordeal for everyone, it is possible to find suitable accommodation quickly in Lyon.
Living in Lyon means living in a pleasant, human-sized city where life is affordable.

You can also visit many authentic places less than 2 hours from Lyon, such as
:

  • The Beaujolais and its golden stone villages,
  • Old Annecy and its majestic lake,
  • The Auvergne, a region that reveals its glacial valleys and volcanic peaks,
  • The charming villages of the Drôme with their Provencal atmosphere and lavender distilleries,
  • Burgundy, its wines and the Hospices de Beaune.

These places allow you to experience an unforgettable immersive stay in Lyon!

Lyon, a city on a human scale

2. Getting around Lyon and its surroundings

  • The Lyon public transport network (TCL) includes metros, buses, trams and funiculars,
  • Lyon has more than 5,000 bicycles at more than 420 stations in 22 communes. Renting a bike is quick and easy with Vélo’V, a self-service bike rental system with the first 30 minutes free!

3. Explore Lyon’s cultural treasures

Lyon is overlooked by two hills (Fourvière and Croix-Rousse) and crossed by two rivers (the Rhône and the Saône) which meet at Confluence, a modern and amazing eco-district. This exceptional location at the confluence of the two rivers gives the city its physical particularity: its peninsula.

The quays of the Rhône and the Saône have been so well developed that they have become one of the favourite places of the Lyonnais. One can walk there, have a drink and even have a picnic!

With its lake, its rose garden and its zoo in the heart of the city, the le parc de la Tête d’Or (the largest urban park in Europe) is a magical place loved by all: young and old, sports enthusiasts, strollers or even lovers…

Discover the parks and nature right in the centre of Lyon

4. Stay in a student city in Lyon

Thanks to internationally renowned institutions and strong competitive clusters, 23,000 international students (spread over Lyon’s four major campuses) choose to study in Lyon every year!

The University of Lyon is the 2nd largest research and training centre in France after Paris. Lyon attracts students from all fields of study, thanks to the presence of first-rate institutions such as INSA, EM, Ecole Centrale, Ecole Normale Supérieure Lyon (ranked 34th in the world for mathematics) and the Institut des Etudes Politiques.

See also