Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is France's 3rd region by population (8 million inhabitants) — 2016 merger of the former Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes regions. It stretches from the volcanic high plateaus of the Massif Central (Auvergne, Cantal, Haute-Loire) to the snow-capped summits of the French Alps (Mont Blanc 4,809 m, the highest point in Western Europe), via the Rhône valley (Lyon, Vienne) and the Alpine piedmont (Geneva, Annecy, Chambéry, Grenoble). This geographical diversity translates into exceptional tourist wealth.

Lyon (France's 3rd city, 525,000 inner inhabitants, 2.3 million metropolitan area) is the "world capital of gastronomy" according to the Michelin Guide (the most starred tables per km² in the world). The Vieux Lyon and Croix-Rousse have been UNESCO-listed since 1998. The Notre-Dame de Fourvière basilica dominates the city. The Festival of Lights (8 December, 4 million visitors) illuminates the whole city for 4 days. Lyon is also the rail and motorway crossroads of southeast France.

The French Alps unfold their summits, lakes and resorts over 700 km from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean. Chamonix and Mont Blanc (4,809 m) are the absolute embodiment of European high mountains. Lake Annecy (one of the purest Alpine lakes in the world) and the old town of Annecy (the "Venice of the Alps") attract 3 million visitors per year. Val d'Isère, Tignes, Méribel, Courchevel, Val Thorens (Europe's highest resort at 2,300 m), Les Arcs, La Plagne form some of the world's largest ski resorts. The 3 Valleys domain (600 km of pistes connected by lifts) is the world's largest.

The Auvergne unfolds a volcanic landscape unique in Western Europe: the Chaîne des Puys (UNESCO since 2018, 80 volcanoes aligned over 45 km), the Puy de Dôme (1,465 m, exceptional panorama), the Cantal (Europe's largest volcano), the Cantal and Sancy mountains (nature parks), thermal cities (Vichy, Royat, La Bourboule).

The regional vineyard is rich: Beaujolais (north of Lyon, Gamay, Beaujolais Nouveau on the 3rd Thursday of November), northern Côtes du Rhône (Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage), Savoie wines (Apremont, Mondeuse, Roussette).