Like Paris without the pretension (well, less of it at least), Lyon may often be overshadowed by the cosmopolitan capital to the north, but it has a culture and personality of its own that just begs to be discovered by travelers.

Lyon has long been recognized as France’s gastronomical capital—and that’s saying a lot in a country that has been at the forefront of the cooking world for centuries. Today, the city still boasts some of the top chefs and restaurants in the nation, with names like Alain Chapel (though the world-renowned chef has passed away, his restaurant hasn’t missed a step) and Paul Bocuse . Lyon also has a Gourmet  Bookstore, Badiane where one can buy gastonomical books in English or French - a little piece of Lyon to take home with you!
And Lyon also abuts some of the world’s most celebrated wine growing regions (Beaujolais is just to the north), so you will never be hard pressed to find a great bottle to complement your meal.

Lyon is also one of France’s most prominent college towns, with at least a dozen institutes of higher learning and thousands of students that contribute to the city’s youthful, relaxed atmosphere. Its excellent museums and galleries, rivaled in many cases by only their counterparts in Paris, only add to the intellectual air.