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34 | FireFlyz
Fab
Five
When contemplating a trip to
France, many head straight
toParis, overlooking awhole
country of beautiful cities
worthy of a visit.
SarahRees
visits Lyon and discovers the
many sensory pleasures of
this riverside city.
Lovely Lyon
F
or
those living in Southeast
Asia, Europe is a distant land,
with a visit often consisting of
a crazed trip throughmultiple
countries in a short space
of time, getting the briefest
taste of each before rushing
onwards to the next.
During such a frantic holiday, one city
often serves as the point of visit for each
country, and for France this almost always
means Paris. While there is no doubting that
the gorgeous and charming capital city is well
worth a place on the itinerary, there are so
many other gems within the vast and varied
country that are worthy of consideration too.
May I present Lyon, a city in the east-
central section of the country 470km from the
capital that has such a combination of history,
architecture, food and modern spirit, that all
who visit leave with a twinge of regret.
Here are five reasons why you should
take a moment to consider Lyon as your
destination on a European tour.
A UNESCO World Heritage site
The city was founded during Roman times
and thus, say UNESCO, “bears exceptional
testament to the continuity of urban settle-
ment over more than two millennia”. The
architecture of around 500 acres of the city
reflects the changing years, design styles
and international influences of the years,
allowing the buildings to tell the story of the
city. Visit Old Lyon to take a walk back to the
Renaissance era or glimpse the foundations
of the ancient Roman city at Fourvière – just
two of the historical quarters to be explored.
Lyon’s town hall is one
the of the largest historic
buildings in the city
The 19
th
century basilica
is one of the most iconic
sites of Lyon, standing on
the hill above the cathedral