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Venue & Travel > About LyonLyon, France’s second-largest city and its gastronomic capital, lies at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers. The city boasts a remarkable historical, architectural and cultural heritage, first as the capital of the Gauls during the Roman Empire, then as a major economic hub during the Renaissance. Historically, Lyon was an important area for the production and weaving of silk. The city played a significant role in the history of cinema with the invention of the cinematograph by the Lumière brothers. The city is also known for its light festival, the Fête des Lumières, major European cultural events such as The Nuits de Fourvière held at the ancient theaters, and the Contemporary Art Biennale. Finally, it is easy to escape the city: a short drive north or south takes you to the Beaujolais or Côtes du Rhone wine regions.
Lyon has established itself as a major European metropolis while offering the charms of a French city. Ideally located at the crossroads of Europe, its central location provides easy access to many key European cities. With 1,500 decision-making centers and 8 competitiveness clusters, Lyon offers a lively and dynamic job market, while revealing the beauty of its Roman foundations and taking advantage of the assets offered by its two hills and two rivers. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, the city also hosts some of the biggest cultural events in Europe.
MAIN CULTURAL EVENTS IN LYONFestival of LightsWith 4 million visitors, The Festival of Lights stands out as one of the 3 biggest festive public events in the world after the Rio Carnival and the Munich Oktoberfest. The internationally renowned festival takes place every year for four days around December 8th, offering scenographies and innovative light spectacles in every neighborhood of Lyon. Nuits de FourvièreEvery year in June and July, the Nuits de Fourvière, Lyon’s unmissable summer evening festival, offers some 50 shows to over 130,000 spectators. A veritable melting pot of artistic expression, the festival returns the ancient theaters to their original function as performance venues, combining music, dance, opera, theater and circus. Contemporary Art BiennaleOrganized every two years, the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale attracts some 500 artists in its various exhibition areas located throughout the city and welcomes approximately 250,000 visitors. Dance BiennaleOrganized every two years alternately with The Contemporary Art Biennale, the Lyon Dance Biennale takes place in September and October for three weeks attracting nearly 300,000 visitors each year. Beaujolais Nouveau CelebrationThe ‘‘Beaujolais Nouveau’’ is produced on a 34-mile-long guaranteed quality label area (appellation AOC) between Macon and L’Arbresle in the Lyon region. Each 3rd Thursday of November, celebrating the new wine, producers from Beaujolais villages open their domains for the weekend for a taste of the new wine.
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