It is a powerful and majestic river that gave it its name. In the heart of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, the Rhône department is home to the Monts du Lyonnais, the Monts du Beaujolais, which reach an altitude of over 1,000 meters, and part of the Pilat massif. As for the river plain of Lyon, it is confined to the southeast of the territory. This department is flamboyant, luminous, bubbling! The mountains meet the river, a preserved nature meets the second city of France, the vitality of its gastronomy meets that of its culture. The vineyards mark the landscape and among the great wines, those of the region from Condrieu to the Côte Rôtie offer exceptional wines. The Rhône invites you to unusual discoveries: taste a good wine in the middle of the vineyards, sleep in a convent designed by Le Corbusier, climb Mount Brouilly, attend a puppet show in Lyon, share the daily life of a medieval knight (Salva Terra), feed the wolves and watch the birds of prey in flight ( Courzieu park), go with your family to the Miribel Jonage park (water sports center, golf course, educational trails, etc.). And to finish, you will have to live the Lyon way: get lost in the traboules, go up to the Notre-Dame de Fourvière basilica, admire the city from above and the two rivers that cross it, then go back down to eat in a simple Lyonnais "bouchon" in the old town. Or plan a meal in one of the great restaurants of the capital of gastronomy.
It is during the off-seasons that you will enjoy your stay in this department the most. The winter can be very cold and the summer very hot. Lyon in summer is very touristy and the queues to visit museums and monuments are a deterrent. This area combines cultural and gourmet pleasures. Major events enliven and punctuate the year. In addition to the major trade shows and seminars in Lyon, there are very popular events such as the Nuits de Fourvière, in June and July. The Beaujolais Nouveau is celebrated in mid-November, but the highlight is the Festival of Lights in Lyon, in early December, when the city is illuminated. So from one end of the Rhône to the other, all year long, there are 165 highlights not to be missed that make this destination attractive in any season.
The climate is semi-continental with Mediterranean influences: hot and stormy summers, cold and dry winters. Winter frost is frequent, snowfalls are possible, the wind channelled by the Rhone Valley reinforces the feeling of cold. The Mediterranean influence causes strong heat in spring and summer. Average temperatures range from 3°C in January to 21°C in July. A little fog outside of summer. The south wind announces the rains coming from the west.
