Environment

Lyon has always been at the crossroads of commerce, culture and civilizations, but this rare status, convenient for its development, is nothing but the consequence of its geographic position. That is another point of view from which Lyon can be considered a crossroad: this is where the Rhone meets the Saône and also where the region belonging to the North Sea meets the one belonging to the Atlantic.

Colline de Fourvière (Fourvière Hill) is the great-grandmother of Lyon, as this is where the Romans have founded old Lugdunum. Having dominated the city for over 2000 years, it is more of a lineup above the Saône, with a difference in height up to 120 meters. Croix-Rousse (Red Cross) is another hill whose history has merged with that of Lyon. Separated from the Fourvière (whose name comes from “Forum Vetus”, that is “old forum”) by Quai Pierre Scize, this second hill sheltered the districts where the Canutes, ancient workmen in the clothing industry, used to live.

One should pay a bit of attention when traveling to Lyon in wintertime and had better be prepared to face a harsh season. On the other hand, summers are hot and sun-kissed. This meteorological formula is in fact the trademark of a semi-continental type of climate. Temperatures reach rather harsh values, freezing in winter and really dry in the summertime. Fog isn’t that often anymore in the Lyonnaise region, as the ancient marshy areas are dried out and cannot provide the same large quantities of evaporated water. No soft, warm breezes here, this isn’t the Mediterranean seashore, but more of a country whose towers thrust to face the Atlantic winds and whose people are likewise always ready to thrust themselves in order to seize new opportunities.