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Lyon Quick Facts
A Traveler's Guide to Lyon
Lyon is the second largest urban area in France and is located in the southeastern portion of the country. As with many cities in southern Europe, Lyon can trace its roots back to the time of the Roman Empire. Lyon was founded as a Roman settlement in the first century. The city has a history of religious persecutions, directed mainly at non-Roman Christians. During the times of the Caesars in Rome, Christians experienced heavy persecution in Lyon, and later the Huguenots (French Protestants) were persecuted and murdered during the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572.
The city of Lyon became an important industrial center due mostly to its silk workers, but during World War 2 the city was occupied by the German army. Lyon became a hotbed for French resistance against German occupation, and today there is a resistance museum in Lyon that chronicles the French resistance in the Second World War.
The weather in Lyon is warmer than other places in the Mediterranean region because it is not located on the coast or near a cooling body of water. Summer temperatures are usually in the 80's Fahrenheit and winter temperatures usually bottom out around the freezing mark. Snowfall in Lyon is rare, and the winter months are the driest of the year.
There are centuries of history in Lyon that have been preserved in the historic buildings and sites around the city. One of the oldest and most popular destinations is the Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls, an old Roman amphitheatre. There are many cathedrals from the Middle Ages still standing in the city. The most popular ones with tourists are the Cathedral Saint-Jean, the Basilica of St. Martin-d'Ainay, and Church of Saint-Paul.
The Gallo-Roman Museum displays artifacts from the Roman times of Lyon, including altars, calendars, and mosaics. The Palaise Saint Pierre houses works by some of history's most well known artists, such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Monet, and Rubens.
Olympique Lyonnais is the local football club of Lyon. It has become very successful in recent years and has brought much attention and money to the city of Lyon. "OL", as it has been called, is now regarded as France's premiere football club and competes in the highly respected UEFA Champions League.
Saint-Exupery International Airport is located just outside of Lyon and services the city and its surrounding areas. Numerous train lines connect directly to the airport and make transport from the airport to Lyon and other cities very efficient.
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