Rhône Alpes, Giving an Early Taste of the Finished Project That Will Eventually Be Accessible to Everyone
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Rhône-Alpes Press KIT 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS Rhône-Alpes: Welcome to the heart of Europe ............................................................................................ 1 Cartography ............................................................................................................................................... 3 I. Rhône-Alpes by statistics ........................................................................................................................ 4 II. Event highlights of the region ............................................................................................................... 5 III. Must-do activities in the Rhône-Alpes ................................................................................................. 9 IV. An easy-to-access region in the heart of Europe ............................................................................... 13 WINE TOURISM IN RHÔNE-ALPES: VINEYARDS OF INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION ................................. 14 I.Rhône-Alpes region: Wine tourism by statistics ................................................................................... 17 II. Wine lovers: The attractions of the region ......................................................................................... 18 III. Our favourites ..................................................................................................................................... 20 IV. To go further ...................................................................................................................................... 25 ViaRhôna, the new cycling route from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea ........................................ 26 I. ViaRhôna by statistics ........................................................................................................................... 28 II. Must-visit sights in the Rhône-Alpes ................................................................................................... 29 III. Our favourites ..................................................................................................................................... 31 IV. To go further ...................................................................................................................................... 32 Mountains: The natural splendor of the Rhône-Alpes ................................................................................ 33 I. Rhône-Alpes: the mountains by statistics ............................................................................................ 37 II. The must-see sights of the region ....................................................................................................... 38 III. Our favourites ..................................................................................................................................... 39 IV. To go further ...................................................................................................................................... 40 A remarkable cultural treasure ................................................................................................................... 41 I. Culture in Rhône-Alpes: key statistics .................................................................................................. 43 II. Must-see sites and museums .............................................................................................................. 44 III. Favourites ........................................................................................................................................... 47 IV. To go further ...................................................................................................................................... 49 Rhône-Alpes, a destination for one and all ................................................................................................. 50 I. Key statistics ......................................................................................................................................... 53 II. Must-see sights .................................................................................................................................... 54 III. Favourites ........................................................................................................................................... 56 IV. To go further ...................................................................................................................................... 58 Rhône-Alpes: Welcome to the heart of Europe Located in the southeast of France, Rhône-Alpes benefits from its position at the intersection of Europe. Sharing borders with Switzerland and Italy, two international airports (Lyon-Saint-Exupéry and Geneva), a robust rail system and a vast highway network, Rhône-Alpes is fast becoming an essential European destination. Moreover, it is the second-largest region in metropolitan France in terms of area, economy and population. Known for some of the largest skiing destinations in the world, Rhône-Alpes boasts the majority of French ski resorts as well as natural resources like Mont-Blanc and the gorges of Ardèche. Between mountains, vineyards, valleys, fields of lavender and olive trees, Rhône-Alpes has a great diversity of landscapes as well as two national parks (Vanoise and Ecrins) and seven regional parks (Bauges, Vercors, Monts d’Ardèche, Haut-Jura, Pilat, Chartreuse and Baronnies Provençales). Water is a dominant 1 component of the region as well — it has snow, glaciers and rivers that lead to three of the largest lakes in France: Lake Geneva, Lake Bourget and Lake Annecy. This diversity of landscapes gives rise to a number of sports — like biking, hiking, paragliding and canoeing — which can be practised in breathtaking natural settings. It is also the second-best region in France for playing golf, with more than 60 courses. Plus, Rhône-Alpes is able to claim having held the winter Olympics three times: in Chamonix (1924), Grenoble (1968) and Albertville (1992). Rhône-Alpes also shines because of its vibrancy. With events like the Lumière Festival in Lyon, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, The Biennial of Design in Saint-Etienne and the Jazz Festival in Vienna, art is celebrated in all its forms all year long, giving the area a rich regional heritage. Lyon, home to UNESCO World Heritage sites, is also a worldwide culinary capital, which means visitors can see the famous Halles Paul Bocuse, discover a breadth of renowned restaurants and taste a number of local specialties, without forgetting to try the noted wines of the region like Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhône. Rhône-Alpes boasts 838,000 tourist beds spread across 2,049 establishments. Hotels, campsites, youth hostels, tourist residences, guest houses and unusual overnight locations offer quite a large choice for lodgings. It’s also the third-largest French destination for business tourism, with a total of 30 exhibition centres and conference rooms as well as 40 luxury private event locations, like the Amphitheatre in the International City or the Espace Tête d’Or in Lyon. A new Lyon stadium, which will open in time for Euro 2016, also shouldn’t be forgotten. 2 CARTOGRAPHY 3 I. RHÔNE-ALPES BY STATISTICS 44,000 km2 of land, making up 8% of the nation’s area 6.3 million inhabitants 8 departments: Ain, Ardèche, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Rhône, Savoie and Haute-Savoie 6 main cities: Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Grenoble, Valence, Chambéry and Annecy Natural characteristics: 6 rivers 21 large lakes 3 mountain ranges: the Alps, the Jura, and the Massif Central 7 regional parks 2 national parks Tourist visits: 145.9 million tourist overnights in Rhône-Alpes in 2013 52% of stays were in summer (from May to September) 40% of stays were in winter (from December to April) 8% of stays were in autumn (October and November) Economic turnover from tourism: 17 billion euros spent in the region by French and foreign tourists 1.2 billion euros invested in the region’s tourism in 2013 132,300 jobs in the tourism sector in Rhône-Alpes (10.6% of the national total) More than 1 billion euros in revenue generated from ski tourism during the 2013-2014 winter season 4 II. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REGION Rhône-Alpes knows how to put its strengths forward all year long. Film festivals, sporting events, markets selling wine and local products, carnivals, music festivals, concerts, night parties, sound and light shows and other festivities give life to the area. March International Design Biennial in Saint Etienne. The event has not stopped evolving since its foundation in 1988 and has become the most eclectic design event in France. Its principle objective is to democratise design and make it accessible to everyone (the odd years). www.biennale-design.com The Printemps de Pérouges. The voices, the settings, the ambiance… Mixing renowned and just-discovered artists, the Pérouges Spring Festival is open to all audiences. It is held each year in places from Pérouges to Lyon that are both diverse and unexpected, like a church-fortress, Rapan Farm and a bird park, to simultaneously promote the region’s heritage. www.festival-perouges.org 5 May Nuits Sonores Festival. During the weekend of the Ascension, galleries, cinemas, museums and other locations emblematic of Lyon welcome a series of electro music concerts for an unforgettable spectacle of sound and visuals. Begun in 2003, the festival welcomes artists from around the world and is