In 2017, Lyon became the best city to study in France, according to the magazine « l’Etudiant ». Based on the attractiveness of the city, the education offer, the student life, the living environment and the job opportunities ; this annual rankings places Lyon on the top for the first time. Its human size, the quality of its education, the economic dynamism of the region, or its boiling cultural life make this city a very special place to visit and to live in. Let’s go further by discovering what you will find in Lyon and nowhere else !
LYON, THE CITY OF CINEMA
It is in the « Lumière factory », located in the Monplaisir area, that Louis and Auguste Lumière built their cinematograph, an improved version of the Kinetograph from Thomas Edison. The two brothers, settled in Lyon, were engineers and had patented many of their works, mainly in the field of photograhy. The cinematograph, used as a film projector, led to the first film screenings in 1895. The “institut Lumière” pay tribute to the work of the inventors of cinema, through a museum and an annual festival. In the old town, the miniature& cinema museum also celebrates this art.
Website: http://www.institut-lumiere.org/
Website: https://www.museeminiatureetcinema.fr/en/
WORLD CAPITAL OF GASTRONOMY
With more than a thousand places, the city has one the highest concentrations of restaurants per inhabitant in France. The typical restaurants are named « les bouchons », and one can taste there many local dishes (Lyon sausage, quenelle and much more!), and wines (Beaujolais for instance). Lyon also counts many talented chef who settled their gourmet restaurants in the city. Gastronomy is celebrated through several nice festivals : the street food festival which takes place in September and the brand new « attable festival » announced in March 2019.
Find more about Lyon gastronomy: http://lesbouchonslyonnais.org/en/
CULTURAL EVENTS
Several huge cultural events give Lyon its tempo all year long. It starts in September with the biennial, which alternates modern dance and arts. The world known Festival of lights, tightly connected to the history of Lyon, unfolds then at the beginning of December. Electronic music is then in the spotlight in May with the great « Nuits sonores » festival : five days of shows everywhere in the city, days and nights. Finally, the great « Les Nuits de Fourvière » festival offers an amazing program from June to August, taking place in the stunning ancient theater. In addition, more than 21 000 events such as concerts, plays or fairs strengthen Lyon in its position of 2nd cultural city in France.
A QUALITY OF LIFE
As the third biggest city in France, Lyon is a great mix between the boiling rhythm of a big city and the peacefulness of a human sized one. It would take many articles to give an exhausting list of all the great spots which form the city, and it is part of the magic to discover them step by step when you will start your abroad experience ! If we should just mention one of them, it would definitely be the great layout of the Rhône banks : start chilling with a coffee on one of the barge terraces, and let you then stroll along the Rhône river, passing from the street market to the « bowls » skate spot which will lead you to the « Rhône swimming pool » : outside swimming pools even open during the winter !
LYON AND ITS EXPRESSIONS : A GLOSSARY
Each French region has its own identity, tradition, culinary specialty and…expressions. Well, if you’re up to join the city of light (and I hope you do so!), even maybe handling correctly the French language already, you have to be aware that you will be hearing some very very specific words or expressions in Lyon! Let’s discover some of them:
“Un bouchon”: as previously mentionned, “Bouchon” is the name of the restaurants serving traditional dishes.
Nb: “bouchon” is also naming a cork, or a traffic jam.
« Un canut, une caneuse »: the Canuts were silk workers in Lyon.
“Une gâche”: for the Lyon inhabitants, “a gâche” designates a space (for instance, get “a gâche” in the metro means get a seat).
“Un gone”: “un gone” is a child, and can also be used for a person from Lyon.
“Un Pelo”: “pelo” is at the same time a cool and old way to point out a guy!
“Une Vogue”: “une vogue” is a funfair: “La Vogue aux marrons” (litteraly the Chesnuts Funfair) takes place in the Croix-Rousse district, from the 1st of October to the 11th of November of each year.
Any question ? Please don’t hesitate to contact me, I will be delighted to answer you!
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