Auvergne-Rhone-Alps

Access

Connections with the region are ensured by a dense transport network: major international airports serve Lyon-Saint Exupéry, Grenoble-Isère, Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne and Chambéry-Savoie. The main TGV railway stations (Lyon Part-Dieu, Grenoble, Annecy, Chambery, St-Etienne) connect it directly with Paris, Marseille, Geneva and Milan. The motorway connects the Rhône to the Saône valley towards the south of France, while the and motorways provide rapid access to Savoy and Switzerland. The Italian side is accessed via the Mont Blanc Tunnel and the Frejus Tunnel, nerve centres for Alpine and cross-border traffic, while the region is extensively served by a network of state and regional roads that reach even the most peripheral locations.

Introduction

Alvernia-Rhône-Alpes, a region in south-eastern France, is characterised by a complex morphology where mountains, hills, plateaus and river plains intertwine. Created in 2016 from the administrative union of the historical Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes, its territory borders Italy to the east and Switzerland to the north, forming a strategic junction between the Mediterranean, Central Europe and the Alpine area. The regional capital is Lyon, a city with an ancient commercial tradition, a crossroads of cultures and an internationally recognised gastronomic capital. The landscape alternates between the severe profile of Mont Blanc, the high point of the Alps and Western Europe, the volcanic soils of the Massif Central, and the valleys carved by the Rhone, Allier, Arve and Isère rivers. Strong local identities coexist in the social and cultural fabric of the region, along with a demographic and industrial dynamism that make the area one of the most populated, productive and attractive in France.

Description

One of the region's special features is the variety of its natural environments: one encounters the great plains of the Rhone and Saône, the forests of the Cévennes, the Alpine lakes (Geneva, Annecy, Bourget), the extinct volcanoes of the Auvergne and deep river canyons such as the Gorges de l'Ardèche. The altitude varies from 140 metres in the valleys to the 4,808-metre peaks of Mont Blanc, offering a landscape that rapidly changes from Mediterranean to Alpine. It is home to numerous natural parks and protected areas, including the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Park and the Vanoise Park. The region's history is reflected in its cities rich in artistic heritage (Lyon, Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand), castles, abbeys and medieval villages, legacies of the Seigneuries, the Holy Roman Empire and the Resistance period during World War II. Among the illustrious personalities native to the region are Blaise Pascal, Voltaire, the Lumières and the scientist Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

In economic terms, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes combines a strong industrial vocation (automotive, chemistry, metallurgy, aerospace) with widespread quality agriculture and traditional handicrafts, with an important wine and dairy sector. The wines of Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhône, AOC cheeses such as Bleu d'Auvergne, Cantal and Saint-Nectaire are just a few emblems of a strongly rooted local production. Tourism is a pillar of the regional economy: Lyons attracts visitors thanks to its UNESCO heritage, the Alpine resorts (Chamonix, Megève, Les Trois Vallées) are renowned ski destinations, while the routes between volcanoes, lakes and cultural itineraries on the ancient Compostella Routes offer walking, cycling and horseback riding experiences for every season. Popular traditions are alive in patronal festivals, rural festivals and events such as the Fête des Lumières in Lyon or gastronomic fairs. Regional culture can be seen in the craftsmanship of wood, wrought iron, ceramics and textiles, as well as in the great cooking schools of Lyon and Grenoble.

Information

City:Lyon
Area: 69,711 sq. km
Minimum elevation: 134m
Maximum elevation: Mont Blanc (4810m)
Number of inhabitants: 7,695,264 (as of 31.12.12)
Departments:Ain, Allier, Ardèche, Cantal, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Lyon Metropolis, Savoy and Haute-Savoie
 Municipalities: 4189
Bordering regions: Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Canton Valais, Canton Vaud, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Franche-Comté
Institutional site: www.auvergnerhonealpes.eu