Rhône-Alpes Tourisme

Discovering Rhône-Alpes involves discovering an incomparable diversity of landscapes and distinct local terroirs within a single region: the alps, legendary mountains, the world's biggest skiing aera, cities like Lyon and its Renaissance quarter and annecy, with its historic, medieval centre... The lakes and the Art Deco spa resorts: Evian, Aix les Bains... unspoiled nature around the Ardeche gorges, Drôme Provençale...

Coming to Rhône-Alpes means discovering a heritage that dates back to pre-historic times, and discovering real taste and gastronomy... all this in a region that celebrate the art of Living!

Rhône-Alpes is also the French region that offers a diverse range of venues for conventions, incentive holidays and evening events.

To help you rapidly and clearly identify the offer that best suits your requirements the Rhône-Alpes Regional Tourist board offers its Internet site "business tourism special":

http://www.rhonealpes-tourisme.com

Midway between Paris and the French Riviera, RHÔNE-ALPES is a territory as large as Switzerland, at the border of Italy and Switzerland. Facts & figures : - 5,7 million inhabitants (10% of France) ; 130 inhabitants/km² - Lyon is the region’s capital city named as World Heritage by the UNESCO. - Rhône-Alpes is the 2nd regional tourist destination in France : - 151 million annual tourist overnight stays (11,5% / France) - 12,5% of French employed people in tourist trade - The very best capacity : - 145.000 approved hotel beds (ranked second in France after Paris) - 30 congress and exhibition centres - 12 convention bureau & PCO’s - 40 DMC’s & incoming agencies - 40 venues for events - 30 incentive and service providers. Convention & Meeting : Rhône-Alpes is 3rd regional MICE destination in France. Its powerful economy is based on scientific research and nanotechnology. That leads Rhône-Alpes to the 2nd university centre in France training 20% of French engineers. Lyon now joins the ranks of the main European players in the business tourism industry with its new 3.200 seat-arena. The city can host up to 19,000 participants at the same time. The 2nd best capacity for fairs and exhibitions in France (120.000 m²). The most varied tourist and cultural offer in France The largest ski domain in the world : - 160 ski resorts (Courchevel, Megève, Chamonix Mont-Blanc, Val d’Isère, l’Alpe d’Huez…) - The region hosted 3 times the Winter Olympic Games (Chamonix in 1924, Grenoble in 1968, Albertville in 1992) Alpine lakes : Lake of Annecy is one of the purest waters in Europe. Geneva lake, an inland sea straddled between France and Switzerland, create a little riviera along 50 km of the French side with Evian. Lake of le Bourget is the largest natural lake in France, surrounded by Aix-les-Bains. Wine & gastronomy : Lyon, Beaujolais and the Rhône Valley : the most famous places for gastronomy and vineyards. Rhône-Alpes 35 wines with Controlled Label of origin are marketed (represents 10% of the French total). Shopping : part of Lyon’s art of living ; refined, chic and elegant, Lyon’s young women can be proud of having some of the most promising couturiers of their generation with major brands such as Hermès, Vuitton, Clergerie shoes or Zilli, and well-known designers such as Nathalie Chaize, Max Chaoul, Azuleros… Lyon is also the French capital city for silk goods. More than 650 antique shops in Lyon’s city centre and in the surroundings. Golf : with 64 courses (12% of the French total) and nearly 40.000 local golf players, Rhone-Alps is the 2nd most important golfing region in France. Evian Masters Women’s World Championships gather every year in July the world’s 70 top players. Gateway to Provence : Ardèche and Drôme are picturesque places in the countryside of Rhône-Alpes ; southern part of the region.

More : http://www.rhonealpes-tourisme.com

Practical information upon business tourism in Rhône-Alpes : http://businessclass.rhonealpes-tourisme.com

In the southeast of France, the Rhône-Alpes region is situated in the heart of Europe, on the borders of Italy and Switzerland. It is easily accessible: 2 international airports Lyon and Geneva, numerous railway stations and a complete network of motorways. With its festivals, its events and its activities, the region abounds in wealth and visitors will spend moments of pure well-being, in Rhône-Alpes, whether in groups or individuals. Come and rush down our mountains in winter by ski or snowboard on the largest skiable domain of the world, Practise hydrospeed or canoeing in summer on our rivers and torrents or even discover unusual activities such as hang-gliding, or Fantasticable, equipment which allows you to fly at more than 100km / hour … more gentle activities, such as cycling on green cycling routes or hiking trails are also in the programme. Lovers of culture can inform themselves through the heritage of our cities: Lyon classified UNESCO world heritage; Grenoble student city and pole of new technologies; Chambery and Saint-Etienne cities of art and history, Annecy the Savoyard little Venice. These student cities, animated around international universities are very dynamic and it will be difficult for you to choose between bars, pubs … Celebrate all night! Festivals are part of the rendezvous in Rhône-Alpes: Snowboard World Championship, Coupe Icare, Nuits Sonores, and Jazz in Vienne, Dance and Design Biennial, Fourvière Nights. Rhône-Alpes, the region that moves!

More info: http://www.rhonealpes-tourisme.com

With 2 national parks, 6 regional parks, 28 nature reserves, Rhônes-Alpes offers the largest concentration of protected fauna and flora in Europe. The mountains in summer means also sharing convivial moments with the inhabitants: just after the move to summer pastures, villages reveal their authenticity and their unexpected, gentle charm. In summer nature is at its peak: Rhône-Alpes is also the mythic country of high mountain climbing and is the alpinists lovers' paradise with Mont-Blanc as its rallying point.

More info : http://www.rhonealpes-tourisme.com

Rhône-Alpes area has 35 wine-growing « AOC » (label guaranteeing the quality of wine). Among the finest jewels, -"Côtes-du-Rhône, wines of "Savoie" and "Beaujolais"- numerous other wines just as astonishing, remain to be discovered from East to West and from North to South.
In the west, the "Côtes-du-Forez", one of the most recent "AOC" label and the "Côte Roannaise" vineyard "AOC" mainly growing in granite soil (Gamay wine). In the east, the Savoie wines www.chez.com/vinsavoie  (Apremont, Abymes, Ripaille, Chautagne.) becoming more and more popular at each alpine event and the « Bugey » wines www.vinsdubugey.net (Cerdon, Bugey blanc, Bugey rouge). In the north, the "Beaujolais" www.beaujolais.com with notably its 10 famous vintages (Brouilly, Côte-de-Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Saint-Amour, Régnié-Durette).The Beaujolais region is labelled "secrets de terroir en Rhône-Alpes" (secrets of land in Rhône-Alpes). Through their involvement in quality processes, wine growers, restaurant owners and guides share with passion their region, their job, and their know-how. The Rhône department has also another vineyard closer to Lyons, the "Coteaux du Lyonnais" www.coteaux-du-lyonnais.com, AOC. In the South, "Côtes-du-Rhône" www.vins-rhone.com, ancestral wines with strong character and varied whatever they are northern "Côtes-du-Rhône" or southern ones, always brought into line with current tastes by wine growers full of talent. This vineyard overflows southern regions making it the second big vineyard in France (by both its surface and its production). The reputation of some of "Côtes-du-Rhône" is firmly established: Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage as well as Condrieu.
Still in the south, do not miss the "Diois" wines in the Drôme department where you will be able to taste the very famous "Clairette de Die", sparkling and fruity wine and the "Coteaux du Tricastin" www.coteaux-triscatin.com where the "Vin de Suze-la-Rousse" University has its centre. In the Ardèche department, wine growers' talent and efforts have been rewarded by the "AOC" label granted for the "Côtes du Vivarais". www.ardeche-wines.com

More info : http://www.rhonealpes-tourisme.com