As night falls on Lyon in December the face of the city is transformed – 100,000 projectors illuminate 300 sites to truly highlight the city's heritage and create an enchanting backdrop for the city's nightlife. But that's not the only reason Lyon has its  name firmly written in lights. The city played a significant role in the history of cinema – Lyon was home to the Lumière brothers who made the first ever film in 1895.

Lyon is the regional capital of the Rhône-Alpes region and the second-biggest French city. It is a major centre of business and forms the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris, with 2,396,658 inhabitants (according to the 2006 census). The city sits at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, with the medieval quarter on the west bank of the Saône and the modern suburbs on the east bank of the Rhône. A line of impressive public squares is at the heart of the bustling city centre and the picture-postcard Renaissance old town.

Lyon is organised into nine arrondissements, but its Metro system and recently completed eco-friendly tram system makes it easy to get around. French news magazine Le Point claimed that the citizens of Lyon had the highest quality of life among the inhabitants of France's 100 largest towns and cities, in terms of public transport, cleanliness, security and pollution.

Lyon is big on food and fashion. The city was built on the silk industry, which generated the wealth which left behind a multitude of Renaissance buildings. Like Venice and Prague, Lyon has been awarded Unesco World Heritage List status in honour of its architecture. Lyon still has a thriving fashion industry and arts scene. The city houses a fine opera house, as well as museums, monuments and fashion boutiques.

As for food, any Frenchman who doesn't live in Paris will tell you that the undisputed gastronomic capital of France is Lyon. In Lyon no one ever misses a meal – impossible when there is such a wide choice of eating places. Getting to and from Lyon couldn't be easier. BA City Express has direct flights from Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester, and Easyjet flies direct from Stansted. Eurostar services from Waterloo link with the high-speed TGV in Lille, and you can be in London in just over four hours. 

Foreigners buying houses in Lyon tend to do so for the purpose of living there. Lyon has a number of international schools, and the cost of living in the city is a lot cheaper than Paris. You can purchase a previously owned apartment or house for an average price of 2,013 euros per square metre. The budget for a new apartment or house is 2,500 euros per square metre. Lyon has confirmed its European ambitions through large-scale urban development projects that will make the metropolitan area even more attractive in coming years, ensuring that moving to the city has never been such a bright idea.

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Article published in September 2006