Nature

The name Auvergne conjures up visions of a superb natural environment of outstanding beauty, a rugged landscape of mountain ranges and volcanoes, and lakes and springs in the heart of France. The area has been less accessible from the rest of France since time immemorial because of a lack of roads or railways. The local people are proud and austere, and agriculture remains a primary industry.

The Rhône Valley, on the other hand, is long and wide. It is an important through route for road and rail, a region of different cultures, and an area at the forefront of industrial progress, destined to play an increasingly important role within Europe in the future. The region is dominated by Lyon, the second largest city in France, with a lively cultural life, museums, a new opera house and a long-standing tradition of good food.