LYON, France’s Global Gastronomy Capital
Lyon is a city in the southeast of France. The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times and was one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire, Lugdunum. After the Battle of Lugdunum (197) the city never fully recovered, and Lyon was built out of its ashes becoming a part of the Kingdom of the Burgundians.
Lyon is generally acknowledged by the French to be the gastronomic capital of France; there are more restaurants per head in this city than any other place in France and probably Europe. Food here is taken to another level and people see eating well, eating delicious dishes not just as a pleasure but a way of life.
The central part of Lyon, located on the peninsula between the Rhône and the Saône, was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Rhône and Saône converge to the south of the historic city centre, forming a peninsula – the “Presqu’île” – bounded by two large hills to the west and north and a large plain eastward. Place Bellecour is located on the Presqu’île between the two rivers and is the third-largest public square in France. The broad, pedestrian-only Rue de la République leads north from Place Bellecour.
Why is Paul Bocuse so famous?
In 1987, Paul Bocuse created the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, clearly one of the most prestigious cooking contests in the world, and was named President of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France competition (in the cooking and restaurant management category) in 1989. He was also named Chef of the Century and the Pope of Gastronomy.