Lyon is France's quiet powerhouse: a city of two rivers, two thousand years of history, and a stomach that never stops. Founded by the Romans as Lugdunum in 43 BC, it grew rich on silk and printing, and today it carries the title of France's gastronomic capital with absolute seriousness. The Saone and the Rhone split the city into distinct worlds, from the Renaissance maze of Vieux Lyon to the grand squares of the Presqu'ile.

What makes Lyon special is that it rewards walking and eating in equal measure. You can climb to the Fourviere hill for a Roman amphitheater and a postcard view, then slip through a traboule (a secret covered passage) that silk workers once used to move bolts of cloth between buildings. By dinner you are tucked into a bouchon, the city's wood-paneled bistros, eating quenelles and drinking Beaujolais by the pot.

Less crowded and far cheaper than Paris, Lyon is a city that locals love and visitors keep to themselves. It sits within an hour or two of three great wine regions, a TGV ride from the Alps and the Mediterranean, and at the center of a food culture shaped by the legendary Meres Lyonnaises and chef Paul Bocuse.