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The Location of the Region of Rhône-Alpes
The region of Rhône-Alpes, which was established in 1980, is located in the southwestern part of France. The region is bordered by the French regions of
Burgundy and
Franche-Comté on the north,
Switzerland and Italy are to the east, the regions of
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and
Languedoc-Roussillon are to the south and the region of
Auvergne is to the west. The region is composed of the eight départements:
Ain,
Ardèche,
Drôme,
Haute-Savoie,
Isère,
Loire,
Rhône and
Savoie. The region’s capital is
Lyon and its major cities are
Annecy,
Bourg-en-Bresse,
Grenoble and
Valence.
The Geography of the Region of Rhône-Alpes
The Massif Central, which is located to the west of the generally mountaneous Rhône-Alpes region, covers the western part of the département of
Ardèche. The plain is separated from the Alpes, in the east, by are series of deep valleys that include the middle Rhône valley. The region covers most of the French Alpes. The peaks of the
Jura Mountains, to the north, cover the eastern part of the département of
Ain. The northern part of the
Rhône département, together with the département of
Isère, is a part of the lowlands of the Saône River basin.
The History of the Region of Rhône-Alpes
The northern part of the historic province of Bresse, covered most of the present départements of
Ain and Saône-et-Loire. Its capital was
Bourg-en-Bresse. It was controlled by the lords of
Vienne and the families of Antigny, Coligny and Sainte-Croix. This area was subsequently controlled by the dukes of
Burgundy. Northern Bresse, together with the rest of Burgundy, passed to the French crown with the death, in 1477, of Charles the Bold.
In the 15th century, the capital of southern Bresse was
Bourges. By the treaty of Lyons, in 1601, it was ceded to the French government. The whole of Bresse was subsequently attached to the French military government of Burgundy.
Rhône-Alpes’ principal income is the result of tourism and its numerous winter resorts. Resort towns like Avoriaz,
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Chamrousse, Courchevel, Flaine, Megève, Morzine and TignesVal d’Isère, feature numerous ski trails and other recreational opportunities. Other economic pursuits involve coal mining [near
Saint-Étienne and La Mure], oil refining [near Feyzin], manufacturing of metal products and synthetic fibers [near
Grenoble,
Lyon and
Saint-Étienne and along the Arve River] and a small agricultural sector. Vineyards are found along the slopes of the Rhône Valley.
The Regional Architecture of Rhône-Alpes
- The Churches
- The Chateaux
The Art of Rhône-Alpes
The Gastronomy of Rhône-Alpes
- The Wine
- The Cheese
- The Cuisine
The Economic Activity of Rhône-Alpes
- The Agriculture
- The Industry
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