Top Reasons to Go

Vieux Lyon: Lyon's Old Town traboules, or passageways, and 16th-century courtyards reveal a hidden trove of Renaissance architecture.

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!: The third Thursday of November is a party like no other in France, when celebrations in honor of the new Beaujolais wine go around the clock.

Mont Blanc: Whether you brave the vertiginous slopes at Chamonix or enjoy the gentler skiing of Megève, you'll be singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" once you see Mont Blanc, France's tallest peak.

Grenoble's market day: Sunday morning offers a chance to walk miles through half a dozen different markets selling everything from herbs to haberdashery.

Epic epicureanism: There is no possible way to cite Lyon–Rhône Alps without mentioning Paul Bocuse, Mathieu Viannay, and the many other resident superstar chefs.