Lyon City Guide

Lyon is France's third-largest city and a major secondary capital — the historic capital of the Gauls, France's gastronomy capital, and Europe's rising life sciences and innovation hub. The city sits at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, anchored by the UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon Renaissance quarter, the Croix-Rousse silk-weaving district, the modern Confluence regeneration zone, and the elegant Presqu'île. Lyon's metro population reached 1.79M in 2025 (+0.7% YoY), with the city proper at 520,774 (3rd-largest French city after Paris and Marseille). Average residential property prices reached €4,576/m² in June 2025, with the prestigious 6th arrondissement approaching €6,000/m² and the 9th arrondissement around €3,720/m². Yields are modest (4.41% city average) but supported by deep student-and-professional rental demand from Lyon's growing biotech, AI, and consulting clusters.