Long hailed for its innovative and simply delectable dishes, the Rhone Valley has the distinguished reputation as being home to France's finest food. Throughout the region are restaurants run by the world's most talented chefs, such as the Troisgros family in Roanne and the inimitable Paul Bocuse in Lyon, Rhone Valley's capital city.

An example of both competence and ingenuity, by1473, only shortly after the invention of movable type, Lyon was already Europe's leading printer. From the mid-1750s on, the city also produced the continent's most sought-after silks. Hundreds of traboules in Vieux Lyon - secret, covered passageways from building to building - were used to transport the expensive fabrics safely, also acting as clandestine communication routes during the Second World War. Regional attractions include Perouges, a medieval village whose classic features have been often filmed and photographed, and the market town of Valence distributes much of the Valley's fresh produce. The province of Beaujolais is loaded with wineries and vineyards, and the gorges, grottos, waterfalls and woods of Ardeche reveal nature's time-line of an ancient land.