Rhône-Alpes

Rhône-Alpes was a region in eastern France stretching from the Jura foothills to the French Alps and from the Rhône valley to the Swiss border. The territory combined urban centers such as Lyon and Grenoble with alpine valleys, vineyards along hillsides, and wide plateaus between mountain ranges.

The region was created in 1960 by merging several historical provinces and departments as part of French administrative reform. It existed until 2016, when it merged with the Auvergne region to form the new Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

The region hosted three Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in 1924, Grenoble in 1968, and Albertville in 1992, marking its significance in winter sports.

The former administrative territory is now part of the larger Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, though geographic features and place names continue to appear in maps and guides. Travelers exploring this area will find Lyon serves as a central hub for connections to surrounding areas and alpine valleys.

The name combines the Rhône river with the Alps, reflecting the two defining geographic features that shaped the territory. This designation helped travelers and locals form an immediate mental picture of the area's location and character.

Location: Metropolitan France

Inception: June 4, 1960

Capital city: Lyon

Shares border with: Franche-Comté, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Languedoc-Roussillon, Auvergne, Burgundy, Canton of Valais, Piedmont, Aosta Valley, Canton of Geneva, Canton of Vaud

Address: Rhone-Alpes, France

Website: http://rhonealpes.fr

GPS coordinates: 45.74019,4.81945

Latest update: December 14, 2025 21:26