Order the lion's share

Where?

Lyon is a Jacques of all trades. The city lies on the cusp of the two halves of France - the industrious north and the indulgent south - and manages to take the best of both. It celebrates ancient and modern, delicacy and boldness, and, above all, food and drink.

The Rhône and the Saône are two of the key arteries of eastern France, and inevitably Lyon has become one of the most important French cities. The rivers squeeze together along a tongue of land, and finally converge at the south of the city centre. The original Gallo-Roman settlement was on Fourvière hill, on the right (west) bank of the Saône. Vieux Lyon, where the city proper began to develop, lies beneath it. The hub of the city now occupies the Presqu'île between the rivers, between Perrache station in the south and the Place de la République and Place des Jacobins in the north. The vast main square, Place Bellecour, has a helpful tourist office. It opens 10am-6pm daily (until 5.30pm on Sundays), with longer hours in summer (00 33 4 72 77 69 69; www.lyon-france.com).

Modern Lyon extends east from the Rhône to the modern structures clustered around Part-Dieu station - now the main rail hub for the city.

When choosing somewhere to stay, location is crucial to make the most of this very walkable city. A good budget choice for anyone arriving late at Perrache station is the two-star Hôtel d'Azur at 64 Rue Victor Hugo (00 33 4 78 37 10 44), which has doubles from €38 (£27), with breakfast an extra €6 (£4.20).

The Collège Hôtel at 5 Place St Paul (00 33 4 72 10 05 05; www.college-hotel.com), boasting one more star and bags more style, is a handsome early 20th-century building celebrating school. It also has very stylish rooms, good value at a maximum of €135 (£97) doubles, with an excellent breakfast for €12 (£8.50).

The price and the location of the Youth Hostel (000 33 4 78 15 05 50) are unbeatable. It's halfway up the Fourvière Hill with magnificent views of the Presque'île. A bed in a dorm costs €10 (£7) - including a buffet breakfast.

Why?

The city is a master of disguise. With Roman origins, an imposing cathedral and a fully fledged Metro system, is Lyon a surrogate French capital? A Flemish enclave, perhaps, with its long history of weaving, printing and commerce?

In Vieux Lyon, covered passageways - traboules - wind from one street to another: they were originally developed to keep silk dry when it was transported from one workshop to another. Along Rue du Boeuf and Rue St-Jean, doorways lead into concealed and often elaborate courtyards. In essence, Lyon wears a succession of masks - so much so, that it is the European centre of the trompe l'oeil.

As you clamber around the sweeps of stairs that connect the cobbled streets, your eye is constantly being tricked by elaborate murals. Lyon abhors a blank, so bare buildings are decorated with the same mix of artifice and humanity that characterises the real streets. Lyon has been using tricks of the light since the Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis, created the world's first movie in 1895.

What?

You can take a good English-language walking tour of Vieux Lyon - book in advance through the tourist office. This provides an excellent introduction to the city, and you may be tempted to sign up for other tours, such as Architecture and Urbanism. If you prefer to set your own course, the stately procession from Perrache station to the heart of the city is well worthwhile: Rue Victor Hugo has been pedestrianised, and you pass through a succession of squares en route to the Place de la Comédie. This stroll will give you plenty of scope for spending cash at some enticing magasins - especially in the Carre d'Or, north of Place Bellecour. For superb seafood, vegetables and meat, go east of the Rhône to the market of Les Halles on Rue Lafayette - daily except Sunday afternoons, and Mondays.

Among the city's many museums, the Musée des Beaux Arts stands out. It's at 20 Place des Terreaux (00 33 4 72 10 17 40) and houses one of France's richest collections of fine art. Open 10am-6pm daily except Tuesdays, admission €6 (£4.20).

Wow!

To see this great city fills your field of vision, make the long slog up to Notre Dame de Fourvière, atop the hill of Fourvière, or take the funicular railway, and admire the metal tower that looks like the tip of the Eiffel Tower.

Top Five

BRASSERIE GEORGES (30 Cours de Verdun; 00 33 4 72 56 54 54; www.brasseriegeorges.com) The most dramatic of Lyon's great gastronomic institutions, housed in a vast 1925 Art Deco hall. Superb seafood.

CAFE DES FEDERATIONS (8 Rue du Major-Martin; 00 33 4 78 28 26 00) Another Lyonnaise landmark, and a genuine bouchon - a traditional Lyon restaurant specialising in the city's rich cuisine. Meat-heavy, with a wine list to match.

LES LYONNAIS (Rue Tramassac; 00 33 4 78 37 64 82) On the edge of Vieux Lyon - where half the properties seem to be self-styled bouchons. This has a better claim than most: here, you can scoff snails or foie gras followed by duck or beef tartare.

Le Comptoir De Tom (10 Rue de Condé; 00 33 4 78 37 43 96) Just a block from Place Carnot, it has a prix-fixe menu for €26 (£19), which might include foie gras with mango and veal with cream and saffron.

CAFE 203 (9 Rue du Garet; 00 33 4 78 28 66 65) A lighter alternative to the traditionally rich Lyonnais cuisine, with good salads and pasta.

For more information and bookings, contact the Lyon tourist office on 00 33 4 72 77 69 69; www.lyon-france.com

Cassoulet and Oysters

Toulouse

The ideal way to arrive in the rose-red city of Toulouse is by train - ideally in late afternoon. From Matabiau station you wander along nondescript streets, before a little zig-zag suddenly deposits you in Place du Capitole, where when the setting sun reinforces the colour of the pink bricks used to build much of the historic centre, you know you are in a city that celebrates the south.

Celebrate your good fortune with a table at one of the cafés on the Place, such as the Florida café - a grandiose traditional brasserie. Then wander along any of the narrow, cobbled lanes radiating from the square in search of restaurants that celebrate this land of plenty. The city's signature dish is cassoulet: sausage, pork and a leg of duck served in a steaming pot of haricot beans. One of the best places to try it is Le Colombier at 14 Rue Bayard (00 33 5 61 62 40 05). For a wholesome taste of the south-west, try Le Bon Vivre at Place Wilson (00 33 5 61 23 07 17).

Rennes

Brittany's capital, the dynamic town of Rennes has some imposing buildings and grand squares. But if you're looking for restaurants, head for the alleys and ancient half-timbered buildings in the medieval quarter near Place des Lices, also home of the Saturday morning vegetable market.

Brittany is well known for its oysters - it has 12 recognised "grands crus" - but it also supplies the country with mackerel, sardines, lobster, langoustines, scallop and mussels. Order these in Rennes' seafood restaurants with a Muscadet from nearby Nantes. Local salted butter on rye bread goes well, too.

It's also the country's main pig-rearing region, so look out for pig's head, trotters, and pig's ear salad. Or try smoked andouille pork-intestine sausage, ham or coarse terrine in one of the restaurants.

The region is also famous for its pancakes, washed down with a bowl of Breton cider. You can eat buttery, sweet crêpes or buckwheat gallettes sitting outside on the Place Saint Anne.

Simon Calder and Amy Cook

For more information and bookings, contact the Toulouse tourist office on 00 33 5 61 11 02 22; www.ot-toulouse.fr. For Rennes, 00 33 2 99 67 11 11; www.tourisme-rennes.com

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