December: the Fête des Lumières
Around 8 December the city lights up. The tradition began in 1852, when the people of Lyon set candles in their windows for the new statue of the Virgin on the chapel at Fourvière, and it has become a festival of light installations across the whole centre.
It is the busiest time of the year. Beds go months ahead, and the centre is closed to traffic on the main nights.
Summer: the Nuits de Fourvière
In June and July the Roman theatres host the Nuits de Fourvière festival — music, theatre and dance on stone seats that are two thousand years old.
July and August are hot, and many Lyonnais leave; some restaurants close for their summer holiday.
Spring and autumn
The easy seasons: mild weather for the hills and the quays, the Tête d'Or at its best, and autumn the season of the Beaujolais harvest just to the north.
