Lyon

Lyon needs 2 days: touring the Musée des Confluences, a natural history and anthropology museum in a futuristic building at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, on one, and climbing to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, with panoramic views over the whole city, on the other. April-June and September-October bring the mildest weather. It's cheaper than Paris. It's considered France's gastronomic capital, birthplace of the very concept of the «bouchon lyonnais» -the city's traditional taverns- and of chefs like Paul Bocuse, and its Renaissance old town, threaded by «traboules» -covered passageways between buildings-, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.