East-central France can be divided into two areas: the Alps and "not the Alps." The second area includes Lyon—a magnet for the surrounding region, including the vineyards of Beaujolais—and the area south of Lyon, dominated by the mighty Rhône as it flows toward the Mediterranean. This chapter is divided into four chunks: Lyon, France's "second city"; Beaujolais and La Dombes—where hundreds of wine caves alternate with glacier-created lakes and towns built of pierres dorées, soft, golden-tone stones that come from the local hillsides; the Rhône Valley, studded with quaint villages and hilltop castles; and Grenoble and the Alps, where you can often find down-home friendliness on tap at sky-high ski resorts.