The Rhône River, one of Europe's most important rivers, runs through Switzerland and France.

France's Rhone Valley is known for its beautiful mountain scenery.

The Savoy region of France lies in the northern part of the valley.

As it runs through France, the Rhône  River passes through many beautiful and fascinating French cities, such as Avignon, Arles, Lyon, Nîmes, Tournon and Valence, where visitors can see sites that date back to the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

The Beaujolais wine region of France is located in the Rhône Valley around Lyon.

The France's Rhone Valley is known for its beautiful mountain scenery.

The Savoy region of France lies in the northern part of the valley.

The Beaujolais wine region of France is located in the Rhône Valley around Lyon.

The Rhône originates in the Massif of Saint Gothard in the Swiss Alps.

From there, it flows through the Swiss canton of Valais until it enters Lake Geneva.

It then leaves the lake and passes into France, flowing along a narrow ravine between the Jura Mountains and the Savoy Alps.

The Rhône is joined by its largest tributary, the Seine River, when it passes through the center of Lyon.

It then flows southward into the Mediterranean Sea.

Because of its origin high in the mountains, the Rhône is a fast-flowing, torrential river.

For centuries, it has been the cause of many drownings and shipwrecks.

There have been frequent, disastrous floods - carrying away bridges and sometimes destroying entire villages.

More recently, modern engineering feats have helped to tame the Rhône.