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Grenoble, France
Grenoble in France with e-travelguide.info
Welcome To the e-travelguide to Hotels, guest houses and attractions in Grenoble.
Make the most of your time in Grenoble, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links above to plan your visit.
Set against the backdrop of peaks and mountains Grenoble is aptly known among its residents as the ‘capital of the Alps’. It takes up a fantastic position in the south-east of France, in the Rhone-Alpes region a little way to the south-east of Lyon and directly east of St Etienne. While boasting a prestigious past, Grenoble also seeks to look to the future, in doing so keeping a rounded outlook on life.
Grenoble has become something of a metropolis for art and ideas, partly due to the presence of no fewer than four higher educational institutions in the city and the likes of the particularly large Polygone Scientifique research centre. There are also a number of world-renowned enterprises in the vicinity, and so, when added to aspects such as the traditional and lively Old Town, there is certainly a wide selection of reasons to visit and things to do.
The city is set on the Drac and Isere Rivers which join together and run through the settlement, meanwhile the highest surrounding peak – Moucherotte – shadows Grenoble from its heights of almost 2,000 metres above sea level. There are egg-shaped cable cars known as Telepherique which work their way into the mountains from Grenoble, and as you might expect the views are magnificent.
There are a couple of natural and national parks which are near to Grenoble, or reachable from the city. The Chartreuse range has been a natural park since 1995, while the Vercours also make up a natural park. The Parc National des Ecrins meanwhile is located to the south of the city and is one of the country’s nine such parks.
In Grenoble’s Old Town there are classy cafes and restaurants which serve regional Dauphinoise cuisine. There is a chain of little squares in the city which are lively and colourful, while there are also some markets around these areas which offer the chance to buy some local produce.
Grenoble is one of three major cities in the Rhone-Alpes region and is often seen as a good stop-off point between the Riviera and Geneva, although it has also grown as a centre for tourism over the years too. The Winter Olympics were held in the city in 1968 and this helped to put it on the international map; winter and mountain sports are particularly popular, while the Tour de France route frequently runs through each summer.
In addition to the impressive views, the relaxing cafes and restaurants, the businesses and the sporting opportunities, visitors can also wander through and around the museums and monuments in the area. There are 11 museums, including the Musee de Grenoble and the Museum of the French Revolution while other places worth a visit include the abbey of Saint Chef, the Horloge Solaire sundial and the ancient Bastille fortifications.