Grenoble travel guide

See

Grenoble has a reputation for being one of the ugliest cities in France, however this is mostly due to the suburbs located in the southern part of Grenoble, the Polygone in the north-west and the communes in the valleys surrounding Grenoble (particularly Echirolles and Saint-Martin-d'Hères), which were built during the time of the Winter Olympics in 1968 when Grenoble experienced very rapid urban expansion and whose architecture has not aged particularly well. Nonetheless the city centre remains as charming as any other French city, to say nothing about the mountains surrounding it.

• Bastille Hill
• Parc Paul Mistral
• Musée de Grenoble
• Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Grenoble
• European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
• Musée Dauphinois
• Musée De L'Ancien Eveché
• Museum of Resistance and Deportation
• Musée Archéologique de Grenoble
• Museum of the Mountain troops
• Museum of French Revolution
• Musée Champollion

Do

• The cable car

Eat

If you'd like to have an extensive eatery guide with you on your travels, The Guide du Dahu is probably the best restaurant guide to Grenoble. The work of 20 students of Grenoble business school, it includes 300 pages covering restaurants, bars, culture, sport and nightlife. €2.50 from tabacs and bookshops in the city. The Petit Futé series also offers a Grenoble guide, which has an extensive list of restaurants and other businesses. You can find many good restaurants in the city centre, roughly between the Train Station, Place Saint-André and Place Notre Dame. The St-Laurent neighborhood (on the northern side of the Isère river) has a number of Italian restaurants and pizzerias.

Drink

There are bars and pubs in the downtown area, especially between Place Grenette and Place Notre Dame. Les Frères Berthom, near Place Notre Dame, offers a variety of local brews and a lively ambience. Couche Tard, Bukana, and London Pub cater to Erasmus, international, and American study abroad students. At Place Saint-André, you will find La table ronde, founded in 1739 as the second oldest café in France to Le Procope in Paris.

Stay safe

Grenoble is generally a safe city for tourists, students, and residents. Like any urban area, it’s best to stay aware of your surroundings and take common-sense precautions, particularly at night or in less central areas.