A city in the mountains

Nestled deep in the heart of the Vercors, Chartreuse and Belledonne mountain ranges, Grenoble is the perfect base camp at the foot of the mountain peaks. Capital of the Alps, Olympic city – Grenoble hosted the 1968 Winter Olympics –, Grenoble is less than an hour drive from close to 40 winter sports resorts. Needless to say, the city is a paradise for skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and hiking fanatics.


The Trièves area in the Vercors range.
 
Surprisingly, though, Grenoble is also the flattest city in France! That therefore makes it an ideal place for cycling and rollerblading aficionados! The city of Grenoble has, to itself, over 220 km of bike paths.

Rich cultural diversity

The quality and reknown of the artists that practice here, the concentration of performance spaces and the means put behind cultural activities have made Grenoble a leading cultural center in France. A melting pot of artists, with a definite experimental bent, have made Grenoble's music, dance and theater leaders in cultural innovation.

Three creative centers are headquartered in Grenoble, the Centre Dramatique National des Alpes, the Centre Chorégraphique National de Grenoble, and the Les Musiciens du Louvre.

The Isère Departement possesses 57 museums, 82 libraries, 16 castles, 20 festivals, 29 theatrical companies, 17 dance companies , 17 orchestras, 1 National Music Academy, 30 cinemas and numerous theaters, concert halls and auditoriums.

The Isère was also the first Département, after Paris, to provide free entry to its museums.