Interactive map:
The city, its layout, and its history then become much clearer:
At the center, the historic heart is dense, rich with a prestigious past going back more than 2000 years in history. To the west, a world renowned scientific complex. To the south, the urban sprawl accelerated by the 1968 winter Olympic Games and to the east, the university campus which welcomes 61,000 students.
Naturally Y-shaped thanks to the presence of the three alpine chains, Grenoble can be accessed from three points: one from the direction of Valence and Lyon, the other from the south and the Route Napoléon, and the last from Chambery and Italy.
A remarkable university and scientific population give Grenoble the image of a young, cosmopolitan city, one that is constantly on the move.
The arrival and departure of the students and scientists mean that Grenoble never gets caught up with stereotypes. This is a free city!
Just as comfortable with culture as with sports, Grenoble offers a wide variety of activities.
On the cultural side, how could we mention Grenoble without talking about Museums of Grenoble and le Magasin (National Contemporary Art Center), leaders when it comes to art. Not to mention France's first house of culture, inaugurated in 1968 by André Malraux. Today known as the MC2, this cultural center hosts a multitude of music, film, and theatre festivals, as well as areas dedicated to electronic music.
As for sports, Grenoble is just a few minutes from several ski resorts and you can set out on a mountain hike from the city center, via La Bastille. The city also boasts the first urban via ferrata in France.
With its 300 km of flat bike paths, Grenoble is also a cyclist's paradise.