Tourist Information
MOUNTAINS - HIKING - SKIING
In short
- Grenoble is the historic capital of the Dauphiné region. It used to be an Olympic city. Nowadays, it is mostly a town dedicated to sciences.
- Grenoble is known for its cultural vibrancy: the Festival du film court en plein Air ("the Outdoor Short Film Festival") takes place in the beginning of July; the Rencontres du cinéma de montagnes (the "Mountain Cinema Meetings"); in November, it is a specificity of the city, just like the Rencontres du cinéma italien de Grenoble ("Grenoble Italian Cinema Meeting").
- The Détours de Babel is a world music festival; the Foire des Rameaux (the "Palm Sunday Fair") during spring, is a popular and major fair; last, in October, the Millésime (literally, the "Vintage"), an oenological and musical event, gathers novices, music, and good wines lovers.
- Grenoble is a beautiful city, but its monuments were not what made it famous. However, you will have the opportunity to admire a few must-see buildings, like the former Parliament of the Dauphiné, the place Saint-André, and the Fort de la Bastille, located on the heights of the city.
- As for the food, Grenoble walnuts and their cakes are renowned Grenoble meals, along with the potato gratin ("gratin dauphinois" in French) and the recipes made out of crayfish. The chartreuse and the génépi also are regional products.
Climate
It is a half ocean, half continental climate. Summers are warm and dry with a lot of sunlight all year long and massive precipitation, and sometimes harsh winters with regular snowfalls. The temperature range is important, with fluctuations from 2.3°C in January to 20.5°C in July.
Our best tips
- Grenoble is ideally located if you want to go hiking in the Chartreuse, in Belledonne, and in Lozère.
- The Isère is rich in wonderful sites, during both summer and winter: go on and let's visit! And why don't you chase the famous "dahu" creature in the mountains?
Average prices for hotels
- Low budget: 48€ per night in low season, and 62€ in high season.
- Mid-range: 57€ per night in low season, and 93€ in high season.
- Luxury: 88€ per night in low season, and 108€ in high season.
Recommended areas for your hotel
- The railway station neighbourhood is not far from the center of town and it is well connected thanks to the tramway.
- The hyper centre area is very useful, for it will allow you to use as little means of transportation as possible: you can do everything by foot from there!
- The area of Villeneuve, also known as the former Olympic village; is a little bit off-centered but it is more quiet. It is near the Parc Verlhac.
Need more information about this place?
We wrote un mini guide for our readers that we hope is coming as handy as possible (also available in PDF format to download, useful while traveling without an internet connexion) :
Grenoble : Handy Mini Travel Guide
