Grenoble

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View of Grenoble, 2002

Grenoble, Grasanòbol in occitan language, (population 160,000) is a city in south-east France, situated at the foot of the Alps, at the confluence of the Drac into the Isère. It is the préfecture (capital) of the Isère département. Population of the metropolitan area (in French: aire urbaine) at the 1999 census was 514,559.

Grenoble is a major scientific center, especially in the fields of physics, computer science and applied mathematics. The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and several laboratories of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) and the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique are located in Grenoble.

The presence of a large international community through both foreign students and foreign researchers has prompted the creation of an international school more than a decade ago: the CSI Europole. It is now one of France's better secondary education centers.

Grenoble is surrounded by mountains: to the north the Chartreuse, to the west the Vercors, and to the east the Belledonne range. As such, it is often visited by the Tour de France.

Grenoble is famous for its walnuts, for which it enjoys an appelation of controlled origin.

In 1968, Grenoble hosted the Winter Olympic Games. See 1968 Winter Olympics

Grenoble may be accessed by bus or train direct from Lyon Airport ( circa 1 hour).

Grenoble is also famous for its Italian quarter, the "Quartier Saint Laurent", and the many ski resorts surrounding it.

Grenoble

See also