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Grenoble

Haloed by mountains, France's self-styled 'Capital of the Alps' unites city pleasures and breathtaking nature. Every road leading out of Grenoble brushes a different regional park. The Isère River slices through the city, girding the clifftop Bastille and a ravishing set of riverside museums. On the opposite bank, Grenoble fizzes: a historic quarter lined with cafes and shops, world-class galleries and an efficient tram system zipping between neighbourhoods both glamorous and gritty.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Musée de Grenoble
Grenoble
For lovers of European art, this museum is an uplifting place to get lost for a day. There's an even spread of artistic eras on display: an antiquities…
Musée Archéologique
Grenoble
This highly impressive museum unveils the secrets of a 12th-century church and cloister using light effects, a haunting choral soundtrack and an…
Fort de la Bastille
Grenoble
After a fun ride in the téléphérique, or a steep, hour-long climb, the reward is a magnificent mountain panorama from Grenoble's stocky fortress, built…
Musée Dauphinois
Grenoble
This ever-evolving museum unleashes a century of regional history on visitors. Suits of armour are back-lit in brightly coloured rooms, 3-D family trees…
Musée des Troupes de Montagne
Grenoble
Though the subject is niche, this museum exploring France's elite Alpine regiments, which date to 1888, is riveting. An audioguide (in French, English,…
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de l’Isère
Grenoble
This thoughtfully curated exhibition presents the history of Grenoble's vigorous resistance to Italian and then German forces during WWII, with plenty of…
Musée de l’Ancien Évêché
Grenoble
A run-through of regional history, from prehistory through medieval times to the 20th century, is presented within the atmospheric walls of the 13th…
Le Magasin
Grenoble
A cavernous glass-and-steel warehouse built by Gustave Eiffel has been turned into one of France's leading centres of contemporary art. Many of the…