Print this pageDate Added: 18-09-2007
As Grenoble is surrounded by mountains (the Chartreuse to the North, the Vercors to the West and the Belledonne to the East), it is amiably named "the capital of the Alps" and is in fact, rather surprisingly, one of the flatest town in Europe! There are no less than 20 ski resorts around it and the nearest, Sappey-en-Chartreuse, can be reached by car in 15 minutes. In the summer, walking, trecking, rock-climbing, horse-riding and paragliding are popular sports, and even skiing as glaciers such as 'Les 2 Alpes' are open all year round.
As well as the airports of Grenoble and Lyon, Geneva airport is only 2 hours away.
The city gained some notoriety in 1788 when the townspeople assaulted the troops of Louis XVI in the "Day of the Tiles" which is why it is said that the French Revolution, which took place a year later, has its roots in Grenoble.
"La Bastille" is a fortification built on the mountainside overlooking Grenoble and visible from many points in the city. Built in the Middle Ages, it was last year extended by a complex underground defense network. This work has been credited as the most extensive example of 19th century fortifications in all of France and held as an important strategic point on the Alpine frontier. Since 1934, the egg-shaped cable cars, named "Les Bulles" (meaning 'the bubbles') have enabled numerous locals and tourists alike to reach the top of this unique historic building and to enjoy stunning scenery - these cable cars are themselves a famous attraction.
Grenoble is also renown for its excellent University, founded in 1339 by Pope Benedict XII and later, in 1805, extended by Napoleon who established the Grenoble Law School, now forming part of the University of Grenoble.
Known as a major scientific center, especially in the fields of physics, computer science and applied mathematics, business and commerce, Grenoble also hosts the highly acclaimed European Synchrotron, built just outside the city and can easily be seen from the air as one large ring. Micro and nanotechnology research places Grenoble at the forefront of European scientific centers.
Grenoble hosted the 1968 Winter Olympics and is preparing to bid for the ones in 2018.
Famous people from Grenoble and the region:
Jean-Francois Champollion: egyptologist (who after 10 years of study decoded hieroglyphics)
Joseph Fourier: mathematician and physicist
Jean-Luc Godard: cineast
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: philosopher and writer
Stendhal: author (Scarlet & Black) (a kind of 'Jane Austen equivalent')
Berlioz: composer (La Symphonie Fantastique)
Grenoble is twinned with:
Oxford in the UK
Phoenix, USA
Catania, Italy
Corato, Italy
Innsbruck, Austria
Essen, Germany
Chisinau, Moldova
Rehovoth, Israel
Pecs, Hungary
Kaunas, Lithuania
Sfax, Tunisia
Constantine, Algeria
Extracts from "Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"
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