Maison Barbillon Grenoble
Grenoble - 10, Rue Barbillon
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Grenoble is located at the foot of the mountains in the historical Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.
Famous for its winter sports, museums, universities and its dynamic cultural life, Grenoble is a multifaceted city that will captivate you with its lively historic centre.
Europe’s largest Alpine metropolis, also called the capital of the Alps, experienced a remarkable cycle of industrialisation during the 20th century, which led to economic but also cultural development, culminating with the 1968 Winter Olympics.
Today, Grenoble is known as one of the scientific centres of excellence in Europe but also as a particularly popular tourist city.
Surrounded by beautiful natural scenery and home to a multitude of museums, galleries and historical monuments, the city of Grenoble is also renowned for its warm atmosphere.
The imposing structure and the magnificent panorama offered by the fortified Bastille site make it an unmissable tourist destination. Built in the 19th century, it stands more than 400 metres above sea level and will amaze you with a breathtaking and simply splendid panorama of the city of Grenoble.
The site can be reached by cable car, car and also on foot, notably via the Montée de Chalemont nature trail. Today, it hosts various activities, including playgrounds, museums and restaurants.
Built in 1934, this is the first urban cable car in the world and Grenoble is very proud of it: it is one of the symbols of the city.
The cable car connects Grenoble to the top of the Bastille, flying over the Saint-Laurent district. It is nicknamed Les Bulles because of the particular shape of its cabins. Since July 2017, the cable car has been equipped with webcams and the cabins take panoramic photos of the city at regular intervals. By connecting to the cable car’s official website, you can download the photographs taken during your ride.
The building, despite its contemporary architecture, was founded in 1798: since then it has housed more than 900 works of art. Its collection of Western paintings is particularly impressive. From the 13th to the 21st century, you can admire works by Flemish, Spanish and Dutch masters, as well as a collection of Egyptian antiquities brought back to France by Champollion.
The Grenoble museum is open every day except Tuesdays and is free for under 18s .
The Saint-Laurent footbridge crosses the river Isère, connecting Quai Mounier to Quai Jongkind. It was built in 1837 and modernised in 1909.
This passageway, essential for the inhabitants, has suffered a great deal of damage over time, due to the numerous floods of the Isère, which have swept over and destroyed the footbridge several times. Now exclusively for pedestrians, the bridge offers a magnificent view of the clock tower and the river Isère.
Grenoble was one of the central cities of the French resistance during World War II and the German occupation. The museum dedicated to this page of history houses a multitude of objects, photographs and documents collected by resistance fighters and deportees from that period.
The Isère Museum of Resistance and Deportation develops through six themes on three levels. On the ground floor, you will follow the genesis and course of the conflict. The second floor is devoted to the entry into the Resistance and the situation of Jews in Grenoble between 1939 and 1945. Finally, the last floor deals with repression, deportations and the Liberation. Free for all, the museum is always open except on Tuesday mornings.
This has been the city’s main square since the 17th century. Over the centuries, it has hosted the grain market and the cattle market. Today, Place Grenette is the ideal place to meet and stroll around, with its cosy cafés and shops, admiring the imposing stone fountain by Sassenage, called Le Château d’Eau Lavalette from 1825.
During the Christmas period, it hosts the Grenoble Christmas markets.
It is located in Place de la Cymaise, in the Saint-Laurent district. Built in 1843, it is one of the city’s oldest monuments.
It represents a lion preventing and blocking the attacks of a snake, ysara in Old French, from which the river Isère takes its name. The lion, on the other hand, symbolises the city of Grenoble.
This fountain bears witness to the violent floods that ravaged the city in the 19th century: in its majesty, it is a beautiful tribute to the tenacity of the people of Grenoble, who have always endured hardship and adversity.
The city’s green lung, Paul Mistral Park covers 21 hectares. It is a former military camp transformed into a park in 1925: today there are several areas including one entirely dedicated to sport.
Vestiges of the 1968 Winter Olympic Games are still visible today, including the Sports Hall and the speed ring. The park also houses the Grenoble City Hall and a tower by architect Perret.
The construction of Grenoble Cathedral began in the 10th century and was completed nine centuries later. Apart from the beauty of its architecture, it has a unique feature: it leans directly against the church of Saint-Hugues.
The two buildings communicate via an internal passageway and in medieval times were part of the same complex of religious buildings.
Opposite the Lesdiguières stadium, this park is the perfect place to spend a day in the open air: it has a sports field and a large swimming pool, as well as playgrounds for children.
Easily accessible, this park is the ideal setting for a picnic or a rejuvenating walk in the greenery.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
Grenoble is a large city of 650,000 inhabitants: it is the largest metropolis in the Alpine region. It experienced a remarkable boom with the extraction of white coal and the organisation of the 1968 Winter Olympics.
Today, this important economic lung is full of activity and attracts workers from all over Europe, students and tourists who come to live and visit the city.
This cobbled district is dotted with charming little squares such as Place de Gordes or Place Claveyson, to be discovered on foot or by bicycle. You will find countless delicious restaurants and in summer it is pleasant to linger under the shady plane trees or go shopping in rue Félix Poulat or at the stalls of rue de Bonne.
In the centre you will find a variety of different accommodations, from comfortable hotels to rented studios to opulent flats in the city’s typical high-rise buildings.
It is considered to be the historical cradle of Grenoble: nestling on the right bank of the Isère, it guards a rich architectural heritage, with its surprising narrow buildings and remarkable cultural highlights such as the archaeological museum.
Italian immigrants, who settled in the region in the 19th century, had a great cultural impact on the district, an exquisitely Mediterranean influence that can still be felt today. It is a great place to stay while mixing with the locals and experiencing the city from the inside.
Located right next to the Championnet district and its luxury buildings, this amazing area alone is worth a diversion when you come to the capital of the Alps. It is the first eco-neighbourhood in France and envisages the city of tomorrow.
The Bonne district is dotted with green spaces and serves as a natural lung: sleeping here means discovering an urban district with green roofs and respect for the planet, in an ultra-modern and charming area, a stone’s throw from the famous Paul Mistral park and the daily market at the foot of the Saint Bruno church.
Grenoble Alpes Isère airport is about 30 minutes from the city centre, connected to the centre via the A48 and numerous daily shuttles. You can land at Lyon’s Saint Exupéry Airport, which offers a greater choice of flights and routes, and from there travel to Grenoble by train.
In fact, Grenoble is also easily accessible by train. The station, in the heart of the city, is served by several lines, including from Switzerland.
What's the weather at Grenoble? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Grenoble for the next few days.
Grenoble is located at the foot of the mountains, on the Isère River, in the historical Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.
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