Grenoble is the capital of the French département of Isère in the Rhône Alpes region. It is located midway between the largest and most well-known French winter sports regions. Winter sports in France mean large and vast pistes that have guaranteed snow. The ski regions of Les Deux Alpes and L’Alpe d’Huez are located one and a half hours away from Grenoble. In addition to these two imposing ski regions, around 150 other ski destinations are accessible from Grenoble at a reasonable distance from the airport. Every day, several transfers depart from the airport and go to the most popular destinations for winter sports at very reasonable prices. In addition to skiing, cross-country skiing and tobogganing, it is definitely worth visiting the cities of Grenoble and Lyon (which is just 85 km away from the airport).

The best way to get your bearings in Grenoble and appreciate its stunning scenery is to take a trip in Les Bulles Cable Car. Starting at the quayside the little bubble cars transport visitors to the Fort de la Bastille, a military base built in the 16th century and greatly expanded in the 19th. As well as touring the buildings the castle is surrounded by extensive parklands, running all the way back to the river and the old town. 

The Musée de Grenoble in the Place de Lavalette has a collection of artworks dating from Roman times to the present day. It's collection of 20th Century works is particularly impressive, including pieces by Picasso, Chagall and Matisse. 

One unusual collection of modern art can be found at the Basilique de Sacre Coeur. This rather dour 19th Century church has been invigorated by the addition of 25 huge, almost abstract paintings by contemporary artist Marie Israel.

As befits a Winter Olympics site there are plenty of opportunities for winter sports like skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing in the mountains around Grenoble. The city is surrounded by twenty 'ski stations', at 15min away by car Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse is the nearest.

If winter sports leave you cold you've no need to worry. Grenoble has some of the longest hours of sunlight anywhere in Europe and there are plenty of hot weather activities. The Parc Paul Mistral is a bit out of the centre of town but it offers some very relaxing walks in carefully manicured gardens, dotted with modern statues. To the southwest lies the Vercors, one of France's most beautiful national parks, ideal for hiking and cycling. Not to be missed is the hamlet of Pont-en-Royens whose stone houses perch precariously over a narrow limestone gorge, carved out by the Bourne River. 

From May to September the man-made Bois Francais Lake is a fantastic location for jet-skiing, windsurfing and swimming. Every summer the municipality transforms the Place de la Bifurk into the 'Plage de la Bifurk' as it creates an artificial beach where locals and tourists alike can enjoy a range of sports from football and volleyball to 'beachminton' and 'frisbeach'.

Grenoble is rich territory for shopping. High-class shops and expensive boutiques are centred on the Place Sainte-Claire. There are large numbers of markets throughout Grenoble, specialising in food, drinks, antiques, books and a range of other goods. Different markets occur at different times throughout the year so it is best to check specifics with Tourist Information before travelling. 

The second Sunday of every month sees the L'Esplanade Flea Market, a great chance to pick up a bargain or two.

Grenoble has an extensive antique district around the rue Bayard and the rue Voltaire in the old town. Shops range from lavish emporiums selling only the finest and oldest pieces to bric-a-brac shops selling heaps of curios in various states of repair.

Grenoble is made up of a mixture of rushing life of people and historical treasures. The city is divided into two parts reflecting modern life and the historic Old Town. Thus, almost every visitor can find things interesting for him there from accommodation and entertainment facilities to historical places of interest. Some places of interest such as walls, for example, still remain original, built in the third century.

It is not a surprise that Grenoble is rich in its cultural life as it is one of the five largest cities in France. 

Cultural festivals, bright theatre life and some interesting museums is not everything that Grenoble may offer to its visitors. Grenoble hosted the 1968 Winter Olympics and is preparing to bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Grenoble is also famous for many nearby ski resorts nestled in the surrounding mountains, and its Italian quarter, the 'Quartier Saint Laurent'.

La Bastille, built by Lesdiguieres on the Mont-Rachais - a strategic place on the right bank of river Isere is a summary of the military past of Grenoble from the 16th to the 19th centuries. 

Vauban ordered the renovation of the whole place and Haxo built the plans of the site opened nowadays to simple visitors. From up there, when the sky is bright, beautiful panorama on the mountains of Belledonne, Chartreuse and Vercors, and on the capital city of the Dauphine. 

Walk up to La Bastille by stairs and slopy paths, or take the cable car after visiting the numerous Grenoble museums among which the Musee Dauphinois, the Stendhal Museum. Then, discover the site between doors and arches, bastions [9], echauguettes, blockhouses and powder stores

With snowy mountain peaks as its backdrop and a Winter Olympics in its past, Grenoble has earned its title as “the Capital of the Alps.” Its 158,000 inhabitants and large student population have established the capital of the Isère department as an energetic center for mountain sports as well as academia.

There is convenient bus access to many alpine ski resorts, including Deux Alpes, Villard de Lans, Chamrousse, and Alpe d'Huez. Founded in 1339, the Université de Grenoble now boasts 50,000 students and has helped to establish the city as a major center for research, especially in science.

Two rivers, the Isère and the Drac, wind through Grenoble and the Fontaine du Lion at the Place de la Cimaise anthropomorphizes the two waterways with a statue of a lion (the Drac) grappling with a snake (the Isère).

With opportunities for snowshoeing, snowboarding, skiing, hiking, and climbing, nature is a large part of the local culture. For a panoramic view of the city and the French Alps, La Bastille, a 19th century fortress, can be reached by hiking or by cable car.

Grenoble also has a presence in arts and literature through museums and festivals. The city is the birthplace of 19th century French novelist Stendhal, most famous for Le Rouge et le Noir and La Chartreuse de Parme, and the Bibliothèques Municipales de Grenoble has a collection of his manuscripts. Filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau also spent time living in Grenoble.

Today, the Musée de Grenoble exhibits fine, contemporary, and modern art, the Musée de la Resistance explores the history of the French Resistance during WWII, and Le Magasin hosts art exhibitions in a converted industrial space.

The Grenoble Jazz festival held each March offers two weeks of music in bars and venues across the city.

For a midday coffee, pre-dinner apéro, or evening cocktail, there are cafés, bars, and pubs scattered throughout the center of town between Place Grenette and Place Notre-Dame.