View source for Grenoble

{{short description|Prefecture and commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name                 = Grenoble
|native name          = {{native name|frp|Grenoblo / Grainóvol}} <br> {{native name|oc|Grenòble / Graçanòbol}}
|commune status       = [[Prefectures of France|Prefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image                = Panorama grenoble.png
|image size           = 
|caption              = From upper left: Panorama of the city, [[Grenoble-Bastille cable car|Grenoble’s cable cars]], place Saint-André, jardin de ville, banks of the Isère
|arrondissement       = Grenoble
|canton               = [[Canton of Grenoble-1|Grenoble-1]], [[Canton of Grenoble-2|2]], [[Canton of Grenoble-3|3]] and [[Canton of Grenoble-4|4]]
|INSEE                = 38185
|postal code          = 38000, 38100
|mayor                = [[Éric Piolle]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=2 December 2020|language=fr}}</ref>
|term                 = 2020&ndash;2026 
|party                = [[The Ecologists|LE]]
|image flag           = Flag of Grenoble.svg
|image coat of arms   = Coat of Arms of Grenoble.svg
|intercommunality     = [[Grenoble-Alpes Métropole]]
|coordinates          = {{coord|45.171546|5.722387|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation min m      = 212
|elevation m          = 398
|elevation max m      = 500
|area km2             = 18.13
|population           = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date      = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
|urban pop            = 451096
|urban area km2       = 358.1
|urban pop date       = 2018<ref name=compar/>
|metro area pop       = 714799
|metro area km2       = 2876
|metro area pop date  = 2018<ref name=compar/>
}}

'''Grenoble''' ({{IPAc-en|ɡ|r|ə|ˈ|n|oʊ|b|əl}} {{respell|grə|NOH|bəl}};<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/grenoble|title=Grenoble 
|access-date=24 September 2014|publisher=Harper Collins|work=[[Collins English Dictionary]]|date=n.d.}}</ref> {{IPA|fr|ɡʁənɔbl|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-Ltrlg-Grenoble.wav}}; {{Langx|frp|Grenoblo}} or {{lang|frp|Grainóvol}}; {{langx|oc|Graçanòbol}} or {{lang|oc|Grenòble}}) is the [[Prefectures in France|prefecture]] and [[List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants|largest city]] of the [[Isère]] [[Departments of France|department]] in the [[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]] [[Regions of France|region]] of southeastern France.<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/geographie/commune/38185-grenoble Commune de Grenoble (38185)], INSEE</ref> It was the capital of the [[Dauphiné]] [[Provinces of France|historical province]] and lies where the river [[Drac (river)|Drac]] flows into the [[Isère (river)|Isère]] at the foot of the [[French Alps]].

The population of the [[Communes of France|commune]] of Grenoble was 158,198 as of 2019, while the population of the [[Grenoble metropolitan area]] (French: {{lang|fr|[[functional area (France)|aire d'attraction]] de Grenoble}} or {{lang|fr|agglomération grenobloise}}) was 714,799 which makes it the largest metropolis in the Alps, ahead of [[Innsbruck]] and [[Bolzano]].<ref name=compar>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/1405599?geo=AAV2020-014+UU2020-38701+COM-38185 Comparateur de territoire], INSEE</ref> A significant European scientific centre,<ref name="Graff">{{cite magazine |last=Graff |first=James |url=http://www.time.com/time/europe/secret/grenoble.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040823192020/http://www.time.com/time/europe/secret/grenoble.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 August 2004 |title= Secret Capitals |magazine=Time |location =New York |date=22 August 2004 |access-date=29 October 2009}}</ref><ref name="Pentland">{{cite news |last=Pentland |first=William |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2013/07/09/worlds-15-most-inventive-cities/ |title= World's 15 Most Inventive Cities |work=Forbes |location =New York |date=9 July 2013 |access-date=16 July 2013}}</ref> the city advertises itself as the "Capital of the Alps", due to its size and its proximity to the mountains. The many suburban communes that make up the rest of the metropolitan area include four with populations exceeding 20,000: [[Saint-Martin-d'Hères]], [[Échirolles]], [[Fontaine, Isère|Fontaine]] and [[Voiron]].<ref name="pop2017">[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/4265429/ensemble.pdf Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017], [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques|INSEE]]</ref><ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/geographie/aire-attraction-des-villes-2020/014-grenoble Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 de Grenoble (014)], INSEE</ref>

Grenoble's history goes back over 2,000 years, to a time when it was a village of the [[Allobroges]] [[Gaul|Gallic]] tribe. It became the capital of the [[Dauphiné]] in the 11th century.<ref name="EB1911" /> This status, consolidated by the annexation to [[France]], allowed it to develop its economy. Grenoble then became a parliamentary and military city, close to the border with [[Savoy]], which at the time was part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]].  Industrial development increased the prominence of Grenoble through several periods of economic expansion over the last three centuries. This started with a booming [[glove]] industry in the 18th and 19th centuries, continued with the development of a strong [[hydropower]] industry in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, and ended with a post-[[World War II]] economic boom symbolized by the holding of the [[1968 Winter Olympics|X&nbsp;Olympic Winter Games]] in 1968.

The city has grown to be one of Europe's most important research, technology and innovation centres, with one in five inhabitants working directly in these fields.<ref name="Graff" /><ref name="Pentland" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya5M3mJzRFA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ya5M3mJzRFA| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|title=Université Grenoble Alpes : "1 out of 5" (english version)|last=Communauté Université Grenoble Alpes|date=23 April 2015|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Grenoble is classified as a [[global city]] with the ranking of "sufficiency" by the [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network]]. The city  held the title of European Green Capital in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-10-15|title=Grenoble as Green Capital 2022|url=https://www.europarc.org/news/2020/10/grenoble-as-green-capital-2022/|access-date=2020-11-01|website=EUROPARC Federation}}</ref>

==History==
{{For timeline}}

===Antiquity===
[[File:Vestiges enceinte Cularo.JPG|thumb|left|Remnants of the 3rd Century AD Roman walls]]
The first references to what is now Grenoble date back to 43&nbsp;BC. [[Cularo]] was at that time a village of the [[Allobroges]]  [[Gallia|Gallic]] tribe, near a bridge across the Isère. Three centuries later and with insecurity rising in the late [[Roman empire]], a strong [[Defensive wall|wall]] was built around the small town in 286&nbsp;AD.<ref>''Petite histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p18</ref>

The [[Western Roman Empire|Emperor]] [[Gratian]] visited Cularo and, touched by the people's welcome, made the village a Roman city.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Louis|first1=Jaucourt de chevalier|date=1757|page=942|title=Grenoble|journal=Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert - Collaborative Translation Project |hdl=2027/spo.did2222.0000.365}}</ref> In honour of this, Cularo was renamed '''Gratianopolis''' ("city of Gratian") in 381 (leading to Graignovol<ref>{{cite web |url=http://metrodoc.la-metro.org/Riches_heures/msdphns/index.htm |title=Musée Dauphinois |publisher=Metrodoc.la-metro.org |access-date=12 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012010144/http://metrodoc.la-metro.org/Riches_heures/msdphns/index.htm |archive-date=12 October 2007}}</ref> during the [[Middle Ages]], and then Grenoble).

Christianity spread to the region during the 4th century, and the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Grenoble-Vienne|diocese]] of Grenoble was founded in 377&nbsp;AD. From that time on, the bishops exercised significant political power over the city. Until the [[French Revolution]], they styled themselves the "bishops and princes of Grenoble".<ref>''Petite histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p. 40.</ref>

===Middle Ages===

After the collapse of the [[Roman Empire]], the city became part of the first [[Kingdom of Burgundy|Burgundian kingdom]] in the 5th century and of the later [[Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles|Kingdom of Burgundy]] until 1032, when it was integrated into the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. The Burgundian rule was interrupted between 942 and 970 by Arab rule based in [[Fraxinet]].

Grenoble grew significantly in the 11th century when the [[List of Counts of Albon and Dauphins of Viennois|Counts of Albon]] chose the city as the capital of their territories. Their possessions at the time were a patchwork of several territories sprawled across the region,<ref>''Petite histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p. 9.</ref> and the central position of Grenoble allowed the Counts to strengthen their authority. When they later adopted the title of "[[Dauphin of France|Dauphins]]", Grenoble became the capital of the State of [[Dauphiné]].

Despite their status, the Counts had to share authority over the city with the Bishop of Grenoble. One of the most famous of those was [[Hugh of Châteauneuf|Saint Hugh]]. Under his rule, the city's bridge was rebuilt, and a regular and [[leper]] hospital was built.<ref>''Petite histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p. 27.</ref>
[[File:Arms of the Dauphin of France.svg|thumb|upright=0.45|Coat of arms of the Dauphiné after becoming a province of France]]

The inhabitants of Grenoble took advantage of the conflicts between the Counts and the bishops and obtained the recognition of a Charter of Customs that guaranteed their rights.<ref>''Petite histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p. 32.</ref> That charter was confirmed by Kings [[Louis XI]] in 1447 and [[Francis I of France|Francis&nbsp;I]] in 1541.

In 1336, the last Dauphin [[Humbert II of Viennois|Humbert&nbsp;II]] founded a court of justice, the {{Interlanguage link|Conseil delphinal|fr}}, which settled at Grenoble in 1340. He also established the [[University of Grenoble]] in 1339. Without an heir and deep into debt, Humbert sold his state to France in 1349, on the condition that the heir to the [[List of French monarchs|French crown]] used the title of ''[[Dauphin of France|Dauphin]]''. The first one, the future [[Charles V of France|Charles&nbsp;V]], spent nine months in Grenoble. The city remained the capital of the Dauphiné,<ref name=EB1911>{{EB1911 |wstitle=Grenoble |volume=12 |pages=579–580 |first=William Augustus Brevoort |last=Coolidge |authorlink=W. A. B. Coolidge}}</ref> henceforth a [[Provinces of France|province of France]], and the [[States Provincial (France)|Estates of Dauphiné]] were created.

The only Dauphin who governed his province was the future [[Louis&nbsp;XI]], whose "reign" lasted from 1447 to 1456. It was only under his rule that Dauphiné properly joined the Kingdom of France. The Old Conseil Delphinal became a [[Parlement]] (the third in France after the Parliaments of Paris and Toulouse), strengthening the status of Grenoble as a Provincial capital. He also ordered the construction of the Palais du Parlement (finished under [[Francis I of France|Francis&nbsp;I]]) and ensured that the Bishop pledged allegiance, thus unifying the political control of the city.<ref>''Petite histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p. 58.</ref>

At that time, Grenoble was a crossroads between [[Vienne, Isère|Vienne]], Geneva, Italy, and [[Savoy]]. It was the industrial centre of the Dauphiné and the province's biggest city, but a rather small one.

===Renaissance===
[[File:Francois-de-bonne-duc-de-le.jpg|thumb|François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières]]
Owing to Grenoble's geographical situation, French troops were garrisoned in the city and its region during the [[Italian Wars]]. [[Charles VIII of France|Charles&nbsp;VIII]], [[Louis&nbsp;XII]], and [[Francis I of France|Francis&nbsp;I]] went several times to Grenoble. Its people consequently had to suffer from the exactions of the soldiers.

The nobility of the region took part in various battles ([[Battle of Marignano|Marignano]], [[Battle of Pavia|Pavia]]) and in doing so gained significant prestige.<ref>''Petite histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p78</ref> The best-known of its members was [[Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard|Bayard]], "the knight without fear and beyond reproach".

Grenoble suffered as a result of the [[French Wars of Religion]]. The Dauphiné was indeed an important settlement for Protestants and therefore experienced several conflicts. The [[François de Beaumont, baron des Adrets|baron des Adrets]], the leader of the [[Huguenots]], pillaged the [[Grenoble Cathedral|Cathedral of Grenoble]] and destroyed the tombs of the former Dauphins.

In August 1575, [[François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières|Lesdiguières]] became the new leader of the Protestants and, thanks to the accession of [[Henry IV of France|Henry&nbsp;IV]] to the throne of France, allied himself with the governor and the lieutenant general of the Dauphiné. But this alliance did not bring an end to the conflicts. Indeed, a Catholic movement, the ''Ligue'', which took Grenoble in December 1590, refused to make peace. After months of assaults, Lesdiguières defeated the Ligue and took back Grenoble. He became the leader of the entire province.<ref>''Petite Histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p88</ref>

Lesdiguières became the lieutenant-general of the Dauphiné and administered the Province from 1591 to 1626. He began the construction of the [[Bastille (Grenoble)|Bastille]] to protect the city and ordered the construction of new walls, increasing the city's size. He also constructed the Hôtel Lesdiguières, built new fountains, and dug sewers.<ref>Histoire de Grenoble, Vidal Chaumel, Éditions Privat, p.68,123,126,223</ref>

In 1689, the bishop [[Étienne Le Camus]] launched the construction of [[Saint-Louis Church, Grenoble|Saint-Louis Church]].

===From Louis XIV to the French Revolution===
[[File:Grenoble serré - plan-relief 1848.jpg|thumb|Grenoble [[plan-relief]] (1848)]] 
[[File:Journée des Tuiles (Alexandre Debelle), Musée de la Révolution française - Vizille.jpg|thumb|''[[Day of the Tiles]]'', 1890 painting by [[Alexandre Debelle]],<br /> ([[Musée de la Révolution française]])]]

The revocation of the [[Edict of Nantes]] by [[Louis XIV]] caused the departure of 2,000 Protestants from Grenoble, weakening the city's economy.<ref>''Petite histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p97</ref> However, it also weakened the competing glove industry of [[Grasse]], leaving the glove factories of Grenoble without any competition.<ref name="Dauphiné 1933, p98">''Petite histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p98</ref> This allowed a stronger economic development for the city during the 18th century. At the beginning of that century, only 12 glovers made 15,000 dozen gloves each year; by 1787, 64 glovers made 160,000 dozen gloves each year.<ref name="Dauphiné 1933, p98"/>

The city gained some notoriety on 7 June 1788 when the townspeople assaulted troops of [[Louis XVI]] in the "[[Day of the Tiles]]".<ref name=EB1911/> The people attacked the royal troops to prevent an expulsion of the notables of the city, which would have seriously endangered the economic prosperity of Grenoble. Following these events, the [[Assembly of Vizille]] took place. Its members organized the meeting of the old [[Estates-General of 1789|Estates General]], thus beginning the [[French Revolution]]. During the Revolution, Grenoble was represented in Paris by two illustrious notables, [[Jean Joseph Mounier]] and [[Antoine Barnave]].

In 1790, the Dauphiné was divided into three [[Departments of France|departments]], and Grenoble became the ''chef-lieu'' of the [[Isère|Isère department]]. Only two [[Refractory clergy|refractory priests]] were executed at Grenoble during the [[Reign of Terror]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uqmp-grenoble.asso.fr/3_quartier/pdf/joseph_chanrion.pdf|title=Il y a 250 ans naissait Joseph Chanrion (1756–1830)|publisher=Union de Quartier Mutualité-Préfecture|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502085231/http://www.uqmp-grenoble.asso.fr/3_quartier/pdf/joseph_chanrion.pdf|archive-date=2 May 2013}}</ref> [[Pope]] [[Pius&nbsp;VI]], prisoner of France, spent two days at Grenoble in 1799<ref>{{Cite Catholic Encyclopedia |wstitle=Diocese of Grenoble |volume=7}}</ref> before going to [[Valence, Drôme|Valence]] where he died at 81 six weeks after his arrival.

===19th century===
[[File:Fortifications Bastille - Grenoble.JPG|thumb|Ramparts close to the Porte Saint Laurent]]

The establishment of the [[First French Empire|Empire]] was overwhelmingly approved (in Isère, the results showed 82,084 yes and only 12 no).<ref>''Petite Histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p115</ref> Grenoble held for the second time a prisoner Pope in 1809, when [[Pius&nbsp;VII]] spent 10&nbsp;days in the city en route to his exile in [[Fontainebleau]].

In 1813, Grenoble was under threat from the Austrian army, which invaded Switzerland and [[Savoy]]. The well-defended city contained the Austrian attacks, and the French army defeated the Austrians, forcing them to withdraw at [[Geneva]]. However, the later [[Six Days Campaign|invasion of France]] in 1814 resulted in the capitulation of the troops and the occupation of the city.

[[File:Retour de Napoleon d' Isle d'Elbe, by Charles de Steuben.jpg|thumb|''[[Napoleon's Return from Elba (painting)|Napoleon's Return from Elba]]'' by [[Charles de Steuben]], 1818]]
During his [[Hundred Days|return]] from the island of [[Elba]] in 1815, Napoleon took a [[Route Napoleon|road]] that led him near Grenoble at [[Laffrey]]. There he met the Royalist Régiment d'Angoulême (former 5th) of [[Louis&nbsp;XVIII|Louis XVIII's]] [[French Royal Army|Royal Army]]. Napoleon stepped toward the soldiers and said these famous words: "If there is among you a soldier who wants to kill his Emperor, here I am." The soldiers all joined his cause. After that, Napoleon was acclaimed at Grenoble and General [[Jean Gabriel Marchand]] could not prevent Napoleon from entering the city through the Bonne gate. He said later: "From [[Cannes]] to Grenoble, I still was an adventurer; in that last city, I came back a sovereign".<ref>''Petite histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p120</ref> But after the defeat of [[Battle of Waterloo|Waterloo]], the region suffered from a new invasion of Austrian and Sardinian troops.
[[File:Fontaine trois ordres - Grenoble.JPG|thumb|Fountain of the Three Orders (1897)]]

The 19th century saw significant industrial development of Grenoble. The glove factories reached their Golden Age, and their products were exported to the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], and [[Russia]].<ref>''L’histoire de l'Isère en BD'', Tome&nbsp;5, Gilbert Bouchard, 2004</ref>

[[François Nicolas Benoît, Baron Haxo|General Haxo]] transformed the [[Bastille (Grenoble)|Bastille]] fortress, which took on its present aspect between 1824 and 1848. The [[Second French Empire|Second Empire]] saw the construction of the French railway network, and the first trains arrived at Grenoble in 1858. Shortly thereafter Grenoble experienced widespread destruction by [[Grenoble Flood 1859|extensive flooding]] in 1859.

In 1869, engineer [[Aristide Bergès]] played a major role in industrializing hydroelectricity production. With the development of his paper mills, he accelerated the economic development of the Grésivaudan valley and Grenoble.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

On 4 August 1897, a stone and bronze fountain was inaugurated in Grenoble to commemorate the pre-revolutionary events of June 1788. Built by the sculptor [[Henri Ding]], the Fountain of the Three Orders, which represents three characters, is located on Place Notre-Dame. People in Grenoble interpret these characters as follows: "Is it raining?" inquires the [[The third estate|third estate]]; "Please heaven it had rained", lament the [[clergy]]; and "It will rain", proclaims the [[nobility]].<ref>Grenoble, cœur de pierre, Françoise Goyet, Edi Loire, 1996, ({{ISBN|2840840464}})</ref>

===20th century===
[[World War&nbsp;I]] accelerated Grenoble's economic development.<ref>''L’histoire de l'Isère en BD'', Tome 5, Gilbert Bouchard, 2004, p40</ref> To sustain the war effort, new hydroelectric industries developed along the various rivers of the region, and several existing companies moved into the armaments industry (for example in [[Livet-et-Gavet]]). Electrochemical factories were also established in the area surrounding Grenoble, initially to produce chemical weapons. This development resulted in significant immigration to Grenoble, particularly from Italian workers who settled in the Saint-Laurent neighborhood.
[[File:Entrée exposition H.B. - Grenoble.jpg|thumb|Gate of the exposition in 1925]]

The economic development of the city was highlighted by the organization of the [[International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism]] in 1925, which was visited by more than 1&nbsp;million people.<ref>[[:fr:Exposition internationale de la houille blanche#Les chiffres]]</ref>{{circular reference|date=August 2020}} The organization of this exhibition forced the military to remove the old city walls and allowed the expansion of the city to the south. This exhibition also highlighted the city's hydropower industry and the region's tourist attractions.

The site of the exhibition became an urban park in 1926, named [[Parc Paul Mistral]] after the death of the mayor in 1932. The only building of this exhibition remaining in the park is the crumbling [[Perret tower (Grenoble)|Tour Perret]], which has been closed to the public since 1960 due to its very poor state of maintenance.

==== World War II ====
During World War II, at the [[Battle of France]], the German invasion was stopped near Grenoble at [[Voreppe]] by the forces of [[General Cartier]]. The French forces resisted until the armistice, after which Grenoble was part of the [[French State]] before an Italian occupation from 1942 to 1943. The relative tolerance of the Italian occupiers towards the Jewish populations resulted in a significant number moving to the region from the German-occupied parts of France.<ref>''L’histoire...'', Tome 5, Gilbert Bouchard, 2004, p45</ref>

Grenoble was extremely active in the [[French Resistance|Résistance]] against the occupation. Its action was symbolized by figures such as [[Eugène Chavant]], Léon Martin, and [[Marie Reynoard]].<ref name="ordredelaliberation.fr">{{cite web|url=http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/us_ville/grenoble.html  |title=Order of the Liberation |access-date=12 May 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071020031540/http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/us_ville/grenoble.html |archive-date = 20 October 2007}}</ref> The University of Grenoble supported the clandestine operations and provided false documentation for young people to prevent them from being assigned to [[Service du Travail Obligatoire|STO]].

In September 1943, German troops occupied Grenoble, escalating the conflict with the clandestine movements. On 11 November 1943 (the anniversary of the [[World War I|armistice of 1918]]), massive strikes and demonstrations took place in front of the local collaboration offices. In response, the occupiers arrested 400 demonstrators in the streets. On 13 November, the resistance blew up the artillery at the Polygon, which was a psychological shock for an enemy who then intensified the repression. On 25 November, the occupiers killed 11 members of the Résistance organizations of Grenoble. This violent crackdown was nicknamed "[[Grenoble's Saint-Bartholomew]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr_ville/grenoble.html  |title=Ordre de la Libération |date=25 February 2008 |access-date=12 May 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080225161640/http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr_ville/grenoble.html |archive-date = 25 February 2008}}</ref> From these events, Grenoble was styled by the [[Free French Forces]] the title of ''Capital of the [[Maquis (World War II)|Maquis]]'' on the antennas of the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://theses.univ-lyon2.fr/documents/getpart.php?id=lyon2.2000.barriere_p&part=11279 |title=Grenoble en concurrence avec Lyon  |publisher=Université Lyon 2 |access-date=3 May 2012}}</ref>

This event only intensified the activities of Grenoble's resistance movements. The Germans could not prevent the destruction of their new arsenal on 2 December at the Bonne Barracks. After the [[Invasion of Normandy|Normandy landing]], resistance operations reached their peak, with numerous attacks considerably hampering the activity of German troops. With the [[Operation Dragoon|landing in Provence]], German troops evacuated the city on 22 August 1944. On 5 November 1944, General [[Charles de Gaulle]] came to Grenoble and bestowed on the city the ''[[Ordre de la Libération|Compagnon de la Libération]]'' to recognise "a heroic city at the peak of the French resistance and combat for the liberation".<ref name="ordredelaliberation.fr"/>

==== Post-war ====
[[File:Hôtel de ville de Grenoble depuis La Bastille.jpg|thumb|The [[Hôtel de Ville, Grenoble|Hôtel de Ville]]]]
In 1955, future [[Nobel Prize in Physics|physics Nobel Prize]] laureate [[Louis Néel]] created the Grenoble Center for Nuclear Studies (CENG), resulting in the birth of the Grenoble model, a combination of research and industry. The first stone was laid in December 1956.

In 1968, Grenoble hosted the [[1968 Winter Olympics|X Olympic Winter Games]]. This event helped modernize the city with the development of infrastructure such as an airport, motorways, the new [[Hôtel de Ville, Grenoble|Hôtel de Ville]] (town hall), and a new train station.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/sport-d-hiver-ski-biathlon/jo-de-1968-a-grenoble-la-transformation-d-une-ville-1516120348 |title=JO de 1968 à Grenoble : la transformation d'une ville |date=2 February 2018 |publisher=France Bleu Isère |access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref> It also helped the development of ski resorts like [[Chamrousse]], [[Les Deux Alpes]], and [[Villard-de-Lans]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.grenoble.fr/uploads/Externe/9f/414_688_DP-lancement-50-ans-JO.pdf |title=1968/2018 Célébration des 50 ans des Jeux Olympiques d'hiver de Grenoble |publisher=Ville de Grenoble |access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref>

Since 2017, anarchist movements have been behind a wave of arson attacks in Grenoble. During the last week of August 2023, a police operation was carried out in the Saint-Bruno district of Grenoble, after the city experienced a new series of gangland killings during the summer. Numerous recurring security problems were observed in the immediate vicinity of Place Saint-Bruno and Cours Berriat, particularly related to drug trafficking and arms trafficking.<ref>https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/faits-divers-justice/trafic-de-drogue-a-grenoble-accalmie-provisoire-dans-le-quartier-saint-bruno-apres-les-operations-de-police-1555721</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Moucherotte 23 12 11 092 (2) final.JPG|thumb|Grenoble with the [[Dauphiné Alps]] in the background.]]

Grenoble is surrounded by mountains. To the north lies the [[Chartreuse Mountains|Chartreuse]], to the south and west the [[Vercors Plateau|Vercors]], and to the east the [[Belledonne|Belledonne range]]. Grenoble is regarded as the capital of the French Alps. It is the centre of the [[Grenoble urban unit]] (agglomeration).<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/geographie/unite-urbaine-2020/38701-grenoble Unité urbaine 2020 de Grenoble (38701)], INSEE</ref>

Except for a few dozen houses on the slopes of the [[Bastille (Grenoble)|Bastille]] hill of Chartreuse, Grenoble is exclusively built on the alluvial plain of the rivers [[Isère (river)|Isère]] and [[Drac (river)|Drac]] at an altitude of {{convert|214|m|ft}}. As a result, the city itself is extremely flat. Mountain sports are an important tourist attraction in summer and winter. Twenty large and small ski resorts surround the city, the nearest being [[Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse]], which is about 15 minutes away by car.

Historically, Grenoble and the surrounding areas were heavy industry and mining sites.<ref>''Petite histoire du Dauphiné'', Félix Vernay, 1933, p. 67.</ref> Abandoned mills and factories can be found in small towns and villages, and a few have been converted to tourist attractions, such as the coal mine at [[La Mure]].

===Climate===
The climate in Grenoble depends on the data from the chosen weather station. [[Grenoble Airport]], located {{val|40|u=km}} northwest of the city has a range from [[temperate continental climate]] to [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: Cfb, [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: Dc, Do) depending on the chosen classifications. The area contains significant seasonal differences between warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters. Both temperatures above {{convert|30|C|F}} for the summer months and winter [[air frost]]s are common.

In addition, the climate is much gloomier than in the Mediterranean region, although less so than in Northern France. Rainfall is quite heavy by French standards, although the number of rainy days is relatively moderate.

As a result of winter lows averaging below freezing, snowfall also occurs, although the Grenoble Airport area itself is too mild to sustain a snowpack all winter, unlike the surrounding mountains. The record low of {{convert|-27.1|C|F}} decisively indicates the continental influence, being colder than records in typical maritime climates. Winter nights are also colder than in all other French lowland areas.

The Grenoble metropolitan area experiences two different microclimates: one more windy and cold to the west, the other, on the contrary, not very windy and warmer to the east.

However, the city of Grenoble features a [[humid subtropical climate]] (Köppen: Cfa) with no dry season. Although the record is incomplete, the newer station will meet the humid subtropical classification if maintained for the required 30-year period.

==== Saint-Martin-d'Hères weather station ====
(5&nbsp;km east of Grenoble at an altitude of 220m)

{{Weather box
| location = Grenoble – [[Saint-Martin-d'Hères]] (2003–2020 averages)
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan record high C = 20.1
| Feb record high C = 21.9
| Mar record high C = 27.5
| Apr record high C = 31.6
| May record high C = 35.4
| Jun record high C = 38.2
| Jul record high C = 40.7
| Aug record high C = 39.4
| Sep record high C = 33.9
| Oct record high C = 31.8
| Nov record high C = 24.6
| Dec record high C = 20.2
| year record high C = 
| Jan high C = 7.0
| Feb high C = 9.6
| Mar high C = 14.9
| Apr high C = 20.0
| May high C = 23.1
| Jun high C = 27.7
| Jul high C = 30.5
| Aug high C = 29.1
| Sep high C = 24.8
| Oct high C = 19.2
| Nov high C = 12.0
| Dec high C = 7.3
| year high C = 
| Jan mean C = 3.5
| Feb mean C = 4.9
| Mar mean C = 9.2
| Apr mean C = 13.8
| May mean C = 17.0
| Jun mean C = 21.3
| Jul mean C = 23.6
| Aug mean C = 22.6
| Sep mean C = 18.9
| Oct mean C = 14.3
| Nov mean C = 8.0
| Dec mean C = 3.9
| year mean C = 
| Jan low C = -0.1
| Feb low C = 0.3
| Mar low C = 3.5
| Apr low C = 7.6
| May low C = 11.0
| Jun low C = 14.9
| Jul low C = 16.8
| Aug low C = 16.1
| Sep low C = 13.0
| Oct low C = 9.3
| Nov low C = 4.1
| Dec low C = 0.5
| year low C = 
| Jan record low C = -10.7
| Feb record low C = -12.3
| Mar record low C = -9.4
| Apr record low C = -0.8
| May record low C = 1.4
| Jun record low C = 5.0
| Jul record low C = 9.4
| Aug record low C = 9.2
| Sep record low C = 4.2
| Oct record low C = -3.0
| Nov record low C = -8.9
| Dec record low C = -10.8
| year record low C = 
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 78.8
| Feb precipitation mm = 54.4
| Mar precipitation mm = 71.8
| Apr precipitation mm = 60.5
| May precipitation mm = 97.7
| Jun precipitation mm = 82.5
| Jul precipitation mm = 74.1
| Aug precipitation mm = 81.5
| Sep precipitation mm = 62.8
| Oct precipitation mm = 83.6
| Nov precipitation mm = 88.3
| Dec precipitation mm = 87.8
| year precipitation mm = 
| source = Infoclimat<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/normales-records/1991-2020/saint-martin-d-heres/valeurs/00014.html | title=Normales et records climatologiques 1991-2020 à Saint-Martin-d'Hères - Infoclimat }}</ref>
}}

==== Alpes-Isère Airport weather station ====
(40&nbsp;km north-west of Grenoble at an altitude of 400m)

{{Weather box
| location = [[Alpes–Isère Airport|Grenoble-St Geoirs]] (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1941–present)
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan record high C = 18.2
| Feb record high C = 20.7
| Mar record high C = 25.3
| Apr record high C = 28.0
| May record high C = 31.4
| Jun record high C = 37.0
| Jul record high C = 38.3
| Aug record high C = 39.5
| Sep record high C = 33.6
| Oct record high C = 28.1
| Nov record high C = 24.8
| Dec record high C = 19.5
| year record high C = 39.5
| Jan high C = 6.3
| Feb high C = 8.0
| Mar high C = 12.6
| Apr high C = 16.2
| May high C = 20.2
| Jun high C = 24.4
| Jul high C = 27.1
| Aug high C = 26.9
| Sep high C = 22.0
| Oct high C = 17.0
| Nov high C = 10.7
| Dec high C = 6.9
| year high C = 16.5
| Jan mean C = 2.8
| Feb mean C = 3.8
| Mar mean C = 7.4
| Apr mean C = 10.4
| May mean C = 14.5
| Jun mean C = 18.4
| Jul mean C = 20.6
| Aug mean C = 20.5
| Sep mean C = 16.4
| Oct mean C = 12.3
| Nov mean C = 6.9
| Dec mean C = 3.5
| year mean C = 11.5
| Jan low C = -0.7
| Feb low C = -0.5
| Mar low C = 2.1
| Apr low C = 4.7
| May low C = 8.9
| Jun low C = 12.4
| Jul low C = 14.1
| Aug low C = 14.2
| Sep low C = 10.8
| Oct low C = 7.7
| Nov low C = 3.2
| Dec low C = 0.1
| year low C = 6.4
| Jan record low C = -27.1
| Feb record low C = -19.4
| Mar record low C = -18.2
| Apr record low C = -7.9
| May record low C = -2.8
| Jun record low C = 2.1
| Jul record low C = 4.8
| Aug record low C = 3.8
| Sep record low C = -1.2
| Oct record low C = -5.3
| Nov record low C = -10.9
| Dec record low C = -20.2
| year record low C = -27.1
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 63.3
| Feb precipitation mm = 48.7
| Mar precipitation mm = 63.0
| Apr precipitation mm = 75.5
| May precipitation mm = 90.7
| Jun precipitation mm = 73.3
| Jul precipitation mm = 66.5
| Aug precipitation mm = 66.3
| Sep precipitation mm = 98.9
| Oct precipitation mm = 106.7
| Nov precipitation mm = 98.6
| Dec precipitation mm = 63.6
| year precipitation mm = 915.1
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 8.9
| Feb precipitation days = 7.6
| Mar precipitation days = 9.0
| Apr precipitation days = 9.1
| May precipitation days = 10.1
| Jun precipitation days = 8.5
| Jul precipitation days = 7.1
| Aug precipitation days = 7.2
| Sep precipitation days = 7.5
| Oct precipitation days = 9.8
| Nov precipitation days = 10.0
| Dec precipitation days = 9.8
| year precipitation days = 104.4
| Jan snow days = 7.7
| Feb snow days = 6.0
| Mar snow days = 4.5
| Apr snow days = 2.1
| May snow days = 0.1
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.1
| Nov snow days = 2.6
| Dec snow days = 4.9
| year snow days = 28.0
| Jan humidity = 83
| Feb humidity = 80
| Mar humidity = 76
| Apr humidity = 73
| May humidity = 75
| Jun humidity = 74
| Jul humidity = 70
| Aug humidity = 72
| Sep humidity = 79
| Oct humidity = 83
| Nov humidity = 84
| Dec humidity = 84
| year humidity = 77.8
| Jan sun = 90.8
| Feb sun = 111.6
| Mar sun = 172.9
| Apr sun = 189.8
| May sun = 220.8
| Jun sun = 258.4
| Jul sun = 292.4
| Aug sun = 263.4
| Sep sun = 199.2
| Oct sun = 140.4
| Nov sun = 91.1
| Dec sun = 78.0
| year sun = 2108.4
| source 1 = [[Meteo France]]<ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_38384001.pdf
| title = Grenoble–St Geoirs (35)
| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 21 July 2022}}</ref>
| source 2 = Infoclimat (humidity, snowy days 1961–1990)<ref name=Infoclimat>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304112948/http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07486-grenoble-st-geoirs.html
| archive-date = 4 March 2016
| url = http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07486-grenoble-st-geoirs.html
| title = Normes et records 1961-1990: Grenoble-St Geoirs (38) - altitude 384m 
| language = fr
| publisher = Infoclimat
| access-date = 27 December 2015}}</ref>
| source = 
}}

==== 1981–2010 normals ====
{{Weather box
| location = [[Alpes–Isère Airport|Grenoble-St Geoirs]] (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1941–present)
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan record high C = 17.3
| Feb record high C = 20.7
| Mar record high C = 25.3
| Apr record high C = 28.0
| May record high C = 31.4
| Jun record high C = 37.0
| Jul record high C = 38.3
| Aug record high C = 39.5
| Sep record high C = 33.6
| Oct record high C = 28.1
| Nov record high C = 24.8
| Dec record high C = 19.5
| year record high C = 39.5
| Jan high C = 5.9
| Feb high C = 7.8
| Mar high C = 12.0
| Apr high C = 15.3
| May high C = 19.9
| Jun high C = 23.8
| Jul high C = 26.9
| Aug high C = 26.4
| Sep high C = 21.8
| Oct high C = 16.9
| Nov high C = 10.2
| Dec high C = 6.4
| year high C = 16.2
| Jan low C = -1.2
| Feb low C = -0.4
| Mar low C = 2.0
| Apr low C = 4.4
| May low C = 8.9
| Jun low C = 12.0
| Jul low C = 14.2
| Aug low C = 14.0
| Sep low C = 10.9
| Oct low C = 7.8
| Nov low C = 2.7
| Dec low C = -0.1
| year low C = 6.3
| Jan record low C = -27.1
| Feb record low C = -19.4
| Mar record low C = -18.2
| Apr record low C = -7.9
| May record low C = -2.8
| Jun record low C = 2.1
| Jul record low C = 4.8
| Aug record low C = 3.8
| Sep record low C = -1.2
| Oct record low C = -5.3
| Nov record low C = -10.9
| Dec record low C = -20.2
| year record low C = -27.1
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 61.3
| Feb precipitation mm = 51.6
| Mar precipitation mm = 66.3
| Apr precipitation mm = 83.0
| May precipitation mm = 104.1
| Jun precipitation mm = 75.2
| Jul precipitation mm = 59.3
| Aug precipitation mm = 67.2
| Sep precipitation mm = 105.7
| Oct precipitation mm = 105.8
| Nov precipitation mm = 87.7
| Dec precipitation mm = 67.1
| year precipitation mm = 934.3
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 9.4
| Feb precipitation days = 8.0
| Mar precipitation days = 9.4
| Apr precipitation days = 9.7
| May precipitation days = 11.0
| Jun precipitation days = 8.5
| Jul precipitation days = 6.2
| Aug precipitation days = 7.4
| Sep precipitation days = 7.7
| Oct precipitation days = 10.1
| Nov precipitation days = 9.6
| Dec precipitation days = 9.5
| year precipitation days = 106.4
| Jan snow days = 7.7
| Feb snow days = 6.0
| Mar snow days = 4.5
| Apr snow days = 2.1
| May snow days = 0.1
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.1
| Nov snow days = 2.6
| Dec snow days = 4.9
| year snow days = 28.0
| Jan humidity = 83
| Feb humidity = 80
| Mar humidity = 76
| Apr humidity = 73
| May humidity = 75
| Jun humidity = 74
| Jul humidity = 70
| Aug humidity = 72
| Sep humidity = 79
| Oct humidity = 83
| Nov humidity = 84
| Dec humidity = 84
| year humidity = 77.8
| Jan sun = 95.0
| Feb sun = 111.7
| Mar sun = 169.8
| Apr sun = 183.0
| May sun = 219.2
| Jun sun = 255.4
| Jul sun = 289.8
| Aug sun = 255.5
| Sep sun = 193.1
| Oct sun = 137.5
| Nov sun = 84.5
| Dec sun = 71.6
| year sun = 2065.9
| source 1 = [[Meteo France]]<ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_38384001.pdf
| title = Grenoble–St Geoirs (35)
| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1981–2010 et records
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 21 July 2022}}</ref>
| source 2 = Infoclimat (humidity, snowy days 1961–1990)<ref name=Infoclimat>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304112948/http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07486-grenoble-st-geoirs.html
| archive-date = 4 March 2016
| url = http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07486-grenoble-st-geoirs.html
| title = Normes et records 1961-1990: Grenoble-St Geoirs (38) - altitude 384m 
| language = fr
| publisher = Infoclimat
| access-date = 27 December 2015}}</ref>
| source = 
}}

==Population==
{{Historical populations
| 1793|20019
| 1800|20654
| 1806|22129
| 1821|23602
| 1831|24888
| 1836|28969
| 1841|30824
| 1846|27963
| 1851|31340
| 1856|32799
| 1861|34726
| 1866|40489
| 1872|42660 
| 1876|45426 
| 1881|51371
| 1886|52484
| 1891|60439
| 1896|64002
| 1901|68615
| 1906|73022
| 1911|77438
| 1921|77409
| 1926|85621
| 1931|90748
| 1936|95806
| 1946|102161
| 1954|116440
| 1962|156707
| 1968|161616
| 1975|166037
| 1982|156637
| 1990|150758
| 1999|153317
| 2007|156793
| 2012|158346
| 2017|158454
| source = EHESS<ref>{{Cassini-Ehess|16147|Grenoble}}</ref> and INSEE<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-38185#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
| percentages = pagr
| cols = 3
| align = none
| graph-pos = bottom
}}

==Urbanism and architecture==
The Bouchayer-Viallet site is a powerful symbol of Grenoble's industrial past.<ref>[http://www.lametro.fr/662-bouchayer-viallet-2005-2014.htm lametro.fr, Bouchayer-Viallet // 2005-2014.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214045059/http://www.lametro.fr/662-bouchayer-viallet-2005-2014.htm |date=14 February 2015 }} {{in lang|fr}}</ref> This former factory is now converted into a dual-purpose area more closely linked to the Berriat neighbourhood. Innovative business activities as [[Apple Inc.]]<ref>[http://www.atlantico.fr/pepites/apple-choisi-grenoble-pour-implanter-laboratoire-recherche-imagerie-iphone-2769043.html www.atlantico.fr, Apple a choisi Grenoble pour implanter son laboratoire de recherche sur l'imagerie iPhone.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019002150/http://www.atlantico.fr/pepites/apple-choisi-grenoble-pour-implanter-laboratoire-recherche-imagerie-iphone-2769043.html |date=19 October 2016 }} {{in lang|fr}}</ref> co-exist with housing, sporting facilities, contemporary music venue and arts centres as [[Le Magasin]]. At the entrance to the Bouchayer-Viallet site, Square des Fusillés has been redeveloped and extended taking over an old car park, to facilitate access from the tramway stop and Cours Berriat.

Redevelopment of the former De Bonne barracks was an important step in the drive to launch [[Green building|sustainable housing]] in France. In 2009, the site of De Bonne was distinguished as the best eco-neighborhood in France.<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2009/11/04/la-caserne-de-bonne-quartier-modele-et-econome-du-centre-de-grenoble_1262583_3244.html lemonde.fr 4 November 2009, La caserne De Bonne, quartier modèle et économe du centre de Grenoble] {{in lang|fr}}</ref> A shopping mall contains 53 shops arranged around an inner concourse, with one side opening onto the park and the other connecting to the town.

==Main sights==
[[File:La bastille.JPG|thumb|The [[Bastille (Grenoble)|Bastille]] from downtown, with the Memorial at the back, on the top of the hill]]

===La Bastille===
The [[Bastille (Grenoble)|Bastille]], an ancient series of fortifications on the mountainside, overlooks Grenoble on the northern side and is visible from many points in the city. The Bastille is one of Grenoble's most visited tourist attractions and provides a good vantage point over both the town below and the surrounding mountains.

[[File:Seilbahn-Grenoble.JPG|thumb|left|"Les Bulles": the cable cars]]
The Bastille fort was begun in the [[Middle Ages]], and later centuries saw extensive additions, including a semi-underground defense network. The Bastille has been credited as the most extensive example of early 18th-century fortifications in all of France. It then held an important strategic point on the French [[Alps|Alpine]] frontier with the [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Sardinia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bastille-grenoble.fr/english/fortifie_uk.htm |title=Bienvenue sur www.bastille-grenoble.com |publisher=Bastille-grenoble.fr |access-date=2014-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510104756/http://bastille-grenoble.fr/english/fortifie_uk.htm |archive-date=10 May 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The first cable transport system, installed on the Bastille in 1875, was built by the Porte de France Cement Company for freight. This cable transport system connected a quarry on Mount Jalla, just over the Bastille, and Grenoble. It was abandoned in the early 20th century.

Since 1934, the Bastille has been the destination of the "[[Grenoble-Bastille cable car]]". This system of mostly transparent egg-shaped [[Aerial tramway|cable cars]] known to locals as "Les Bulles" (the bubbles) provides the occupants with an excellent view over the [[Isère (river)|Isère]]. At the top are two restaurants and installed in the casemates of the fort itself since June 2006, the Bastille Art Centre allows visitors to see contemporary art exhibitions. There is also a small military museum on mountain troops (''Musée des troupes de montagne'') and, since 2000, a memorial to the mountain troops (''Mémorial national des troupes de montagne'') further along the road, on top of the hill.

===Palace of the Parliament of Dauphiné===
[[File:Parlement du Dauphiné - Grenoble.JPG|thumb|Palace of the [[Parliament]] of [[Dauphiné]]]]
This renaissance palace was constructed at the Place Saint André around 1500 and extended in 1539. It was the location of the [[Parlement]] of [[Dauphiné]] until the [[French Revolution]]. It then became the Grenoble courthouse, until the courts were moved to a modern building in 2002. The left wing of the palace was extended in 1897. The front of the former seat of the nearby Dauphiné Parlement combines elements from a gothic chapel and a Renaissance façade.<ref>[http://www.isere-patrimoine.fr/2676-ancien-palais-du-parlement-ancien-palais-de-justice-grenoble.htm isere patrimoine.fr] {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

The building now belongs to the Isère Council (Conseil Général de l'Isère). An ongoing renovation project will give this building a new life whilst preserving its patrimonial character and adding a modern touch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espace-documentaire.cg38.fr/uploads/Document/c6/WEB_CHEMIN_33335_1182845658.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013200621/http://espace-documentaire.cg38.fr/uploads/Document/c6/WEB_CHEMIN_33335_1182845658.pdf|title = Le nouvel avenir du palais du Parlement|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 October 2007|date=13 October 2007}}</ref>

===Museum of Grenoble===
The city's most prized museum, the [[Museum of Grenoble]] (''Musée de Grenoble''), welcomes {{formatnum:200000}} visitors a year. It is primarily renowned for its extensive paintings collection, which covers Western paintings from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. In the early 20th century, the Museum of Grenoble became the first French museum to open its collections to modern art, and its collection of modern and contemporary art has grown to become one of the largest in Europe. The painting holdings include works by painters such as [[Paolo Veronese|Veronese]], [[Rubens]], [[Zurbarán]], [[Ingres]], [[Eugène Delacroix|Delacroix]], [[Pierre-Auguste Renoir|Renoir]], [[Paul Gauguin|Gauguin]], [[Paul Signac|Signac]], [[Claude Monet|Monet]], [[Henri Matisse|Matisse]], [[Picasso]], [[Wassily Kandinsky|Kandinsky]], [[Joan Miró]], [[Paul Klee]], [[Giorgio de Chirico]] and [[Andy Warhol]]. The museum also presents a few Egyptian antiquities as well as Greek and Roman artifacts. The Sculpture collection features works by [[Auguste Rodin]], [[Matisse]], [[Alberto Giacometti]] and [[Alexander Calder]]. In April 2010, the ''prophetess of Antinoe'', a 6th-century mummy discovered in 1907 in the [[Copts|Coptic]] [[necropolis]] of [[Antinopolis|Antinoe]] in Middle Egypt, returned to the Museum of Grenoble, after more than fifty years of absence and extensive restoration.

===Archaeological museums ===
[[File:Musée archéologique de Grenoble 027.jpg|thumb|[[Grenoble Archaeological Museum|Archaeological]] museum with the vestiges protected by a new cover of glass and metal (Place Saint-Laurent)]]

Situated on the right bank of the Isère, on Place Saint-Laurent, the [[Grenoble Archaeological Museum]] presents the archaeological excavations done on its location. The vestiges date back to the 3rd century AD and provide a timeline of the history of Christianity in the region. The museum is situated below a 12th-century Benedictine church, under which [[Jacques Joseph Champollion-Figeac]], brother of famed egyptologist [[Jean-François Champollion]], discovered a 6th-century AD church in 1803. It was one of the first classified monuments in France thanks to the intervention of [[Prosper Mérimée]], historic monument inspector.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musee-archeologique-grenoble.fr/ |title=Musée archéologique St Laurent |publisher=Musee-archeologique-grenoble.com |access-date=4 April 2011}}</ref> Systematic excavations were conducted from 1978 to 2011, as part of a regional research program on the evolution of churches during the Middle Ages. After eight years of work, the museum reopened on 6 May 2011.

The [[Musée de l'Ancien Évêché]] is the second archaeological museum in the city and is located near the [[Grenoble Cathedral]]. Installed in 1998, it houses the first baptistery of the city.

The Grenoble town hall hosts a bust of Stendhal by sculptor [[Pierre Charles Lenoir]].

==Education and science==

===Secondary level===
The large community of both foreign students and foreign researchers prompted the creation of an international school. The [[Cité Scolaire Internationale de Grenoble|Cité Scolaire Internationale Europole]] (CSI Europole) was formerly housed within the ''[[Lycée Stendhal]]'' across from the ''[[Maison du Tourisme]]'', but later moved to its own building in the {{Interlanguage link|Europole|fr}} district. In the centre of the city, two high schools have provided education to the isérois for more than three centuries. The oldest one, the [[Lycée Stendhal]], was founded in 1651<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grenoble-tourisme.com/302-patrimoine-religieux.htm |title=Tourism office - patrimoine religieux |access-date=14 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313161033/http://www.grenoble-tourisme.com/302-patrimoine-religieux.htm |archive-date=13 March 2013}}</ref> as a Jesuit College. An astronomical and astrological sundial created in the college's main building in 1673 can still be visited today. The second-oldest higher education establishment in Grenoble is the [[Lycée Champollion]], completed in 1887 to offer an excellent education to both high school students and students of preparatory classes.

===Higher education===
[[File:Domaine universitaire Grenoble.jpg|thumb|Campus of the {{Lang|fr|[[Université Grenoble Alpes]]|italic=no}}]]
The city is an important university centre with over 54,000 students in 2013, of whom 16% arrive from abroad.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cache.media.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/file/Atlas_2012-2013/27/8/Atlas_1213_Web_316278.pdf |title=Atlas régional des effectifs étudiants en 2012-2013 |language=fr |trans-title=Regional atlas of student numbers in 2012-2013 |date= |website=[[Ministry of National Education (France)|Ministry of National Education]] |access-date=26 March 2015 |archive-date=27 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427212456/http://cache.media.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/file/Atlas_2012-2013/27/8/Atlas_1213_Web_316278.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In a 1339 [[papal bull|pontificial bull]], Pope [[Benedict XII]] commissioned the establishment of the [[Université Grenoble Alpes|University of Grenoble]].

In 1965, the university mostly relocated from downtown to a suburban main campus outside of the city in [[Saint-Martin-d'Hères|Saint Martin d'Hères]] (with some parts in [[Gières]]). However, smaller campuses remain both downtown and in the northwestern part of the city known as the ''[[Polygone Scientifique]]'' ("Scientific Polygon").

From 1970 to 2015, the university was divided into four separate institutions sharing the campus grounds, some buildings and laboratories, and even part of their administration:
* Grenoble&nbsp;I – [[Joseph Fourier University]] (sciences, health, technologies)
* Grenoble&nbsp;II – [[Pierre Mendès-France University]] (social sciences)
** which includes the [[Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble|Institute of political studies]]
* Grenoble&nbsp;III – [[Stendhal University]] (humanities)
* [[Grenoble Institute of Technology]] (INPG or Grenoble-INP) is a federation of engineering colleges.

The first three of those merged back on 1 January 2016 to form the {{Lang|fr|[[Université Grenoble Alpes]]|italic=no}}, and the last one joined them on 1 January 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=2020: New year, new Université Grenoble Alpes |work=Université Grenoble Alpes |url=https://www.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/news/headlines/2020-new-year-new-universite-grenoble-alpes-629918.kjsp |last1=Flochlay |first1=Anne-Claire }}{{Dead link|date=March 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

[[File:ENAC Grenoble Campus.jpg|thumb|Grenoble Campus of the [[École nationale de l'aviation civile|ENAC]]]]

Campuses are also located in Grenoble for:
*[[École nationale de l'aviation civile]] (French civil aviation university), 
* École d'Architecture de Grenoble (School of Architecture of Grenoble) and 
*[[Grenoble École de Management]] (Grenoble School of Management) triple accredited [[Association of MBAs|AMBA]]-[[EFMD Quality Improvement System|EQUIS]]-[[Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business|AACSB]] Business School.

====Science and engineering====
[[File:Esrf grenoble.jpg|thumb|Site of [[European Synchrotron Radiation Facility]], [[Institut Laue-Langevin]] and [[European Molecular Biology Laboratory]] at the Western end of the ''[[Polygone Scientifique]]'']]

Grenoble is a major scientific centre, especially in the fields of [[physics]], [[computer science]], and [[applied mathematics]]: [[Joseph Fourier University|Universite Joseph Fourier]] (UJF) is one of the leading French scientific universities while the Grenoble Institute of Technology trains more than 5,000 engineers every year in key technology disciplines. Grenoble's high-tech expertise is organized mainly around three domains: information technology, biotechnologies, and new technologies of energy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grenoble.fr/176-poles-de-competitivite.htm|title=Pôles de compétitivité|publisher=Mairie de Grenoble|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819111320/http://www.grenoble.fr/176-poles-de-competitivite.htm|archive-date=19 August 2011}}</ref>

Many fundamental and applied scientific research laboratories are conjointly managed by Joseph Fourier University, Grenoble Institute of Technology, and the French ''[[French National Centre for Scientific Research|National Centre for Scientific Research]]'' (CNRS). Numerous other scientific laboratories are managed independently or in collaboration with the CNRS and the French ''[[Institut national de recherche en informatique et en automatique|National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control]]'' (INRIA).

Other research centres in or near Grenoble include the [[European Synchrotron Radiation Facility]] (ESRF), the [[Institut Laue-Langevin]] (ILL), the [[European Molecular Biology Laboratory]] (EMBL), the [[Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique]], one of the main research facilities of the [[Commissariat à l'énergie atomique|Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique]] (Nuclear Energy Commission, CEA), the [[LNCMI]] and the European branch of [[Xerox|Xerox Research]] (whose most notable center was [[PARC (company)|PARC]]). [[CEA-Leti: Laboratoire d'électronique des technologies de l'information|Leti]] and the recent development of [[Minatec]], a centre for innovation in micro- and nano-technology, only increases Grenoble's position as a European scientific centre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minatec.com/minatec_uk/index.htm |title=See official website |access-date=2009-05-26 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229114700/http://www.minatec.com/minatec_uk/index.htm |archive-date=29 December 2007}}</ref> Biotechnologies are also well represented in the Grenoble region with the molecular biology research center [[BioMérieux]], the [[Clinatec]] center, the regional center NanoBio and many ramifications of the global competitiveness cluster Lyonbiopôle.<ref>[http://www.drt-cea.com/GIANT.htm drt-cea.com, GIANT, CAMPUS D'INNOVATION À GRENOBLE] {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

Meanwhile, Grenoble has large laboratories related to space and to the understanding and observation of the universe as the [[Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique]], the [[Institut de planétologie et d'astrophysique de Grenoble]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/decouverte/sciences/espace/rosetta?r=alpes|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629162323/http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/decouverte/sciences/espace/rosetta?r=alpes|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 June 2015|title=La mission de la sonde Rosetta prolongée jusqu'en septembre 2016|publisher=francetvinfo.fr|date=2015-06-29|access-date=2015-08-30}}</ref> the [[Laboratoire de physique subatomique et de cosmologie de Grenoble]], the [[Institut Néel]] but also to a lesser extent the [[Institut des sciences de la Terre]] (part of the [[Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble]]).

In order to foster this technological cluster university institutions and research organizations united to create the [https://www.giant-grenoble.org/en/presentation/ GIANT] (Grenoble Innovation for Advanced New Technologies) Campus<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.giant-grenoble.org/giant-grenoble-innovation-for-advanced-new-technologies-280947.kjsp?RH=GIANT_EN&RF=GIANT_EN |title=Official website of the GIANT Innovation Campus |publisher=Giant-grenoble.org |access-date=2015-08-30}}</ref> with the aim at becoming one of the world's top campuses in research (CEA, CNRS), higher education (INP-UGA, Grenoble Ecole de Management), and high tech.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.grenoble-em.com/giant-innovation-campus |title=Official website of Grenoble École de Management |date=20 June 2014 |publisher=grenoble-em.com |access-date=2015-08-30}}</ref>

The city benefits from the highest concentration of strategic jobs in France after Paris, with 14% of the employments, 35,186 jobs, 45% of which specialized in design and research.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/document.asp?ref_id=ip1278 |title=Insee – Territoire – Répartition géographique des emplois – Les grandes villes concentrent les fonctions intellectuelles, de gestion et de décision |publisher=Insee.fr |access-date=12 May 2010}}</ref> Grenoble is also the largest research center in France after Paris with 22,800 jobs (11,800 in public research, 7,500 in private research and 3,500 PhD students).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grenoble-isere.com/fre/layout/set/print/content/download/8452/75437/version/2/file/AEPI-mementos+FR-pap.pdf |title=Chiffres clés Grenoble-Isère édition 2011 |publisher=AEPI |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112211607/http://www.grenoble-isere.com/fre/layout/set/print/content/download/8452/75437/version/2/file/AEPI-mementos+FR-pap.pdf |archive-date=12 January 2012 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

Grenoble is also renowned for the excellence of its academic research in humanities and political sciences.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} Its universities, alongside public scientific institutions, host some of the largest research centres in France (in fields such as political science, urban planning or the [[sociology of organizations]]).{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

=== Knowledge and innovation community ===

Grenoble is one of the co-location centres of the [[European Institute of Innovation and Technology]]'s Knowledge and Innovation Communities for [[sustainable energy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eit.europa.eu/home.html |title=European Institute of Innovation and Technology: Home |work=Europa (web portal) |access-date=12 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328175502/http://eit.europa.eu/home.html |archive-date=28 March 2010}}</ref>

==Economy==
Industry occupies a large part of the local economy. High-tech industries have a significant presence, especially in the field of semiconductors, electronics, and [[biotechnology]]. [[STMicroelectronics]], [[Schneider Electric]] and [[Soitec]] have major manufacturing and R&D facilities. Traditional industries in fields such as heavy equipment manufacturing and chemistry are still present and include [[Caterpillar Inc.|Caterpillar]], [[GE Renewable Energy]], and [[Arkema]].

The town was once famous for [[glove]] manufacturing, for which {{Interlanguage link|Xavier Jouvin|fr}} introduced an innovative technique in the 19th century.<ref>A. Doyon, Xavier Jouvin, inventeur grenoblois et sa famille, Paris, Dayez ed., 1976</ref> A few small companies continue to produce gloves for a very high-end market.

=== Companies ===
[[File:Siège de Glénat - Grenoble.jpg|thumb|Head office of [[Glénat (publisher)|Glénat]]]]
In 2011, the largest employers in the Grenoble metropolitan area were:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.presences-grenoble.fr/outils/palmares/les-entreprises-recompensees-13149.kjsp?RH=ENTREPRISES-2600&RF=PRES-PALMARES |title=Les entreprises récompensées |publisher=Grenoble.cci.fr |access-date=2012-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017200939/http://www.presences-grenoble.fr/outils/palmares/les-entreprises-recompensees-13149.kjsp?RH=ENTREPRISES-2600&RF=PRES-PALMARES |archive-date=17 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable centre"
|-
! Enterprise, location
! Number of employees<br />
! Sector
|-
| [[STMicroelectronics]], Grenoble and Crolles
| 5,979
| [[Semiconductor]] manufacturing, R&D
|-
| [[Schneider Electric]], Grenoble agglomeration
| 4,915
| Electrical equipment, R&D
|-
| [[Caterpillar Inc.|Caterpillar France]], Grenoble and Echirolles
| 1,865
| Construction of [[heavy equipment (construction)|heavy equipment]]
|-
| [[Hewlett-Packard|Hewlett-Packard France]], Eybens
| 1,814
| Computer science
|-
| [[Becton Dickinson]], Pont-de-Claix
| 1,736
| R&D and production of advanced systems for drugs administration
|-
| [[Carrefour]], Grenoble agglomeration
| 1,165
| Hypermarkets
|-
| [[Capgemini]], Grenoble
| 1,100
| [[Information technology consulting]] and [[IT service management]]
|-
| [[Groupe Casino]], Grenoble agglomeration
| 990
| Supermarkets
|-
| Samse, Grenoble agglomeration
| 965 
| Supplier of building materials 
|-
| [[Soitec]], Bernin
| 952 
| [[Semiconductor]] manufacturer specialized in the production of [[Silicon-On-Insulator|SOI]] [[Wafer (electronics)|wafers]]
|}
The presence of companies such as HP or Caterpillar in the area has drawn many American and British workers to Grenoble, especially in the surrounding mountain villages. The region has the second largest English-speaking community in France, after Paris.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comptable-grenoble.com/comptable/comptabilite/4-grenoble-meylan.html |title=Comptable à Grenoble, Isère (38) |publisher=Comptable-grenoble.com |access-date=29 October 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> That community has an English-speaking Church and supports the International School.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanschoolgrenoble.com/|title=American School of Grenoble ASG home page|website=americanschoolgrenoble.com|access-date=8 July 2016|archive-date=21 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821192907/http://www.americanschoolgrenoble.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many of these Americans, British, Australians etc. go to Grenoble with the intention of returning home after some time but the mountains and general lifestyle often keep them there. Some choose to put their children in the international school "cité internationale", while the "American School of Grenoble" is the alternative for those who prefer to have the core curriculum in English. With numerous associations like Open House, this large English-speaking population organizes family events making life in Grenoble harder to turn away from.<ref>{{cite web|title=Grenoble, France's Second Largest English Speaking Community|url=http://speakenglishcenter.com/en/grenoble-frances-second-largest-english-speaki|access-date=2016-07-08|archive-date=15 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215083609/http://speakenglishcenter.com/en/grenoble-frances-second-largest-english-speaki|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Publisher [[Glénat (publisher)|Glénat]] has its head office in Grenoble.<ref>"[http://www.glenat.com/mentions-obligatoires.asp Mentions obligatoires] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526023144/http://www.glenat.com/mentions-obligatoires.asp |date=26 May 2011 }}." [[Glénat (publisher)|Glénat]]. Retrieved on 1 May 2011. "GLENAT Editions SA 37, Rue Servan BP 177 38008 GRENOBLE CEDEX 1"</ref> [[Inovallée]] is a [[science park]] with about 12,000 jobs located at [[Meylan]] and [[Montbonnot-Saint-Martin]] near Grenoble.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inovallee.com/la-technopole/|title=Le parc technologique - Inovallée|access-date=30 August 2016|archive-date=15 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915003654/http://www.inovallee.com/la-technopole/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Media ===
[[téléGrenoble Isère]] is the local TV channel with [[France 3 Alpes]]. The local newspaper is ''[[Le Dauphiné libéré]]''.

==Sport==
[[File:Grenoble-Clermont.jpg|thumb|[[Stade des Alpes]]]]
Grenoble hosted the [[1968 Winter Olympics]]. The city is surrounded by ski resorts nestled in the surrounding mountains. [[Stade Lesdiguières]] is located in Grenoble and has been the venue for international [[rugby league]] and [[rugby union]] games.

Grenoble is the home of first [[rugby union]], [[FC&nbsp;Grenoble]], and [[ice hockey]] teams, [[Brûleurs de loups]], and a second-tier football team, [[Grenoble Foot&nbsp;38]].

* [[Six-Days of Grenoble]], a six-day track cycling race held since 1971
* The [[via ferrata]] Grenoble is a climbing route located on the hill of the Bastille in Grenoble.

The abundance of natural sites around Grenoble as well as the particular influence of mountaineering practices and history make many Grenoble inhabitants very fond of sports and outdoor activities (e.g.,&nbsp;hiking, mountain biking, [[backcountry skiing]], [[rock climbing]], and [[paragliding]]). The [[Tour de France]] cycling race regularly passes through the city.

==Transport==
{{See also|Grenoble tramway}}
[[File:Tramway citadis grenoble.JPG|thumb|The railway station and a tram (light rail)]]

A comprehensive bus and tram service operates 26 bus routes and five [[tram]] lines. It serves much of greater Grenoble, while a new cable car system known as the [[Métrocâble (Grenoble)|Métrocâble]] is considered for construction. Being essentially flat, Grenoble is also a bicycle-friendly city.

The [[Gare de Grenoble]] is served by the [[TGV]] rail network, with frequent high-speed services (3 hours) to and from [[Paris-Gare de Lyon]], usually with a stop at [[Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport|Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport]]. While Grenoble is not directly on any high-speed line, TGVs can run at reduced speeds on the classic network and enable such connections. [[Transport express régional|Local rail]] services connect Grenoble with [[Lyon]], and less frequently to [[Geneva]], to [[Valence, Drôme|Valence]], and to destinations to the south. [[Valence, Drôme|Valence]] and Lyon to the west provides connections with TGV services along the Rhône Valley. Rail and road connections to the south are less developed.

Grenoble can be accessed by air from [[Grenoble-Isère Airport]], [[Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport|Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport]] and [[Geneva International Airport]], with the airport bus connections being most frequent to Lyon Saint-Exupéry.

[[File:I-road - Grenoble.JPG|thumb|left|[[Toyota concept vehicles, 2010–19#i-Road|I-Road]] in Grenoble]]
Highways link Grenoble to the other major cities in the area including the [[A48&nbsp;autoroute]] to the northwest toward [[Lyon]], the [[A49 autoroute|A49]] to the southwest toward the Rhone valley via [[Valence, Drôme|Valence]], the [[A41 autoroute|A41]] to the northeast toward [[Chambéry]], the Alps, and Italy and Switzerland.

A partial ring road around the south of the city, the Rocade Sud, connects the motorway arriving from the northwest (A48) with that arriving from the northeast (A41). A project to complete the ring road, with a tunnel under the Bastille as part of the likely routes, was rejected after its environmental impact studies.<ref>The web site of the Rocade Nord lists the two preferred routes, both of which pass under the Bastille in a long tunnel: http://www.rocade-nord.fr/index.php?id=163{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

From 2014 to 2017, the city of Grenoble tested the rental of seventy [[Toyota concept vehicles, 2010–19#i-Road|I-Road]] electric vehicles.

In 2016, the speed limit was lowered to {{Convert|30|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} on 80% of the streets of Grenoble and forty-two neighboring municipalities, to both improve safety and reduce pollution levels. The limit, however, remains {{Convert|50|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} on the main arteries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.placegrenet.fr/2016/02/04/circulation-in-grenoble-50-kmh-the-exception-30-kmh-the-rule/75090|title=Circulation in Grenoble: 50&nbsp;km/h the exception, 30&nbsp;km/h the rule - Place Gre'net|date=4 February 2016|access-date=24 August 2016|archive-date=31 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160831210304/http://www.placegrenet.fr/2016/02/04/circulation-in-grenoble-50-kmh-the-exception-30-kmh-the-rule/75090|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Culture==

[[File:MAGASINFev2014.jpg|thumb|Le Magasin contemporary art centre]]

Grenoble hosts several festivals: the [[Détours de Babel]] in March,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.detoursdebabel.fr/|title=Les Détours de Babel - Festival de musique à Grenoble et en Isère|website=Les Détours de Babel - Festival de musique à Grenoble et en Isère}}</ref> the [[Open Air Short Film Festival]] in early July, and the ''[[Cabaret Frappé]]'' music festival at the end of July.

The [[Summum (Grenoble)|Summum]] is the biggest concert hall in Grenoble, and the most famous artists produce there. Another big hall, ''Le grand angle'', is located nearby in [[Voiron]]. Smaller halls in the city include the ''Salle Olivier Messiaen'' in the [[Couvent des Minimes de Grenoble|Minim Monastery]].

The main cultural center of the city is called [[Maison de la Culture de Grenoble|MC2]] (for ''Maison de la culture, version 2''), which hosts music, theater, and dance performances. The [[Conservatory of Grenoble]] is founded in 1935.

There are several theaters in Grenoble, the main one being Grenoble Municipal Theatre (''Théatre de Grenoble''). Others are the ''Théâtre de Création'', the ''Théâtre Prémol'', and the ''Théâtre 145''. Grenoble also hosts [[Upstage Productions]], which performs once a year through an exclusively English speaking troupe.

There are two main art centres in Grenoble: the ''Centre national d'Art contemporain'' (also called ''[[Le Magasin]]'') and the ''Centre d'art Bastille''.

Grenoble is known for its [[walnut]]s, {{Interlanguage link|Noix de Grenoble|fr}} which enjoy an [[appellation d'origine contrôlée|''appellation'' of controlled origin]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Annecybernard – Conception et Design Olivier Bellon, Programmation Frederic Chatel |url=http://www.aoc-noixdegrenoble.com/ |title=Noix De Grenoble AOC CING Comité Interprofessionnel |publisher=Aoc-noixdegrenoble.com |access-date=29 October 2009}}</ref>

The town also hosts a well-known comics publisher, [[Glénat (publisher)|Glénat]].

==Notable people==
{{Further|List of people from Grenoble}}

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}

After World War I, one street in the centre of [[Smederevska Palanka]] (Serbia) was named French street [https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Rue+de+Palanka,+38000+Grenoble,+Is%C3%A8re,+Rh%C3%B4ne-Alpes,+France&ll=44.364556,20.958368&spn=0.001887,0.006866&z=18 (Francuska ulica)] and one street in Grenoble was named [https://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Rue+de+Palanka,+38000+Grenoble,+Is%C3%A8re,+Rh%C3%B4ne-Alpes,+France&ll=45.191048,5.723968&spn=0.00093,0.002411&z=19 Palanka street] (Rue de Palanka). The same neighborhood also has a Belgrade Street [https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=x9C&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=rue+de+belgrade,+grenoble&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Rue+de+Belgrade,+38000+Grenoble,+France&gl=us&ei=YdUeTNabMMWBlAfLkt36DA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ8gEwAA (Rue de Belgrade)].

===Twin towns and sister cities===
Grenoble is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref name="Grenoble">{{cite web|author=Jérôme Steffenino, Marguerite Masson |url=http://www.grenoble.fr/103-jumelages-et-cooperations.htm|title=Ville de Grenoble – Coopérations et villes jumelles |publisher=Grenoble.fr |access-date=16 May 2013}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;"
|- valign="top"
|
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Catania]], Italy, since 1961<ref name="Grenoble"/>
*{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Innsbruck]], Austria, since 1963<ref name="Grenoble"/>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Essen]], Germany, since 1976<ref name="Grenoble"/><ref name="RuhrTwins2010">{{cite web |url=http://www.twins2010.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pic/Dokumente/List_of_Twin_Towns_01.pdf?PHPSESSID=2edd34819db21e450d3bb625549ce4fd |title=List of Twin Towns in the Ruhr District |publisher=twins2010.com |access-date=28 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225064042/http://www.twins2010.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pic/Dokumente/List_of_Twin_Towns_01.pdf?PHPSESSID=2edd34819db21e450d3bb625549ce4fd |archive-date=25 February 2021}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Halle, Saxony-Anhalt|Halle]], Germany, since 1976<ref name="Grenoble"/>
*{{flagicon|MDA}} [[Chișinău]], Moldova, since 1977<ref name="Grenoble"/><ref name="Chișinău twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.chisinau.md/tabview.php?l=ro&idc=526|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120903122220/http://www.chisinau.md/tabview.php?l=ro&idc=526|title=Oraşe înfrăţite (Twin cities of Minsk) ''[via WaybackMachine.com]''|publisher=Primăria Municipiului Chişinău|archive-date=3 September 2012 |access-date=2013-07-21|language=ro}}</ref>
||
*{{flagicon|UK}} [[Oxford]], United Kingdom, since 1977<ref name="Grenoble"/><ref name="Oxford twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decAC/Town_twinning_occw.htm|title=Oxford's International Twin Towns|access-date=2013-09-03|work=Oxford City Council|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817150811/http://oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decAC/Town_twinning_occw.htm|archive-date=2013-08-17}}</ref><ref name="Archant twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns |title=British towns twinned with French towns |access-date=2013-07-11 |work=Archant Community Media Ltd |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705094933/http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns |archive-date=5 July 2013}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|ISR}} [[Rehovot]], Israel, since 1977<ref name="Grenoble"/>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], United States, since 1990<ref name="Grenoble"/><ref name="Phoenix sisters">{{cite web|url=http://www.phoenixsistercities.org|title = Phoenix Sister Cities|access-date=2013-08-06|publisher=Phoenix Sister Cities|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724085207/http://www.phoenixsistercities.org/|archive-date = 2013-07-24}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Pécs]], Hungary, since 1992<ref name="Grenoble"/>
*{{flagicon|PLE}} [[Bethlehem]], [[Palestinian Authority]], since 1995<ref name="Grenoble"/>
||
*{{flagicon|LTU}} [[Kaunas]], Lithuania, since 1997<ref name="Grenoble"/>
*{{flagicon|TUN}} [[Sfax]], Tunisia, since 1998<ref name="Grenoble"/>
*{{flagicon|ALG}} [[Constantine, Algeria|Constantine]], Algeria, since 1999<ref name="Grenoble"/>
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Corato]], Italy, since 2002<ref name="Grenoble"/>
*{{flagicon|ARM}} [[Sevan, Armenia|Sevan]], Armenia, since 2009<ref name="Grenoble"/>
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Tsukuba]], Japan, since 2013<ref name="Grenoble"/>
|}

== Gallery ==
[[File:Grenoble panoramique.jpg|thumb|upright=3.4|center|{{center|Grenoble from the Vercors ranges}}]]
[[File:Grenoble - Vue panoramique printemps.jpg|thumb|upright=3.4|center|{{center|Grenoble (west side) from La Bastille}}]]
[[File:Grenoble panorama night bastille.jpg|thumb|upright=3.4|center|{{center|Grenoble at night from La Bastille}}]]

==See also==
* [[Université Grenoble-Alpes]]
* [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Grenoble-Vienne|Bishopric of Grenoble]]
* [[Grand'Place]]
* [[List of mayors of Grenoble]]
* [[Route Napoléon]]
* [[Saint Roch Cemetery]]
* [[Arboretum Robert Ruffier-Lanche]]
* [[Cellatex]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{See also|Timeline of Grenoble#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Grenoble}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|Grenoble}}
* {{cite EB9 |wstitle = Grenoble |volume= XI |last= |first= |author-link= | page=184-185 |short=1}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100627072637/http://www.ville-grenoble.fr/ Grenoble City website] {{in lang|fr}}

{{Sister bar|auto=y}}
{{Cities in France}}
{{Préfectures of départements of France}}
{{Olympic Winter Games Host Cities}}
{{Isère communes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Grenoble| ]]
[[Category:Communes of Isère]]
[[Category:Companions of the Liberation]]
[[Category:Prefectures in France]]
[[Category:Dauphiné]]
[[Category:Cities in France]]