Grenoble has the distinction of being perhaps the single greatest disappointment on our travels to date. Not the city, which seems fantastic, but because of the weather that greeted us upon arrival in mid-April for our two week visit. So far we have been fortunate not to have periods of extended lousy weather during our travels. Our luck finally ran out in Grenoble.
We expected high temperatures in the lower 60° F range (16° C), but instead were faced with highs struggling to stay above 50° F (10° C). Cold temperatures we can handle, but not when coupled with steady winds, overcast skies, and regular light rain showers. Thankfully the weather improved substantially during the last few days of our visit.
Most of our time in Grenoble was spent relaxing indoors rather than out and about exploring. It wasn’t a complete loss, however, as we were in a great Airbnb and used the time to begin planning our 2025 travels.
Grenoble is reportedly the flattest city in France. According to Wikipedia, thousands of years ago the Isère glacier retreated leaving behind a lake that slowly filled in, creating the perfectly flat valley floor that is now home to the Grenoble metropolitan area. Not only is the city as flat as can be, but it is compact enough that you can walk anywhere in about twenty minutes. Surrounded by mountains, Grenoble has the feel of an outdoor sporting and college town (Université Grenoble Alpes).
Overlooking Grenoble is La Bastille, a fortress originally constructed in 1592 before being reinforced and expanded over the centuries, particularly in the early 1800s. For tourists the lure of La Bastille is the view over Grenoble and the Alps. There are quite a few places to sit and several picnic tables, so bring food and drinks if you wish.
You have three ways to reach La Bastille. One, by car. You can drive up. Two, by hiking. Several trails will take you to the top, at an elevation gain of about 985 feet (or 300 meters). Three, by Les Bulles (the Bubbles).
The Bubbles is a cable car operated by Téléphérique Grenoble Bastille. It has been in operation since 1934, though the current design dates back to 1976 (and the current equipment to 2016). For €9.50 round trip, or €6.50 one way, you can get to the top (or bottom) of La Bastille in about five minutes. This is a great way to see Grenoble at night as the Bubbles run until midnight on the weekends (as always, check the schedule in advance).
Activities at the top, with their own hours and prices, include: Musée des Troupes de Montagne (Museum of French Mountain Troops, €3); Bastille Art Center (contemporary art, €1 donation requested); Acrobastille (games, zip lines, acrobatic courses, € varies); via ferrata routes (rock climbing via cables, rungs, and ladders); restaurants; and, a gift shop.
Honestly we took the Bubbles up and down for the views, skipping the activities and hiking trails. Had the weather been better, a day of hiking to Mont Jalla and/or Mount Rachais would have been in order.
Cathedrale Notre-Dame, a small gothic cathedral, is the focal point of Grenoble’s cathedral complex. The current version of the complex was built in 13th century, along with a parish church, and cloister. Mass continues to be held daily in the cathedral, so check the schedule before visiting.
The cathedral complex includes what is considered to be the oldest church in Grenoble, the Church of Saint Hugues, originally dating back to the 4th century. Today this small church is reached through a doorway inside the cathedral.
Adjacent to the cathedral is a former bishop’s palace which now houses the Musée de l’Ancien Évêché (Museum of the Old Bishopric). Underground are the remains of the foundation of the baptistery, which is believed to have been destroyed prior to the 11th century.
The museum houses religious artifacts, paintings, and scale models showing the evolution of the cathedral complex. Basically it’s a small local history museum. We would have skipped this museum but for the current temporary exhibition: Tairraz, Four Generations of Photographer Guides.
Joseph Tairraz, George Tairraz I, George Tairraz II, and Pierre Tairraz, were mountaineering guides and photographers based in Chamoinix, France, at the base of Mont Blanc. The exhibition showcases over 100 photographs, spanning almost 150 years, taken by the Tairrazes in Chamonix and the French alps, from the mid-1800s to the late 1900s. It is a fantastic show and well worth visiting.
Musée de l’Ancien Évêché is one of the eleven museums in the Departmental Museums of Isère. They’re essentially local history museums – and free to visit. Five of the museums are in the Grenoble vicinity, the other six are farther out. We intended to visit three or four of the museums, but with the lousy weather we only made it to two.
Musée Dauphinois is located in the Sainte-Marie d’en-Haut Convent in Grenoble. The draw here, for us, is the building and location, not the exhibits. Located on the slopes of La Bastille, the walk up the steps to the museum provides some great views over the city.
Our visit to the museum started in the convent’s chapel, which is fairly interesting. From there the route leads to the courtyard and then the gardens. I suspect the gardens have fantastic views of Grenoble and the surrounding mountains, but it was closed for renovations during our visit.
Alpine history is the focus of this museum, with exhibits on such things as mountain living and farming. This was a pretty quick walk through for us. The current, small temporary exhibition was pretty good: Style & Cimes, photographs by Jacques Henri Lartigue. Unfortunately the photographs were hanging on walls painted bright pink or bright yellow. It’s hard to appreciate a good black and white photograph when your peripheral vision is bombarded with Pepto-Bismol pink.
The more interesting Departmental Museums of Isère are best reached by car (or possibly by bus). We weren’t going to rent a car, so as a practical matter our museum options were limited. For the same reason, we had no interest in purchasing the tourist card, Grenoble Alpine Pass, as it best serves those traveling throughout the region versus staying in Grenoble.
Musée de Grenoble, the fine arts museum, is the one must visit museum for us. It is free to visit the permanent collection, but temporary exhibits cost extra.
The flow of the museum is organized chronologically by century: 13th to 16th centuries; 17th century; 18th century; 19th century; and, ending with modern and contemporary works. Basically the museum is a history of painting, with a little bit of everything, including some sculptures and antiquities.
The museum’s brochure is excellent as visitors are guided with a color-coded map, compete with room numbers. Stephanie and I used this to walk backwards through the collection, starting with contemporary art and ending in the 13th century. Over the years we have found it easier to avoid crowds when walking against the current rather than with it. Really it did not make a difference here as there were relatively few visitors during the hour or so we spent in the museum.
While Musée de Grenoble probably would not make a short list of our favorite museums, it is well worth visiting.
So, did we like Grenoble? Qualified, yes. As best we could tell, Grenoble might just be the perfect place to visit as long as you get sunny skies and temperatures above 60° F (16° C). Or anytime in the winter if you love winter sports. But maybe not when it is cold, windy, and overcast for days on end.
I would love to stay longer with the hopes of better weather, but we have a train to catch to Lyon.
Garrett and Stephanie
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