Grenoble Press Kit

14, rue de la République—38000 Grenoble
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Grenoble
Press Kit
Welcome to Grenoble…
…mountains of Culture!
Grenoble is located in the southeast of France, in a strategic location at the crossroads between Northern and
Southern Europe, and is one of the main cities of the Rhone-Alps region. Nestled at the heart of three Alpine ranges
(Belledonne, Chartreuse and Vercors), Grenoble is France's flattest city, which culminates at only 212 meters in
altitude!
With a particularly dense and diverse architectural heritage, Grenoble, which exists for more than 2000 years, offers
visitors a charming stroll through winding streets and lively squares where ancient Gallo-roman sites stand neighbour
to innovative sustainable development constructions. Take a seat on one of the terraces of the pedestrian streets or
on a paved square of the old city, and watch the city come to life: the students cycle, coming from all over the world
and speaking all languages, families strolling through the streets, markets, concerts, festivals...Energy radiates
through the city of Grenoble!
In Grenoble, it’s easy to let your curiosity get the best of you. You’ll be tempted to discover exceptional cultural
sites like the Grenoble Art Museum, the National Contemporary Art Centre (Le Magasin-CNAC)…or one of the twenty
museums of the city! And if you want to enjoy local food, Grenoble has also an exceptional culinary heritage, coming
from the grounds and people that fashioned the city and its surrounding region through centuries: potato gratin,
crozet pasta, bugnes beignets, ravioles, and caillettes have stood the test of time and remain favorites even today.
Lured by the omnipresence of the surrounding summits, you will no doubt want to get a change in perspective. An
upward journey, as unique as it is unforgettable, on the Bastille’s urban cable car will give you one of the most
beautiful panoramic views on the French Alps. Whatever your plans or your desires, the city's exceptional setting and
environment make them possible. Family stroll, hike leaving directly from the city centre, donkey-back ride in the
Vercors or Chartreuse mountains, snowshoe outing, dog sledding, ski: everything the mountain has to offer is
accessible from Grenoble.
So go ahead and give in! We’ll see you in Grenoble, a city height of expectations!
(A few numbers…)
Grenoble counts 158,000 inhabitants in inner Grenoble. The greater Grenoble area includes 49 cities and 440,000 people.
61,000: that’s how many students choose Grenoble for their higher education. 14% of them are foreign students.
After Paris, Grenoble is France’s largest public research center (Scientific Polygon, more than 10 000 scientists).
Grenoble is the flattest city in France and its highest point is only 212 meters high!
The fort and the cable car
The Bastille fort
Built in 1591 by the Duke of
Lesdiguières, the Bastille was
entirely reconstructed from 1823
to 1848 to protect the city from
any possible attacks by the Savoy
Dukedom.
The cable car
In 1934, after the army left the
mountain, a touristic cable car was
built on the slopes of the Bastille. It
was one of the first urban cable
cars in the world, along with those
of Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town.
.
Le CAB
(Bastille Art Center)
The Mountain Troops
Museum
The museum takes visitors to the
heart of the world of the mountain
soldiers. It’s a veritable meeting
place, where guests can meet and
talk with mountain troops.
Located in one of the fort’s
barracks, the Bastille Art
Center features regularly
changing contemporary art
exhibits.
Acrobastille:
Located at the summit of the Bastille, Acrobastille
offer guests the opportunity to discover this
exceptional historic site from the air!
Much more than a fortified
mountain
As well as being a historic, touristic, and
cultural site, the Bastille has also become
its own neighborhood, that both locals
and visitors alike enjoy (re)discovering
throughout the year. In 2011, the cable
car carried more than 300,000 people!
www.cab-grenoble.net
Restaurants / snacks
Restaurant du Téléférique: local and seasonal food.
An ideal place for a drink with friends or to take a
family break. Panoramic terrace.
Restaurant « Chez le Per Gras »: Laurent Gras and
his staff offer recipes that are highly traditional and
gastronomic. Panoramic terrace.
Quick service restaurant: drinks, waffles, sandwiches
and various “tartines”, pizzas…
www.accrobastille.fr
The Museum of Grenoble
Inaugurated in 1994, the museum of Grenoble benefits from a magnificent setting, with 18000 square meters of space
and a vast park filled with monumental sculptures.
History
The museum of Grenoble was founded in 1798 thanks to the spirit of initiative and tenacity of its first curator,
Louis-Joseph Jay, and received large consignments from the State, which were followed by regular consignments
throughout the 19th century.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Musée de Grenoble was already acknowledged as one of France’s great
museums on account of the richness and quality of its antique art collection. Through the actions of Andry-Farcy, its
curator from 1919 to 1949, it was also to become France’s foremost museum of modern art. Great artists from Matisse
to Picasso and Bonnard to Léger entered its collections through donations the artists themselves were asked to make,
such as the masterpiece of the collection, Matisse’s Interior with Eggplants. Gifts by collectors such as Jacques
Doucet, Doctor Albert Barnes and Peggy Guggenheim, also helped to build up the collections, as did acquisitions made
from such great dealers as Daniel Henry Kahnweiler, Ambroise Vollard, Paul Guillaume and Alfred Flechtheim.
In 1923, the Agutte-Sembat bequest contributed a unique and substantial group of Neo-Impressionist (Signac, Cross)
and Fauvist (Matisse, Derain, Marquet, Vlaminck) works to the museum’s holdings. Following in the footsteps of AndryFarcy, other curators were determined to add to this prestigious collection with regular acquisitions and loans, most
often focusing on art in the process of being created.
Architecture
In 1994, the museum left the 19th century building that had been its home for more than a century, and moved
into a new building, whose temperate and relevant design is better suited to the requirements of modern-day
museum exhibition design.
The different areas follow on from one other around a chronological circuit, with specific zones for each century in
the permanent collection. Almost eleven thousand square feet of floor space with movable partitions are reserved for
temporary exhibitions. The drawing section has found a prime location in a medieval tower, which is linked to the new
building via a glass-paneled footbridge. A simple circuit, predominantly zenithal lighting and views over the town
create a serene atmosphere, ideal for exploring the collections.
Collections
Collections are made of two distinct categories: the first is dedicated to 13th through 19th century art, while the
second presents the 20th century, from the conquest of modern art up to more recent formal development.
The collection of antique Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art, has found its place in the three rooms located beneath the
entrance hall of the museum.
www.museedegrenoble.fr
Museums of Grenoble
Grenoble boasts many other sites where visitors can discover, learn, observe, and enjoy culture…Here
are just a few examples:
Musée dauphinois : www.musee-dauphinois.fr
Located in a 17th century convent building, this Alpine museum presents a
varied exhibits on regional heritage from the past and present, including The
People of the Alp (a presentation of 19th century rural mountain life) and
the Grand History of Skiing.
The museum was created in 1906 thanks to the initiative of its first
curator Hippolyte Müller, who sought to link the first inhabitants of the region
to those who still live here today.
The Dauphinois museum is located in what was once the Sainte Marie d'en Haut convent. Classified as a historical
monument, the complex was founded at the beginning of the 17th century by saint Francis de Sales and saint Jeanne
de Chantal. After an eventful history, which saw the building used as a prison, religious boarding school, barracks, and
immigrant housing, the building was restored for the 1968 winter Olympics in Grenoble.
The Dauphinois museum, in its current location, was inaugurated that same year by André Malraux.
As a veritable regional museum of mankind, the Dauphinois museum looks at all the aspects of life and history in the
old Dauphiné province, and on a wider scale, in the French Alps.
Archeology, pre-history and history, ethnology, industrial heritage, and regional decorative arts are just some of the
fields that this museum deals with.
Musée de l’ancien Evêché :
www.ancien-eveche-isere.fr
At the heart of Grenoble’s historic district, the museum offers a journey
below Notre Dame square, to the vestiges of the city’s fortified ramparts,
Grenoble’s first baptistery, and into the old bishop’s palace.
Located on the three floors of the old Episcopal palace, a permanent exhibit
offers a journey into the history of mankind and the history of a land, the Isere,
from early evidence of human present all the way to the 20th century.
The museum acts as a sort of historical epic, the first of its kind in the Isere department, which gives us reference
points and mentions the region's main historical monuments. No other cultural institution had given itself such a
mission, to offer such a synthetic view of the department's history and development.
The visit of the Ancient Bishopric Museum is chronological and takes the visitor through six successive periods:
Prehistory, the Gallo-Romain period, the Middle Ages, Modern Times, the 19th century, and the 20th century.
Museums of Grenoble
Musée Archéologique Grenoble Saint Laurent: www.musee-archeologique-grenoble.fr
A rarity in Europe, this museum was installed in an old church. The
structure was among the first to be classified as a Historic Monument
of France. Its Merovingian-era crypt is a unique witness to the art
and architecture of the very early Middle Ages.
Located in one of the town's oldest neighbourhoods, the Grenoble SaintLaurent Museum of Archaeology (MAG) takes you on a journey through
time to the dawn of Christianity.
The site is certainly well renowned, thanks in particular to its early Christian sanctuary with an exceptional 6th century
crypt, but recent alterations have brought out the full value of this remarkable structure, which is classified as a
historical monument.
Located in one of the town's oldest neighbourhoods, the Grenoble Saint-Laurent Museum of Archaeology (MAG) takes
you on a journey through time to the dawn of Christianity.
The site is certainly well renowned, thanks in particular to its early Christian sanctuary with an exceptional 6th century
crypt, but recent alterations have brought out the full value of this remarkable structure, which is classified as a
historical monument.
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation :
www.resistance-en-isere.fr
The Resistance and Deportation Museum is designed to be a veritable history
museum, even if it also serves as a memorial site. The Resistance and
deportation are approached through local history, the people, and the
episodes that took place.
Six main themes are developed inside the museum:
- The beginning of the Resistance, a pivotal moment for Grenoble. Few French cities saw resistance movements grow
in as many groups and situations as Grenoble did.
- The resistance fighters and their preponderant position in the Isere department, from 1943 on. They all
communicated via Grenoble, which was thus baptized "capital of the resistance fighters."
- The situation of Grenoble's and Isere's Jewish population, from the 1930s to the time of the German occupation.
- The violent repression that struck the directors of the main resistant movements, especially at the end of 1943,
during what is called the "Grenoble Saint Barthelemy," and the deportation which revealed the monstrosity of Nazi
logic.
- The Liberation and the role of the Departmental Committee of National Liberation, born out of the "Monaco"
meeting, where the representatives of the Resistance decided to rally their actions around the values of the French
Republic.
- Current resistance movements, because today, the Nazi ideology has yet to completely disappear and many
countries suffer from totalitarian or terrorist regimes.
Museums of Grenoble
Muséum d’histoire naturelle: www.museum-grenoble.fr
The natural history museum of Grenoble is dedicated to furthering
knowledge of life, earth, and universe science. Its rich collection of
animals, plants, and minerals, starting with the origin of life on
earth, is one of the largest collections in France.
The natural history museum, was designed by architect Paul Benoit
Barillon and was built within the Botanical Garden, just outside the city,
from 1848-1851. Under the direction of curators Hippolyte Bouteille and
Luis Rérolle, the museum, with 3000 m2 of exhibition halls, was quickly
filled with collections hailing from all of the world's continents.
The Museum's collections, studied and classified, are regularly displayed within permanent or temporary exhibits, used
as a pedagogical and cultural support for various audiences and are the setting from various activities such as
workshops, film showings, conferences, and debates.
With eight accessible rooms, the Natural History Museum of Grenoble offers its visitors a conservation site for the area's
natural heritage and a remarkable body for sharing scientific knowledge.
Musée Stendhal : www.stendhal-grenoble.fr
CCSTI La Casemate : www.ccsti-grenoble.org
Science-based exhibits and workshop area aimed at audiences of all ages.
Interactive exhibits for all ages, meetings and debates with scientists at the Casemate
or an outside venue, multimedia or genetics workshops, the CCSTI invites you to come
discover the world of science and technology through original presentations.
Museums of Grenoble
Le Magasin- CNAC: www.magasin-cnac.org
Le MAGASIN is one of France’s foremost sites dedicated to contemporary art since
1986. It plans and organizes temporary exhibits by working closely with the artists
invited to expose here.
MAGASIN- Centre National d'Art Contemporain in Grenoble was founded in 1986. A
result from the decentralization movement in France, MAGASIN promotes contemporary
art through temporary exhibitions, as well as the production and circulation of works.
Its aim is to present art in all its diversity (painting, sculpture, installation,
photography, video ...).
The art centre is housed in an industrial hall built by Gustave Eiffel's workshops for the 1900 Paris World Faire.
Manufacturers Bouchayer and Viallet bought the iron structure and reassembled it in Grenoble. Today the vast hall
under a glass roof, known as the 'Street', allows large-scale in situ installations.
MAGASIN includes a bookshop specialized in contemporary art, and hosts an international curatorial training program,
unique in France: the École du MAGASIN.
Musée des Troupes de Montagne : www.bastille-grenoble.fr
Inaugurated in October 2009, Mountain Troops Museum of Grenoble takes an
ethnological, anthropological, and sociological look at the life of mountain troops.
All of the themes presented place man, as the mountain soldier, in his
environment.
Through its rich collection and innovative layout, the museum offers an attractive visit
presenting the history of the Mountain Troops from its foundation to today.
Thanks to the audio guide, a multilingual voice will recount the story of this Alpine
adventure.
Centre d’Art Bastille : www.bastille-grenoble.fr
This art center aims to offer a new approach to contemporary art and to introduce
present art production to a wider public. All visits of the exhibitions are explained.
Mediators may offer workshops special visits as well as activities on contemporary
art.
Natural parks
…
Grenoble sits at the heart of a natural environment unlike any other in
Europe thanks to the surrounding Chartreuse, Vercors, and Belledonne
mountains. They constantly beckon, inviting you to escape to a world of
natural discovery!
Hikes for all levels, ideal for families :
Lace up your hiking boots and take the whole family to explore the
surrounding forests and hills. It’s a breath of fresh air that will revive and
invigorate!
Hikes under 3 hours, accessible level :
Beneath the intense blue sky, the paths of the regional nature parks wind
through the forests and over steep slopes to unveil their authentic side. From
the calming pastures and mountain forests of the Charturese to the richly
varied plant and animal life of the Luitel reserve and the limestone summits of
the Vercors, everything here is so serene. How wonderful it is to feel so free!
Powerful and authentic fine dining
The Grenoble « terroir » pays tribute to the mountains as much as it puts them
within reach. Cheeses, cured meats, and walnuts are the veritable treasures
of ancestral know-how, labeled with various “appellations d’origine controlee”
certifications. Green Chartreuse and Gratin Dauphinois are the hallmarks of
this culinary tradition that is Made in Dauphiné!
Maison de la Montagne
3 rue Raoul Blanchard
38000 GRENOBLE
+33 (0)4 76 44 67 03
www.grenoble-montagne.com
Stendhal
Henri Beyle, also known as Stendhal, was born on January 23, 1783 in Grenoble and died on March 23, 1842 in Paris. He
spent the first 16 years of his life with his well-to-do family in Grenoble. His mother died when he was just 7 and he soon
rebelled against the tyranny of his caretakers and his father. He would find the happiest moments of his youth in the
company of his grandfather, the intellectual Dr. Henri Gagnon. His autobiography, The Life of Henry Brulard, was written
from 1835 to 1836 and tells of his childhood in the Dauphiné province.
Stendhal took part in Napoleon’s campaigns in Italy and Russia, under command of the emperor. He would hold an
intendant position in Germany and thus took his pen name from a German city. He first wrote as Stendhal in 1817, with
the book Rome, Naples, and Florence. He was fascinated by Italy and made it his adopted home country, where he could
quench his thirst for beauty and art.
As a travel writer and sociologist ahead of his times, he left us with detailed descriptions of the landscapes and social
norms of the people he met in Memoirs of a Tourist (1838) and Promenades in Rome (1829). He continued to observe
and record the world that surrounded him when he was named Consul in 1830, first in Trieste, then in Civitachecchia.
Stendhal was never very famous during his lifetime and did not live to see the publication of several of his works,
including the novels Armance (1827), The Red and the Black (1830), and The Charterhouse of Parma (1839).
Follow in the footsteps of Stendhal…
All year long, the Tourism Office offers guided tours and lecturevisits to allow visitors to discover the key sites from Stendhal’s
childhood in Grenoble: his childhood home at 14 rue Jean-Jacques
Rousseau, the Jardin de Ville park, and the home of his beloved
grandfather Dr. Gagnon. This writer has lots of secrets to share!
Visits led by a guide and an actor
More information at www.grenoble-tourisme.com
History and monuments to discover
A primitive city at the convergence of the Drac and Isère rivers became known as Cularo in the 1st century B.C.
Dwellings were then concentrated on the left bank of the Isère, on a little inlet safely tucked away from floods. On the
right bank, where the Saint Laurent neighborhood sits today, crypts were built.
At the end of the 3rd century the city surrounded itself with fortified walls and today, you can still see where it stood
in relation the the old city. Thanks to emperor Gratien, Cularo becomes an official Roman city under the name of
Gratianopolis. Transformations of this name over the centuries give us today’s Grenoble.
At the end of the 4th century, the city was placed under the bishop’s authority and remained protected by the city
walls, with power concentrated at the episcopal seat.
In the Middle Ages, neighborhoods began springing up at the city’s portals and the walls could no longer contain a
growing population.
After the turbulant times of the Religious Wars, François de Bonne, future Duke of Lesdiguières surrounded the city
with new ramparts that enlarged the surface of the city in the 17th century.
Beautiful buildings have come down to us from these historic times :
Old Parliament Building :
This remarkable building was the seat of justice in Grenoble for more than 500 years
and today is one of the jewels of Grenoble’s architectural heritage.
Hôtel d’Ornacieux townhouse, 8 rue Chenoise :
The Hôtel d'Ornacieux townhouse was built after 1630 and has preserved its bicolor
limestone-framed portal crowned with an open rounded stone pediment. A
remarkable loggia stairway, with its stone balustrades, occupies one side of the
courtyard.
Hôtel de Croÿ Chasnel and Pierre Bucher :
The townhouse is composed of two buildings from two different time periods, and
with two distinctive styles. At the back of the courtyard stands the Renaissance
townhouse, built around 1570 by Pierre Bucher, parliamentarian and president of the
university.
Episcopal group :
Overlooked by the massive brick tower of the cathedral bell tower, the episcopal
group was the seat of religious power in Grenoble from the end of the 4th century.
Old Saint Laurent church :
The former Saint Laurent parish church and its immediate surroundings make up a
complex archeological site unlike any other in Europe. The oldest parts date back to
ancient times and the early Middle Ages.
Contemporary architecture
The city of Grenoble has finished, planned, or is planning numerous grand urban projects. The result is a flurry of
interesting contemporary architectural projects that meet sustainable development standards and are certified as
High Environmental Quality buildings.
The Bonne ecological neighborhood : On the
site of the vaste Bonne barracks (built in 1883),
of which the main buildings that surround the
courtyard have been preserved, the city of
Grenoble commissioned a new residential and
commercial neighborhood, on the cutting edge
of eco-technology.
Mixed building, Lustucru commercial zone :
The architecture of the building expresses the
meetings, the frictions, and the flow of energy.
It also pays tribute to Grenoble’s modern
architecture, which was highly influenced by
the 1968 Winter Olympics. The indented
façade, the practical suppositions, and the
expressive volumes are all characteristic
elements of this architecture.
The bikeable building, VignyMusset commercial zone:
This building borrows the idea of storage rooms
from detached houses, and this has since
become the image of the building. It includes
56 rent-to-own apartments designed so that
each inhabitant can arrive directly at their
apartment by bike, rollerblades, or scooter.
The upper cable car station:
During the works to make the Bastille
handicapped-accessible, the upper cable car
station was redone in 2005. Its minimalist
design was voluntarily chosen so as not to
compete with the existing structures. The
architectural elements are made of glass and
Corten steel.
Grenoble’s glove-making industry
For centuries, Grenoble was the world capital of luxury glove-making, with its products known the world over. This
activity came into being in the 14th century and reached its peak in the 18th century, with a reputation that spread
throughout Europe. Locals will recognize the great names of glove-making: Perrin, Rey-Jouvin, Fischl, Terray and
Vallier employed thousands of workers to create gloves of the highest quality.
The presence of nearby goat farms and a female work force looking to earn a little extra money for the family budget
contributed to the quick development of the Grenoble glove industry. Italians from the Pouilles and Corato regions
immigrated to the Saint Laurent neighborhood on the right bank of the Isère river and became the main suppliers of fine
animal hides. This part of Grenoble has kept its Italian accent.
The glove industry was at its peak in the 18th and 19th centuries, when 4,500 factory workers and 64 master glove-makers
worked in Grenoble, at the dawn of the French Revolution.
In 1832, Xavier Jouvin gave new life to the industry and forever changed the way gloves were made when he invented
the « iron hand. » This veritable metal template made it possible to standardize glove-making and speed up production.
In 1870, 32,000 workers produced 12 million pairs of gloves!
The niche market for luxury gloves that sustained the Grenoble glove industry began to decline in the early 20th century
when new, competiting cities like Millau and Paris began producing fabric gloves that were lower quality but less
expensive.
Grenoble’s glove-making industry quickly declined after WWII, and today it is practically dead.
(What about Grenoble’s glove industry today?)
Ganterie Lesdiguières : Today, there is one traditional glove-making
artisan who continues the trade today. His name is Mr. Jean Strazzeri and
his boutique is located in the heart of the city center, but the workshop is
still in Fontaine, on the outskirts of Grenoble.
www.ganterie-lesdiguieres-barnier-grenoble.com
FST Handwear : Born and raised in Grenoble, Benjamin Cuier, Philippe
Larguèze and Simon Baret are shaking up the traditional glove-making
trade by using the products as a new means of artistic expression. Just
like the tee-shirt has become an incredibly popular way of expressing
oneself, gloves can now be seen as a unique way to stand out from the
crowd!
fsthandwear.com
Grenoble and fine food
The AOC Grenoble walnut : It comes in three
varieties—Franquette,
Mayette,
and
Parisienne. Thanks to its dry and rich taste, it
was the first walnut to benefit from the AOC
(Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) certification
on June 17, 1938.
Chartreuse liqueur: Carthusian monks have
been guarding this precious secret for
centuries, since it dates back to 1605. The
recipe was finalized in 1737 and includes 130
plants at 110 proof. It is distilled in the
Chartreuse cellars in nearby Voiron.
Saint Marcellin cheese: This « Saint Marcellin
tomme » was originally made with goat cheese
and comes from the southern Isère. In the 18th
century, Saint Marcellin began to be made with
raw cow’s milk.
La Fromagerie des Alpages in Grenoble, where you’ll find
Bernard Mure-Ravaud, world champion of cheesemongers
and Meilleur Ouvrier de France (France’s top tradesman).
Gratin Dauphinois : Although each family
safely guards its own « true recipe » for gratin,
one thing is certain—it includes potatoes,
cream and/or milk, some seasoning, and a
secret ingredient. It pairs perfectly with hearty
winter meals.