A VISIT TO GRENOBLE : ‘ THE CAPITAL OF THE FRENCH ALPS’.

                                           

                                            

                                          

A VISIT  TO  GRENOBLE :  ‘ THE CAPITAL OF THE   FRENCH ALPS’

Grenoble is an old city  in the  Southeast  of France . With fortified castles dotting the countryside, churches and spouting fountains, palaces and crypts: from the most well-known sites to the hidden treasures, Grenoble is filled with impressive remnants of the past. Famous for its winter sports, hiking, museums, universities and research centres , the city is also known as the “Capital of the Alps”, due to its size and proximity to the mountains. The population of the city is about 159000. The TGV superfast trains to Grenoble start from Gare de Lyon station in Paris and take about 3 hours to cover a distance of about 580km  .  The TGV train speeding up to 320 km/h has  comfortable seats and ample leg room, free Wi-Fi , power sockets at every seat and a bar/buffet.  The TGV train  journey to Grenoble is the stress-free way to travel. Located at the foothills of French Alps, one can see snow covered mountain peaks  on all sides in the  Grenoble valley .  It is the last city on the Southeast border of France. Mont Blanc tunnel that connects France with Italy is also located at an altitude of 4000 feet in the  Alps . Italy lies on the other side of Grenoble Alps,. Turin city of Italy is just 2 and half hours of car drive from Grenoble. Accordingly , one can see many Italian immigrants in Grenoble. There is a train link with Italy and Switzerland from Grenoble.

Grenoble’s history goes back over 2,000 years,. It used to be the capital of the Dauphiné  in the 11th century. The Dauphine was a province of Southeastern France that comprised of areas falling under Isere river,  areas of Drome and  areas of Hautes Alps. For Some centuries, Grenoble was a part of  the Roman Empire prior to becoming a part of France.

Grenoble is directly connected with 3 Regional Nature Reserve: Vercors, Chartreuse and  Belledonne. These areas, stretching from the alluvial plains to the mountains are emblematic, protected areas that are home to unique and sometimes threatened wildlife, like bald eagles, European beavers, wild orchids, and  many more. he mountain ranges :  Chartreuse in  North ( altitude  max 2000 m), Vercors in West (altitude max 2300 m), and Belledonne in East (altitude max 2900 m)  are the mountain ranges that surround and are close to Grenoble . Well-known ski resorts within a short drive of Grenoble  city include  Chamrousse and Villard-de Lans, plus those best-known to locals, such as the ski stations of the Chartreuse, Les 7 Laux or Le Collet d’Allevard. However, Grenoble also lies at the gateway to the Massif de l’Oisans, home of several internationally-renowned resorts including Alpe d’Huez. This huge ski area is lift-linked to the surrounding villages of Auris-en-Oisans, Oz-en-Oisans, Villard Reculas and Vaujany.The closest resort to Grenoble is the ski area of Les 7 Laux in the Belldonne mountain range. It is made up of 3 villages Le Pleynet, Prapoutel and Pipay, which all have access to the 120 km of slopes. 

Winter Olympics of 1968 were held in Grenoble. Norway won the most medals, the first time a country other than the USSR had done so. Gender tests for women were introduced, as were doping controls for both men and women. The Grenoble Games were also the first to be broadcast in colour.

We stayed in a  cottage in Uriage village in the hills. Uriage  is about 5 km from the city  . Our host owned  a beautiful cottage in Uriage . Uriage is a green  with beautiful houses, tall shady trees , forests , 24 by 7 water and power supply  , pucca roads and many spots  for mountaineering, camping , fishing  and hiking. The 9 hole  golf course near Uriage enjoys a perfect location in the Alps.  From any point in Uriage, one can have a panoramic view of the Grenoble valley. The village church bell tolls after every hour . The eerie silence is quite often broken by the tweets of the  birds. I am told  quite often one comes across some wild animal in the lawn or compound after a heavy snowfall. We stayed  in an environment  and ambiance of overwhelming hospitality. It  was almost a   rainy day on  7th May ,2023, but our host drove us through the city via Grenoble international University established in 1339 . In the University ,we could see many Asian students  .The university is well-known for its research and education in the natural sciences and engineering, but it also teaches courses in law, institutional economics, linguistics, and psychology. We were told that at the moment roughly 63000 students study in the university put of which about  3000 students were doing  doctorate in various subjects.

In the Grenoble city ,we saw old churches, restaurants ,bars ,old buildings and an imposing fort on a hill that overlooks the entire city.  The fort is known as Fort La  Bastile . Our Gondola tickets  had been  booked by our host . We were taken up  the fort in the Gondola known as Grenoble Cable Car   that moved above the Isere river  and a forest area . The Gondola ride takes you up to have a panoramic view of the city below. Two rivers namely Isere ( pronounced as Ezer ) and Drac move down from  glaciers in high Alps and create a confluence in the Grenoble city. The Fort La  Bastile  was used by the French troops to defend the country from attacks of some nearby hostile countries. Once you land on the platform of the Gondola at the top ,you can go to various floors of the Fort La  Bastile using high speed lifts. There are  some cafes and a museum of art in the fort. A huge observation deck  at the top floor gives you a 360 degree  view of the entire Grenoble city below.  One can also see Isere  and  Drac rivers meandering through the city to reach  the confluence spot  . The Bastille is visited by some 600,000 people each year, approximately half of whom take the cable car from the city centre. The rest of the visitors go by car or on foot by one of the numerous signposted paths .

The old city of  Grenoble  is simply  fascinating, with museums ranging from the Musée de Grenoble, which has one of the best art collections in France, to the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de l’Isère, telling the story of one of the major centres of the Resistance in France during World War II. The city is perfect for walking . It has  plenty of cafés and lots to look at. If one  stands in Place Sainte-Andre, the square in the middle of the city, one can see some historic monuments all around. This is an impressive sight along with a good cup of coffee. A cup of coffee at  Café de la Table Ronde (that happens to be  the second oldest café in France ) is satisfying . The café was the favourite place of Sara Bernhardt, Jacques Brel and the city’s son, the novelist, Stendhal. One can walk through  old markets, alleys ,the university, Tabac shops, Bistros,  and the  Italian ristorantes . Every major square has some impressive sculpture .  The roads are wide and clean .The cool  alleys nestled in old buildings offer a perfect walking experience. We saw two Indian restaurants , and some casinos at the outskirts of the city as we started going up towards Uriage . There are many  fishing spots around Grenoble. People living in the foothills of then French Alps love fishing. One can see men, women, children and seniors fishing in rivulets, lakes and the  Isere ( pronounced as Ezer ) and Drac rivers as one moves  towards hills and mountains .  One can see Arctic char and Rainbow trout in  the waters around Grenoble .

 

Grenoble is also known for its walnuts . Grenoble walnut species have received a French AOC label (Protected designation of origin) in 1938. Three varieties of walnuts are authorised for the production of P.D.O. Grenoble walnuts : Franquette, Mayette and Parisienne. We bought good walnuts @7.50 Euro per kg. Apart from walnuts, the area is also known for producing cheese and wines. Apricots, cherries  and  strawberry  are also grown in Grenoble .Rhone Valley near Grenoble  is known for its  sweetest apricots in  France  .

Grenoble is the city of Stendhal (Marie-Henry Beyle ), one of the 19th century France’s most beloved writers. Stendhal was born here way back in 1783 and went on to define the Realism genre in French literature. His house has been converted into a museum frequented by book lovers of all kinds.

( Avtar Mota)

 

 

 

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