cafe
Cafe de la Rencontre
A historic cafe on the Route Napoleon near Laffrey where Napoleon famously confronted royalist troops in 1815, on one of France's most scenic driving routes.
18 km · about 20 min drive
Rhône-Alpes, France · Europe
Grenoble is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Échirolles, 41km from Combe Laval Balcony Road.
Grenoble is a city located in Rhône-Alpes, France. With a population of 158,552, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Grenoble sits in France, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Paris time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Grenoble to your route.
Grenoble ( grə-NOH-bəl; French: [ɡʁənɔbl] ; Arpitan: Grenoblo or Grainóvol; Occitan: Graçanòbol or Grenòble) is the prefecture and largest city of the Isère department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the capital of the Dauphiné historical province and lies where the river Drac flowsRead more
into the Isère at the foot of the French Alps.
The population of the commune of Grenoble was 156,140 as of 2023, while the population of the Grenoble metropolitan area (French: aire d'attraction de Grenoble or agglomération grenobloise) was 724,742 in 2022, which makes it the largest metropolis in the Alps, ahead of Innsbruck and Bolzano. A significant European scientific centre, 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 and Voiron.
Grenoble's history goes back over 2,000 years, to a time when it was a village of the Allobroges Gallic tribe. It became the capital of the Dauphiné in the 11th century. 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 X 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. Grenoble was classified as a global city with the ranking of "sufficiency" by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network until 2024. The city held the title of European Green Capital in 2022.
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Grenoble offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Grenoble is located in Rhône-Alpes, France, Europe. The coordinates are 45.1787 latitude, 5.7148 longitude.
Grenoble has a population of approximately 158,552 people, making it a city in France.
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Full driving guide for France8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cafe
A historic cafe on the Route Napoleon near Laffrey where Napoleon famously confronted royalist troops in 1815, on one of France's most scenic driving routes.
18 km · about 20 min drive
mountain pass
Named for the iron cross at its 2067m summit, this pass links the Maurienne and Arvan valleys with spectacular views of the Aiguilles d'Arves.
38 km · about 45 min drive
famous road
A jaw-dropping Vercors road (D76) carved into a sheer cliff face 600 m above the Cholet valley, threading tunnels and rock galleries to the Col de la Machine.
41 km · about 45 min drive
famous road
Eighteen tightly stacked hairpins climbing a near-vertical cliff wall out of the Maurienne valley: a ribbon of switchbacks so photogenic it became an instant Tour de France icon in 2015.
52 km · about 60 min drive
mountain pass
A high, wide pass at 2058m serving as the gateway to the Galibier, with an alpine botanical garden and panoramic views of the Meije and Écrins glaciers.
56 km · about 65 min drive
famous road
One of the highest paved roads in the French Alps at 2,642 meters, a legendary climb in the Tour de France.
56 km · about 65 min drive
cafe
A small cafe near the summit of the Col du Galibier (2,642m), a legendary Tour de France climb and one of the highest road passes in the French Alps.
56 km · about 65 min drive
mountain pass
The 1,566 m wooded warm-up act to the Col du Galibier, climbing out of the Maurienne valley in tight forested hairpins past an old optical-telegraph fort.
57 km · about 65 min drive
April to October
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