Traditions and culture in Grenoble

Grenoble has been renowned as a centre for education since the 14th century and that reputation lives on today as a sizeable student population gives it a big-city feel.

Furthermore, the reign of Socialist mayor Hubert Dubedout in the 1960s led to the city being celebrated for its social, artistic and technological innovation.

This has also been maintained to the present day, with a number of world-class scientific research centres, such as the Minatec (nanotechnology) and the Synchrotron (high-brilliance source of X-rays).

Things to do in Grenoble

Most people who decide to take a holiday to Grenoble are likely to have been attracted by its location in the centre of the Vercors, Chartreuse and Belledonne mountain ranges.

It is certainly a spectacular setting and as you would expect, there are plenty of opportunities to take part in hiking or climbing, with the Maison de la Montagne a good place to start.

In the winter, skiing is very popular and cheap car hire is subsequently a necessity, although the nearest stations are only 45 minutes away.

However, it is worth noting that the last two weeks of December are a bad time to go as there are too many skiers and you will find it almost impossible to secure a good value hotel.

In addition, there are a number of tourist attractions in the city itself, such as the Bastille Hill, the National History Museum and the Parc Paul Mistral, which sees roller-skating and street hockey taking place.

There are also plenty of other museums and historical references which pay tribute to Grenoble's prominent role in the French Resistance during the second world war and are well worth checking out.

Weather in Grenoble

The winter climate in Grenoble is normally very cold and snow tends to arrive every year at some stage, with average temperatures sitting at around 2C.

By contrast, the summers are renowned for being hot and sunny, particularly as there is minimal wind due to the presence of mountain ranges on all sides of the city.

Destination checklist for Grenoble

Grenoble has a population of 158,000.

The city is one hour ahead of UTC time.

The currency used in Grenoble is the euro.

The official language spoken is French.

The city's international dialling code is +33.