Things to do in Grenoble
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A
Dauphinois Museum
Ever wondered who came before the tourists and students? The Musée Dauphinois documents everyday life in the Alps - culture, craft and tradition - and has a fantastic exhibition devoted to the region's surprisingly long skiing history. Set in a beautiful 17th-century convent and nestled at the foot of the hill below Fort de la Bastille, it's worth the visit.
reviewed
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B
Grenoble Museum
Over museums? Don't miss this one. The sleek glass-and-steel Musée de Grenoble houses an exceptional out-of-Paris collection - its modern core is a revelation. A masterful Matisse keeps company with playful 20th-century ground-breakers by the likes of Klee, Chagall and Léger. Surrealists star (Magritte and Miró) and the abstract comes alive (Arp and Lewitt).
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C
Musée de l'Ancien Évêché
On place Notre Dame, the Italianate Cathédrale Notre Dame and adjoining 13th-century Bishops' Palace – originally home to Grenoble's bishops – form this museum. The rich collection traces local history from prehistory to the 21st century, and takes visitors beneath the cathedral square to a crypt safeguarding old Roman walls and a baptistery dating from the 4th to 10th centuries.
reviewed
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D
Barberousse
There are 70-odd types of aromatic rum (think cherry, apple, papaya etc) to try - many fermenting in giant pirate-style glass flasks behind the counter - at this superbly hip shooter bar hidden down an alley. Down a shot of cherry, apple, papaya or other fruit-flavoured liqueurs. Note that a planteur is fruitier than a shooter,and backpacks must be left in the wardrobe (around €1).
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E
Centre National d'Art Contemporain
Housed in the city's other architectural biggie, Grenoble's Centre National d'Art Contemporain is a must-see. Considered one of Europe's leading centres of contemporary art, it is dramatically placed in Le Magasin, a vast and hugely impressive glass and steel warehouse built by employees of Gustave Eiffel. There are two exhibition areas - a permanent 1000-sq-m space with a huge glass roof called 'The Rue' and a flexible space of about 900 sq m known as 'The Galleries'.
Charles Saatchi would be green with envy.
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F
La Fondue
Gorge on so-smooth fondues laced with kirsch, Génépi and chartreuse or (double gorge) chocolate. An assortment of raclettes and tartiflettes completes the mountain cheese feast.
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G
Natural History Museum
Can't make it out of town? Take a break from the cultural circuit and get in touch with nature at the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle. Alpine flora and fauna, a 'carnival of insects' and an aquarium are housed in an imposing neoclassical building overlooking leafy Jardin des Plantes (Botanical Garden).
reviewed
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H
Fort de la Bastille
These days, the strategic importance of Fort de la Bastille might have waned, but the city and mountain views it proffers are spectacular. Three viewpoint indicators explain the surrounding vistas (glimpse Mont Blanc on clear days) and panels maps out hiking trails, some of which lead down the hillside.
To get to the fort, hop aboard the riverside Téléphérique Grenoble Bastille. The ascent in egg-shaped pods, which climb 264m from the quay over the swift waters of the River Isère, is almost more fun than the fort itself. Unsurprisingly, it gets crowded in summer - leave early to avoid the worst queues.
reviewed