The Grenoble Area

Grenoble sits on the alluvial plain of the River Isere at an altitude of around 214 meters. The city is surrounded by mountains: to the north is the Chartreuse chain, to the west is the Vercors, and to the east is the Belledonne range. Grenoble is often visited by the Tour de France and has been called the "capital of the Alps". Mountain sports are an important tourist draw for the city. Twenty ski stations surround the city, the nearest being Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse, which is about 15 minutes' drive away. Chamrouse, 1800 m is visible from downtown and may be reached within 45 minutes. Day-trips to many of the local ski resorts are available by bus from the downtown bus station (Gare Routier).

Film on Student life in Grenoble

To learn about student life in Grenoble, please see the this film.

Education and research in the city

The presence of a large international community through both foreign students and foreign researchers has prompted the creation of an international school more than a decade ago. The Cité Scolaire Internationale Europole (CSI Europole) was formerly situated downtown in the Lycée International Stendhal, across from the Maison du Tourisme. In 2003 the CSI moved to its present location, near the train station. Originally only four language sections were available: German, Spanish, Italian and English, but Portuguese and an Arabic section have also been added. It is now one of France's best secondary education centres.

The University of Grenoble was created by Pope Benedict XII in 1339. On 25 July 1339, the Dauphin Humbert II (the counts of Dauphiné bore the title of Dauphin) drew up a charter of the privileges granted to the students at Grenoble, promulgated measures to attract them, and stipulated that the university should give instruction in civil and canon law, medicine, and the arts.

Grenoble is now a major scientific center, especially in the fields of physics, computer science and applied mathematics: Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) is one of the leading French scientific universities while Grenoble Institute of Technology (INPG) trains each year more than 1,000 engineers in high-tech areas. In fact, many fundamental and applied scientific research laboratories are conjointly managed by Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institute of Technology and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Numerous other scientific laboratories are managed solely or in collaboration by CNRS and the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (INRIA).