When we’ve been in major US cities such as Denver, Phoenix, and Las Vegas, I was always fascinated by standing on the sidewalk downtown and being able to see the mountains in the distance. Even when we lived in Los Angeles that worked for the San Gabriel range, on a clear day, of course. In Carcassonne we can get a good view of the Pyrenees when we’re over in the medieval walled cité, as the photo in this paragraph illustrates. The view from above the Isère river—a scene like the one in the featured photo across the top above, which Bill would eventually capture himself—was all the motivation we needed to visit Grenoble.

Since we were already in the Alps, the logical place to start the tour was a spot high above the city. To get up 263 meters/863 feet (about 80 stories) to the fort on top of the Bastille mountain, there are two options: walking uphill for an hour over pathways, steps, and a spiral staircase or riding the aerial tramway for 4 minutes. Once you’ve paid the 9.60€ roundtrip fare, you’re treated to 360-degree views from the “bubbles”, the nickname for these round plexiglass cars that replaced the more traditional ski lift cabins that started service in 1935. The military fortification at the top was largely constructed in the 19th century, although fortifications on the site date back to the 1500s.

We’ve visited many churches across the country that are often described as being “built on top of the ruins of” another religious building constructed centuries before. The Saint-Laurent Archaeological Museum, housed inside a 12th century Romanesque church, actually shows you those ruins. Through clear glass floors, you can see the 6th-century crypt and a funerary basilica as if you were still on a dig. The floor of the 12th-century church was removed to give visitors a view of all of the architectural layers.

Depending on the situation, the French verb “flâner” might be translated as “to stroll, or to wander” but always aimlessly with no specific destination in mind. In any city, our favorite place to do this is in “old town” and that’s where we headed next. The Vieille Ville is a maze of narrow, cobblestone streets that are mostly pedestrian-only, opening onto café-lined squares. The most notable of these were Place aux Herbes with its daily open-air market, Place de Gordes known for its outdoor dining, and the fountain at the main square, Place Grenette. From there we passed the 13th century Cathedral Notre-Dame paired with the Episcopal Palace from the same era, now classified as a Monument Historique. Last stop was the second oldest café in France, Café de la Table Ronde, that’s been in operation since 1739. Their website says that only Le Procope in Paris is older, having opened in 1686.

True to its name, the Museum of the Resistance and Deportation concentrates on both those who were fighting fascism in World War II and those who were imprisoned without due process by the government and sent to concentration/death camps. The chilling story is told with original documents like propaganda posters and forged ids, representations of a resistance café and a rendezvous apartment, and first-hand accounts of the oppressed.

Grenoble was named a European Green Capital in 2022 with one study saying that over half of the city is a “green urban area” when you add in private gardens and surrounding forests. Two parks that we visited were Jardin de Ville, right in old town and the 30-hectare (99 acres) Jardin des Dauphins where we were surprised to see palm trees and bananas growing in the wild. 

With our city adventure complete, we could now move on into the countryside for two day trips to visit some nearby towns. That’s next time on the blog.