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Grenoble (population 160,000) is a city in south-east France,
situated at the foot of the Alps, at the confluence of the Drac into the Isère. It is the préfecture (capital) of the Isère
département. Population of the metropolitan area (in French:
aire urbaine) at the 1999 census was 514,559.
Grenoble is a major scientific center, especially in the fields of physics,
computer science and applied mathematics. The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and several laboratories of the
Centre National
de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en
Automatique (INRIA) and the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique are located in Grenoble.
Grenoble is surrounded by mountains: to the north the Chartreuse, to the west the Vercors, and
to the east the Belledonne range.
Grenoble is famous for its walnuts, for which it enjoys an appelation of controlled origin.
In 1968, Grenoble hosted the Winter Olympic Games. See 1968
Winter Olympics
Grenoble may be accessed by bus or train direct from Lyon Airport ( circa 1 hour).
Grenoble is also famous for its Italian quarter and ski lift.
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