Grenoble

Sister cities

• Corato
• Sfax
• Pécs
• Suzhou
• Oxford
• Cairo
• Chișinău
• Phoenix
• Stendal
• Irkutsk
• Bethlehem
• Ouagadougou

History

The first references to what is now Grenoble date back to 43 BC. Cularo was at that time a village of the Allobroges Gallic tribe, near a bridge across the Isère. Three centuries later and with insecurity rising in the late Roman Empire, a strong wall was built around the small town in 286 AD. The Emperor Gratian visited Cularo and, touched by the people's welcome, made the village a Roman city. In honour of this, Cularo was renamed Gratianopolis ("city of Gratian") in 381. Through regular historical sound shifts, this later became Graignovol during the Middle Ages, and this then became Grenoble. Christianity spread to the region during the 4th century, and the diocese of Grenoble was founded in 377 AD. From that time on, the bishops exercised significant political power over the city. Until the French Revolution, they styled themselves the "bishops and princes of Grenoble". After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the city became part of the first Burgundian kingdom in the 5th century and of the later Kingdom of Burgundy until 1032, when it was integrated into the Holy Roman Empire. The Burgundian rule was interrupted between 942 and 970 by Arab rule based in Fraxinet. Grenoble grew significantly in the 11th century when the Counts of Albon chose the city as the capital of their territories. Their possessions at the time were a patchwork of several territories sprawled across the region, and the central position of Grenoble allowed the Counts to strengthen their authority. When they later adopted the title of "Dauphins", Grenoble became the capital of the State of Dauphiné. Despite their status, the Counts had to share authority over the city with the Bishop of Grenoble. One of the most famous of those was Saint Hugh. Under his rule, the city's…

Geography

Grenoble is surrounded by mountains. To the north lies the Chartreuse, to the south and west the Vercors, and to the east the Belledonne range. Grenoble is regarded as the capital of the French Alps. It is the centre of the Grenoble urban unit (agglomeration). Except for a few dozen houses on the slopes of the Bastille hill of Chartreuse, Grenoble is exclusively built on the alluvial plain of the rivers Isère and Drac at an altitude of . As a result, the city itself is extremely flat. Mountain sports are an important tourist attraction in summer and winter. Twenty large and small ski resorts surround the city, the nearest being Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse, which is about 15 minutes away by car. Historically, Grenoble and the surrounding areas were heavy industry and mining sites. Abandoned mills and factories can be found in small towns and villages, and a few have been converted to tourist attractions, such as the coal mine at La Mure. The climate in Grenoble is much gloomier than in the Mediterranean region, although less so than in Northern France. Rainfall is quite heavy by French standards, although the number of rainy days is relatively moderate. As a result of winter lows averaging below freezing, snowfall also occurs, although the Grenoble Airport area itself is too mild to sustain a snowpack all winter, unlike the surrounding mountains. The record low of decisively indicates the continental influence, being colder than records in typical maritime climates. Winter nights are also colder than in all other French lowland areas. Different weather stations report significant variation in climate. Grenoble Airport, located northwest of the city, has a range from temperate continental climate to oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb, Trewartha: Dc, Do) depending on the…

Most-observed species

• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,951
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,915
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,283
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,275
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,235
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,973
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,412
• Eurasian Blackcap

  Sylvia atricapilla (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,301

Most recent

• M 3.3 — 2025-05-06
  8 km W of Chapareillan, France
• M 4.5 — 2022-03-12
  3 km S of Faverges, France
• M 3.2 — 2017-11-17
  10 km NNE of Saint-Rémy-de-Maurienne, France
• M 3.4 — 2013-04-06
  1 km SSW of Poisy, France
• M 4.1 — 2013-01-07
  7 km SE of Saint-Martin-de-Queyrières, France
• M 4.3 — 2010-06-30
  3 km NW of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, France