Grenoble Hotels

Maison de la Montagne

Come to the Maison de la Montagne for all the information you need to plan your mountain-based itinerary. Activities found here include skiing, glacier hiking, ice climbing on frozen waterfalls, hiking, mountain climbing, mountain biking, rock climbing, canyoning, paragliding, nature walks and caving. The knowledgeable staff provide you with weather and avalanche bulletins, help plan overnight mountain stays and sell you the right maps and topoguides.

Fort de la Bastille

For great views, an amazing fort and a 45-minute walk down to the city, take the Téléphérique Grenoble-Bastille up to the massive hilltop fortress, built to defend France in the early 1800s.

The views are spectacular, and on clear days you can see the peaks of the Vercors and even Mont Blanc. Up here also is the Musée des Troupes de Montagne, a fascinating museum about France's elite Alpine regiments, established in 1888.

The fort complex has five eateries, great for supplying the energy needed either for attempting one of the walking trails that start and pass by here or, if you dare, Acrobastille described below.

Acrobastille

Adrenalin junkies need to stay on the Fort de la Bastille and hop on one of Acrobastille's two 300m-long zip lines. Next, plunge into the caving simulator and try out the new Mission Bastille, a labyrinth worthy of Indiana Jones. Safety is assured by special carabiners.

Food, drink and entertainment

There are so many eateries, bars, clubs and Grenoble hotels, you are really spoilt for choice, but here are a couple of ideas:

Try Le Tord Boyeaux on Rue Auge Gaché, a unique establishment featuring 43 vins aromatisés (flavoured wines) that you drink on the rocks, at €2.50 each. Choose from violette (violet), chataigne (chestnut), Génépi-fraise (Génépi-strawberry), mangue pimentée (spicy mango) and many more. Visit on Tuesdays at 7pm to see how many your taste buds can recognise, and your constitution will allow.

MC2 (Maison de la Culture), situated 2.5km south of the centre, is Grenoble's most dynamic venue for theatre, dance, opera, jazz and other types of music. To get there, take tram line A to the 'MC2 – Maison de la Culture' stop.

At Chez Mémé Paulette, old books, milk jugs, mess tins and other knick-knacks fill the shelves, attracting a young crowd to its Boho atmosphere and wallet-friendly menu. Here you can buy soups, hot and cold open sandwiches and the popular house speciality, meat and cheese baked in a cocotte (small casserole), at only €6.

Alternatively at L'Épicurien, Place aux Herbes, swap knick-knacks for chandeliers, leather banquettes, exposed stone and a twisting wrought-iron staircase in a chic split-level restaurant. An aperitif at the bar whets your appetite for dishes such as creamy gratin dauphinois and herb-crusted lamb.