The city of Grenoble, in a valley at the foot of the French Alps, is known for its beautiful scenery.

It is located in southeastern France, where the Drac and Isère  rivers meet.

While Grenoble is surrounded by mountains, it is said to be the flattest city in all of France.

Tourists can get a striking view of the two rivers, the mountains and the city itself from the Fort de la Bastille, at the northern end of Grenoble. You must take a bubble-shaped cable car to get to the fort, which is 850 feet (260 meters) high.

Place St André, in Grenoble's Old Quarter, contains the Palais de Justice and the Church of St André. A statue of the French knight Bayard is located at the center of Place St André. Bayard's tomb lies in the church.

There are many museums in Grenoble.

The Musée de Grenoble contains modern artwork as well as art going back to the 13th century.

Grenoble has a Museum devoted to the French Resistance during World War II.

In the Jardin de la Ville, there is a museum celebrating the works of the writer Stendhal, who was born in Grenoble.

History

2,000 years ago, Grenoble was a Celtic settlement.

When the Romans came, they built a wall around Grenoble and built a bridge across the Isére. Remnants of the Roman wall are still standing today.

Grenoble was never very important to the Romans; throughout the Middle Ages, it remained very small.

At the end of the 19th century, the engineer Aristide Bergés, who was from Grenoble, installed a turbine to power his paper mill, which was located in just outside the city. This as the first time that water had been used to produce electricity.

As other industries in Grenoble began using hydropower, it became more industrialized and its population increased.