Stendhal described Grenoble as having "a mountain at the end of every street."
International Living Postcards– your daily escape
Monday, Feb. 13, 2006
Grenoble, France
Dear International Living Reader,
I’m staying in Grenoble’s historic center, on a café-lined square called Place Grenette (in medieval times, a place of execution). My hotel balcony looks down onto an old-fashioned carousel–the merry-go-round horses and flying pigs still operate in winter. It’s around 25 degrees Fahrenheit during the day– trés shivery–but the morning fog usually clears to blue skies and sunshine.
In the Rhone-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the French Alps. Ringed by mountains, it’s a spectacularly pretty university city with a lively student population. In the early 19th century, the locally born diarist Stendhal described it as having "a mountain at the end of every street."
If you enjoy museums, bric-a-brac shops, and markets, it’s an appealing place. And everything is within walking distance: the funicular to the cliff-top Bastille fort…the Auberge Napoleon where Bonaparte stayed for three days…the Halle Sainte Claire covered market where small rounds of St. Marcellin cheese cost $1.20…the historic across-river district of Saint-Laurent where glove-makers once plied their trade…
The food is wonderful. I can recommend the plat du jour of peppered steak, fries, and green beans for 8 euro ($9.50) in Café Hermes, Avenue Alsace-Lorraine…and Le P’tite Ferme’s blowout menu: foie gras with onion jam, duck breast in lavender and honey sauce, followed by creme brulée for 28 euro ($33). You’ll find this cozy restaurant near Place Grenette, at 3 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Grenoble makes a great base for sampling different ski resorts–the 1968 Winter Olympics were held both here and at venues in nearby mountain villages. No need to hire a car with snow chains–returning around 5 p.m., special buses to various ski villages leave the gare routière (bus station) every day. But it means getting up early–to take full advantage of a day on the pistes, you’ll need to be at the bus station by 8 a.m. VFD (Voie Ferrée du Dauphiné), the local bus company offers combined bus and one-day ski passes.
Larger ski villages within 60 to 90 minutes from Grenoble include Alpe d’Huez, Les Deux Alpes, and Villard de Lans…plus, a dozen or so smaller ones–the nearest is Chamrousse. Although few of these local resorts feature on the international ski circuit, the advantage is that you won’t share the slopes with hordes of ski-package tourists. The Grenoblois mountains get busy around Christmas, during the main February ski season, and at weekends. Outside these peak times, it’s all yours.
Steenie Harvey
Roving Europe Editor, International Living
P.S. Grenoble sits in a valley, often dubbed "France’s Silicon Valley" as the city has attracted a number of high-tech industries. But it’s still tough finding a street where you cannot see those glorious alpine peaks. This is a wealthy city, and most apartments cost $220 to $330 per square foot. However, around place Victor Hugo, in the heart of the city center, they can reach $440 per square foot. One helpful English-speaking real estate agent is Stephan Raul of Yves Lorinquer Immobilier, 14 avenue Alsace Lorraine; tel. +(33) (0) 4 7687-1010.
Editor’s Note: Could you write a Postcard like this one? As a freelance travel writer, you have the opportunity to visit the world’s most romantic, exciting, and offbeat destinations. It’s easier than you think to get started–here’s how Steenie did it.
