Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, situated at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère. The proximity of the mountains has led to the city being known as the “Capital of the Alps.” Grenoble’s history encompasses a period of more than 2,000 years, and the city has been the capital of the Dauphiné since the 11th century. Grenoble experienced a period of economic expansion in the nineteenth and 20th centuries, which is symbolized by the holding of the X Olympic Winter Games in 1968. The city is now a significant scientific center in Europe. Grenoble hosts several festivals: the Grenoble Jazz Festival in March, the Open Air Short Film Festival in early July, and the Cabaret Frappé music festival at the end of July.
The population of the city (commune) of Grenoble is at 156,000 inhabitants. The population of the Grenoble urban unit is at 428,000 inhabitants. The population of the Grenoble metropolitan area is at 531,000 inhabitants. The residents of the city are called “Grenoblois”. Among the numerous communes that make up Grenoble are the city’s largest suburbs, Saint-Martin-d’Hères, Échirolles, and Fontaine, each with a population exceeding 20,000 inhabitants.
The presence of a large international community of both foreign students and foreign researchers prompted the creation of an international school more than a decade ago. The Cité Scolaire Internationale Europole (CSI Europole) was formerly situated downtown in the Lycée International Stendhal across from the Maison du Tourisme. Grenoble is now an important university center with more than 60,000 students, including 16% from abroad. Many fundamental and applied scientific research laboratories are conjointly managed by Joseph Fourier University, Grenoble Institute of Technology, and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Numerous other scientific laboratories are managed independently or in collaboration with the CNRS and the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (INRIA). Other research centers in or near Grenoble include the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), and one of the Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (Nuclear Energy Commission)(CEA) main research facilities.
The Summum is the biggest concert hall in Grenoble, and the most famous artists produce there. Another big hall, Le grand angle, is located nearby in Voiron. Smaller halls in the city include the Salle Olivier Messiaen. The main cultural center of the city is called MC2 (for Maison de la culture, version 2), which hosts music, theater, and dance performances. There are several theaters in Grenoble, the main one being Grenoble Municipal Theater (Théatre de Grenoble). Others are the Théâtre de Création, the Théâtre Prémol, and the Théâtre 145. There are two main art centers in Grenoble: the Centre national d’Art contemporain (also called Le Magasin) and the Centre d’art Bastille.
