Grenoble, << gruh NOH buhl >> (pop. 158,180; met. area pop. 687,985) is a manufacturing city in southeastern France. It is the capital of the Isere department (administrative district). Grenoble lies along the Isere River in a valley of the French Alps.
The beauty of the nearby Alps, skiing areas there, and numerous medieval buildings in Grenoble attract many tourists to the city. Grenoble’s landmarks include the University of Grenoble, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and the Church of St. Andre. Grenoble is the chief manufacturing center of its region. Its products include cement, chemicals, metals, plastics, processed foods, textiles, and turbines. The city is a major producer of hydroelectric power. It also has many scientific laboratories and ranks as one of France’s leading centers of scientific research.
The Gauls, an ancient European people, had founded a village on the site of what is now Grenoble by 400 B.C. From the 1100’s to the 1300’s, the city was the capital of the independent state of Dauphiné. Grenoble served as the site of the 1968 Winter Olympics.
