Historic Center: Grenoble

The streets of Grenoble's old town wind through medieval apartment buildings, bourgeois townhouses, and café-lined squares. Protective ramparts encircled this neighborhood starting in the 3rd century and today little bronze medallions, encrusted in the streets, retrace the ancient wall's position.

The old city center is also where you will find Stendhal's childhood home, the Place du Tribunal Place Notre Dame, and behind the sober facades, Renaissance-style courtyards. Today, most of the area is accessible only to pedestrians, making for a pleasant afternoon stroll through history. The narrow streets can get crowded on Saturdays, however, as popular shops and cafés fill the neighborhood today.

The Musée de Grenoble is next to the historic center, as is the Musée de l'Ancien Evêché (Old Bishop's Palace Museum). Here, visitors can see conserved parts of the 3rd century ramparts and the city's first baptismal font that dates from the 4th century. © NileGuide