Our insider guide to Grenoble
Top restaurant
On a fine day, there’s no place better than Canopy (a short distance south of the city centre), whose rooftop has a 360-degree panorama of the surrounding mountains. A three-course lunch menu costs just €22 (£19). In town, the pocket-sized bistrot Et Si uses fresh, seasonal produce and there are always great vegetarian dishes.
Top activity
In Grenoble, it has to be an active activity. Canoe Grenoble runs guided evening kayaking trips on the River Isère in the heart of the city, taking in the buildings that are lit up as dusk falls and the brooding silhouette of the surrounding mountains.
Where to stay
For adrenaline junkies, nothing beats spending a night in a tent suspended from a cliff face: the brand new camping experience proposed by the École de Porte. The views pale in comparison with this, but if you’d prefer not to spend the night dangling over the void, my favourite Grenoble hotel is Art Deco 1924. It’s just minutes from the train station and doubles start from €87 (£73) a night, with breakfast.
How to get there
Seasonal flights (December to April) serve Grenoble Isère Airport from Bristol, Gatwick and Luton. Year-round, direct train services run from Paris Gare de Lyon, taking three hours. Fares from London St Pancras to Grenoble, via Paris, booked through the Trainline, start from £61, one way.