The City
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Although the fort is of little interest, the view is fantastic. At your feet the Isère flows under the old bridges which join the St-Laurent quarter, colonized by Italian immigrants in the nineteenth century, to the nucleus of the medieval town, whose red roofs cluster tightly around the church of St-André. To the east, snowfields gleam in the gullies of the Belledonne massif (2978m). Southeast is Taillefer and south-southeast the dip where the Route Napoléon passes over the mountains to Sisteron and the Mediterranean – this is the road Napoléon took after his escape from Elba in March 1815 on his way to rally his forces for the campaign that led to his final defeat at Waterloo. To the west are the steep white cliffs of the Vercors massif; the highest peak, dominating the city, is Moucherotte (1901m). The jagged summits at your back are the outworks of the Chartreuse massif. Northeast on a clear day you can see the white peaks of Mont Blanc up the deep glacial valley of the Isère, known as La Grésivaudan. It was in this valley that the first French hydroelectric project went into action in 1869. For heading back into town, a path down through the public gardens offers an alternative to the cable car.

Upstream from the téléférique station is the sixteenth-century Palais de Justice (open to the public), with place St-André and the church of St-André behind. Built in the thirteenth century, the church once served as the palace chapel of the princes of Dauphiné, though it has been heavily restored since, and today is of little architectural interest. Meanwhile, the narrow streets leading towards places Grenette, Vaucanson and Verdun pass through the liveliest and most colourful quarter of the city. Life focuses on a chain of little squares – aux Herbes, Claveyson, de Gordes, Grenette and Notre-Dame – where people congregate at the numerous cafés and restaurants. The small produce market (Tues–Sun 6am–1pm) on place aux Herbes is a great place to stock up on inexpensive local produce.

Close to place St-André, in the former town hall at 1 rue Hector-Berlioz, in the corner of the Jardin de Ville gardens, is the Musée Stendhal (mid-July to mid-Sept Tues–Sat 9am–noon & 2–6pm; mid-Sept to mid-July Tues–Sat 2–6pm, closed all hols; free), with a couple of somnolent rooms containing family portraits and manuscripts associated with the author, who was born in Grenoble as Marie-Henri Beyle. You can also visit his grandfather's house, where he spent his childhood, at 20 Grand-Rue, just off place Grenette (same hours; free).

On the east side of the bustling place Notre-Dame, Grenoble's most interesting museum, L'Ancien Évêché (Mon & Wed–Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 10am–7pm; 3.20), housed in the old bishop's palace, offers a brisk tour through Grenoble's history from the Stone Age to the twentieth century. The remains of the Roman town walls and a fifth century baptistry are on show in the basement, while among the prized exhibits upstairs, are Neolithic jade jewellery, Bronze Age weapons and a wealth of Roman artefacts, including a colourful mosaic floor panel, decorated with a pair of parrots.

Nearby, on the riverbank at 5 place de Lavalette is the Musée de Grenoble, (July–Sep Mon & Wed–Sun 10am–6pm, Wed 10am–9pm; Oct–June Mon & Wed–Sun 11am–7pm, Wed 11am–10pm; 4), an enormous modern complex housing a gallery of mainly contemporary art. The building itself is impressive, but the collection is uneven, though many major schools of painting are represented, including a few works by Rubens and Canaletto. The best rooms are those of nineteenth- and twentieth-century artists (for example, Gauguin, Chagal and Matisse), but the contemporary section is marked by the mediocre work of local artists. On the opposite bank of the Isère, the Musée Archéologique Église St-Laurent, on place St-Laurent (Mon & Wed–Sun 9am–noon & 2–6pm; 3.20; free entry Wed afternoon), gives a fascinating insight into the history of the city, as you descend through various stages of excavations in this former church, passing through an early Christian necropolis, an eighth-century crypt and a high medieval cloister. A few minutes to the west, lying up a steep cobbled path opposite the St-Laurent footbridge, the Musée Dauphinois, 30 rue Maurice-Gignoux (May-Oct Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-7pm; rest of year 10am-6pm 3.20), housed in the former convent of Ste-Marie-d'en-Haut, is largely devoted to the history, arts and crafts of the province of Dauphiné. There are exhibits on the lives of the rugged and self-sufficient mountain people, including mock-ups of the modest rustic homes that they shared with their animals during the seven-month long winters. There's also an exhibition illustrating the history of skiing, and, in the basement, a splendid Baroque chapel, with grey and gold wall paintings depicting episodes from the New Testament and scenes from the life of St-François-de-Sales, who founded the convent in the seventeenth century.

To the south of the old town, standing among the fine trees of the Jardin des Plantes is the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle (Mon–Fri 9.30am–noon & 1.30–5.30pm, Sat-Sun 2–6pm; 2.20). It has a marvellous collection, including all the Alpine birds of prey and an aquarium. Wedged between the park and the old town at 14 rue Hébert is the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation (July & Aug Mon & Wed-Sun 10am–7pm; Sept–June Mon & Wed–Fri 9am–6pm, Sat & Sun 10am–6pm; 3.20), with a touching exhibition of photographs and memorabilia from the brutal Nazi occupation of the Dauphiné.