Grenoble Off The Beaten Path

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Parc des Champs Elysées ou parc Bachelard
Il est composé de deux parties : un côté (avenue Albert Reynier) est aménagé en parc urbain, l'autre côté (Technisud) offre un aspect plus naturel, l'herbe n'est fauchée que deux fois l'an. Le parc est agrémenté d'un parcours sportif de 1,5 km avec 23 exercices.

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Depuis 1932, année de sa création, le parc Paul Mistral n'a cessé de voir sa surface se réduire au profit de l'urbanisation.
Aujourd'hui, la Ville de Grenoble a souhaité que cet espace de verdure soit pleinement restitué aux Grenoblois et aux habitants de l'agglomération.

L'objectif
Il s'agit de concilier les usages d'un parc urbain déjà équipé et la nécessité de préserver et de développer des espaces libres de détente et de tranquillité.
Cet objectif a été soumis à la consultation de tous les Grenoblois en mai 2004 afin d'enrichir le travail du comité de pilotage (Elus et techniciens de la Ville de Grenoble, Grenoble Alpes Métropole (La Métro), Services de l'Etat (DDE, DIREN et ABF), Villes de Saint-Martin-d'Hères et de la Tronche, Conseils consultatifs des secteurs 1, 2, 3, 4 et 5, Unions de Quartier Centre-ville, Bajatière, Abbaye-Jouhaux, Notre-Dame et Mutualité Préfecture, Association LAHGGLO, Associations environnementalistes et patrimoniales : Frapna, Patrimoine et Développement, ADTC, Patrimoine et Territoire...) et d'éclairer le conseil municipal qui, en juillet 2004, a choisit l'équipe de paysagistes (bureau Alexandre Chemetoff) appelée à concevoir le projet d'extension et d'embellissement.

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Avec 21 hectares dont 13,8 végétalisés, il est le plus vaste de la ville. Ce patrimoine paysager est un élément essentiel du cadre vie des habitants du centre-ville. Des études engagées depuis 1999 pour l'extension et la requalification du Parc Paul Mistral ont conduit au choix du projet d’extension proposé par le cabinet Chemetoff. L'idée principale est la reconquête des terrains situés à l'Est du parc pour créer une continuité avec les espaces naturels de la commune de la Tronche.

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I went for half a day in the Vercore. The mountain is nice and in there, there is a nice cave called Les Grottes de Choranches. The visit is nice, in group. Even the kids are alert and interested. The guide was good :)

The "Cuves de Sassenage" (the Sassenage cisterns) are one of the seven marvels of the Dauphiné. They are a cave in which flows a strong torrent, the Furon. It has been shown that they were the bottom of the famous Gouffre Berger, one of the deepest in the world but no man connection has been made between both. The opening is in the city of Sassenage ans can be reached easily from down town Grenoble, by the tram. The legend says that the fairy Mélusine is hiding in the caves. The name of "Cuves" comes from the several "Marmites de géant" (potholes) carved by the torrent.
Open every day except Mondays from April 1st to October 31st.
In July and August guided visits from 10h to 18h.
For more on the Cuves de Sassenage, visit the web site of the Office du Tourisme.

Saint Hilaire du Touvet plateau can be reached easily by an impressing 80 years old "funiculaire" in perfect condition, that starts in the valley and brings you in 20 minutes on the plateau, 700 m higher. It is the steepest railway of Europe (83%).
For more on the Funiculaire, visit their web site.
On the "Plateau des Petites Roches", you can hike on one of the numerous trails with an outstanding landscape. But this is also the best taking off ground in Europe for free flight, paragliding, etc

Every year, an International Festival, the Icarus cup takes place for 4 days with 80,000 visitors, 8,000 pilots. The 32nd edition will take place in 2005 from september 22nd through 25th
Cost: 2 day pass €5; gala night €6

Borroughed from the Coupe Icare web site :

The Icare Festival in Saint-Hilaire du Touvet, now in its 30th year, offers an incredible variety of vehicles in which to travel by air. From the humble paper plane to the hot-air balloon, anything that relies on the whims of nature to fly is represented.
Created in 1974, the Coupe Icare (Icarus Cup) is the oldest 'free flight' manifestation in the world. It assembles more than 7000 para and hang-gliders from all over the world. During the event the 1,300 inhabitants of the village see the population increase 20 times over for four days!
Many different competitions and activities are on show. Some are educational, like the children's village, while others such as the aerial acrobatics and hot air balloons are spectacular. Then there's the crazy and much celebrated aerial disguises...
The competition for the best disguise is undoubtedly the highpoint of the Coupe Icare. It is both funny and poetic, giving full rein to the most extravagant ideas. A flying Eiffel Tower four metres high, a dragonfly six metres long, etc. Whether they are individual or team efforts, the disguises are prepared months before. There is no limit to participants' imagination, but always the nagging question, "Will it fly?"

In the French Alps, 50 km south to Grenoble, 170 km both from Geneva and from Nice, along the Route des Alpes (N75/E712) the Mont Aiguille (Needle mount) stands as a separated part of the Vercors cliffs. The legend says that goddesses, chased from the Olympus seeked shelter but where surprised, naked by Ibicus. Jupiter, in anger changed the peeping Ibicus into an ibex and separated the mount from the remaining of the Vercors. In the Middle Age, Higher ans steeper mountains of central Alps were mostly unknown while it was its base was easily reached, which made it famous. At that time, it has often been drawn in a fantastic way. In 1490, on the occasion of a pilgrimage, King Charles VIII saw it and required Antoine de Ville, to climb it. He did it in June 1492 under the close watch of a bailiff that made an official report to the king. Antoine de Ville, a specialist of climbing strongholds, lead a group with two priests, an "escalleur du roi" ("laderrist" of the king), a carpenter, a church stone cutter and some locals. All these specialists were used to work in elevation and used the technics they practiced in their job : ladders, ropes and grapnels. They stayed several days on the summit meadow, built a small stone chapel, erected 3 crosses and gave several masses. It is considered as the first alpinism climbing.
On August 27th 1957, Henri Giraud, a master of mountain flying landed on top of the Mont Aiguille in a small plane, a Piper J 3. Altogether, between 1957 and 1975, he landed 53 times on the summit.
If you want to know more on the %Lmontaiguille.free.fr/Mont Aiguille, you can visit this website or the other one, also on the Mont Aiguille

Route Napoléon is N85, a mountain road that links Grenoble to Gap and the Mediterranean and offers superb landscapes. As its name says, it was the route followed by Napoléon when he escaped from the isle of Elbe where he was imprisoned to recover his throne.
Driving from Grenoble, you pass first by Vizille, its castle and museum of the Revolution and then have to climb the famous "Côte de Vizille". It is the steepest main road in France. If you climb it, be sure that you car will not overheat. That happens to many! If you drive down, take extreme care, use the motor brake, drive slowly. Numerous road signs remind that. In the past, there has been several accidents involving busses, trucks or cars that have run brakeless. It is now strictely forbidden to busses and trucks.
On top, the small village of Laffrey (250 inh) and the 3 lacs de Laffrey (Laffrey lakes) : Grand Lac, Lac Mort and lac de Petichet. There are several beaches. Bathing and sailing brings every week end a lot of citizens from Grenoble. However, do not forget that the elevation is close to 1000m and the water is never very warm.
On the "Prairie du Retour" (Meadow of the way back) stands the statue of Napoleon. It is the place where he met with the army coming from Grenoble and which was supposed to arrest him and instead, backed him.