Grenoble, France

Grenoble is a city in south-eastern France situated at the foot of the French Alps where the Drac joins the Isère River. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère. The proximity of the mountains make the city named "Capital of Alps."

The history of the city encompasses a period of more than 2,000 years. Grenoble has been the capital of Dauphiné since the 11th century. The city experienced a period of economic expansion in the 19th and 20th centuries, symbolized by the holding of the X Olympic Winter Games in 1968. Nowadays, Grenoble is a significant scientific centre in Europe.
The population of the city of Grenoble at the 1999 census was 153,317 inhabitants (157,900 inhabitants estimated as of February 2004.) The population of the whole metropolitan area (French: aire urbaine) at the 1999 census was 514,559 inhabitants and 560,222 inhabitants at the 2007 estimate. The residents of the city are called Grenoblois. Among the numerous communes included are the city's largest suburbs, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, Échirolles, and Fontaine, each with a population exceeding 20,000 inhabitants.