Tuesday, May 12, 2015

What to do in Grenoble, France on a Sunday

If you are not from France you will be surprised by the fact that basically everything is closed in Grenoble on a Sunday. So don't expect a nice shopping day because the city will be sleepy and silent. These are the recommendations on how to spend a day in Grenoble on a Sunday.

  • Food. Do you need to visit the grocery store? They have open in the mornings and close by lunch. The absolute biggest one is Monoprix located in the mall Caserne Bonne. The Monoprix located at Rue Lafayette is also good but smaller. 
  • Food market. A nice activity can be to visit one of the food markets, I recommend you to go to the one located under the train rails at Rue Joseph Rey. Here you can find local farmers selling their harvest but also more international foods, grilled chickens, olives etc. Come here early! 9 am is OK, at noon its already closed. 
Local farmer selling at the market
  • Brunch or breakfast. There are a few places for brunch or breakfast but the nicest one is Pain et Cie, lots of people and you will feel like you are having a normal Sunday in any European city. 
  • Museum. The museum of Grenoble should be good ( I have not been there myself) in presenting art but please be aware that basically everything in the museum is in French. That they are open on Sunday's is a plus. 
The entrance of the museum
  • Cinema. To go to see movie is a good option on a Sunday! There are a few places but the cinema located at Chavant is the biggest. You don't have to book a ticket online, there are usually seats left over. Especially if you want to see the movies that don't have s voice cover in French. The English speaking movies has the note "VO". 
  • Have a walk. The city is very nice and as a newcomer you can fill you memory card in your camera during one day. I recommend to have a walk up to the Fort de la Bastille that is located on the hill above Grenoble. If you are sporty you walk/run the way up and if you are more convenient you take the "eggs". It's an amazing view from there over Grenoble.

 Houses of "Little Italy" and the eggs leading up the Fort Bastille
  • Go skiing. Grenoble is just 20 minutes away from the closest ski resort. The absolute easiest way to go skiing if you don't have a car is to buy a ticket that includes the bus ticket and ski pass with a reduced price. I found a really good website summarizing the options with all the links you will need. You can also visit skiligne directly. You purchase the ticket online, preferably in a few days in advance, Saturday's and Sunday's are popular ski days, and you print the ticket and bring it to the bus station where you pick up your ski pass before getting on the bus. Be there well in advance, sometimes there is a 30 min q to just pick up the ski pass, and you don't want to miss your bus. 

Me at Les Deux Alpes

So these where a few recommendations on how to spend a Sunday in Grenoble! If you have additional recommendations, please leave a comment for sharing! 

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