Bastille, Fortified complex on Mount Rachais, Grenoble, France
The stone fortress stands at 476 meters above sea level, featuring defensive walls, casemates, and observation points overlooking the Chartreuse mountain range.
General Haxo directed extensive renovations from 1824 to 1847, transforming the former military outpost into a robust installation with enhanced defensive capabilities.
The Mountain Troops Museum within the fortress documents the evolution of alpine warfare, displaying equipment and artifacts from 1888 to present day.
Visitors access the fortress via a cable car system from central Grenoble, operating continuously throughout the day and providing transport to multiple levels.
The fortress contains the Mandrin Caves, an underground network of passages that formed part of the original defense system against attacks from Savoy.
Location: Grenoble
Location: Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux
Architects: François-Nicolas-Benoît Haxo
Official opening: 14 century
Elevation above the sea: 491 m
Made from material: stone
Part of: Grenoble fortified belt
Address: Bastille 38000 Grenoble 38000
Website: https://bastille-grenoble.fr
GPS coordinates: 45.19895,5.72527
Latest update: May 27, 2025 13:14
Grenoble contains structures from various historical periods. The medieval Notre-Dame Cathedral stands near the modern Art Museum. The city features the Tour Perret tower, a spiral parking structure, and multiple religious buildings. The Bastille fortress overlooks the city center, while the cable car provides transport to its summit.
Grenoble, located in the French Alps, combines mountain scenery with urban architecture. The Bastille fort provides views across the region. The Museum of Grenoble displays French and European art collections. Paul Mistral Park and city gardens offer green spaces. Historic squares and museums document the regional heritage.
Around Grenoble, the mountains begin at the edge of the sidewalks. It only takes a few steps to leave the streets and reach a path that climbs toward the trees. Here, nature is never far away: it surrounds the city, observes it, invites it out. You climb the Bastille hill, cross the Chartreuse forests, follow the Isère river, or ascend toward the cliffs of the Petites Roches. The trails follow one another and are not alike: some are gentle, others more athletic, but all offer the same feeling of space and light. Between hikes, you discover parks, gorges, plateaus, and villages hanging over the valley. Grenoble lives to the rhythm of the seasons, hikers, and the wind in the pines. It is a city oriented towards the mountains, where each step takes you a little higher.
Grenoble offers numerous photography locations, from the Saint-Laurent Bridge over the Isère River to the Bastille fortress at 476 meters elevation. The city center includes the Victor Hugo square, the Dauphiné Parliament Palace from 1500, and the modern glass Museum. The medieval Saint-Laurent district presents stone houses along narrow streets. Parks and gardens provide natural settings with Alpine views.
Musée dauphinois
447 m
Passerelle Saint Laurent
612 m
Mont Jalla
566 m
Grenoble Archaeological Museum
500 m
Pont de Chartreuse
611 m
The Lion and Serpent fountain
516 m
Mémorial national des troupes de montagne
560 m
CCSTI de Grenoble
560 m
Musée des troupes de montagne
41 m
Pont Marius Gontard
635 m
Musée Dauphinois
443 m
Tour de l'Isle
644 m
Porte Saint-Laurent
521 m
Citadel bridge
578 m
Via ferrata de Grenoble
510 m
Sainte-Marie-d'en-Haut
454 m
Belvédère Vauban
28 m
Acrobastille
12 m
War memorial at the Bastille
163 m
Scenic viewpoint
529 m
Montée des Dauphins
455 m
Grotte de Mandrin
268 m
Via ferrata de Grenoble
599 m
Scenic viewpoint
179 m
Caserne Vinoy
637 m
Terrasse des Géologues
80 m
Quai Perrière
554 m
Fort Rabot
507 mReviews
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