In my very first week in Grenoble, I realized I was definitely not in Colorado anymore. Simply by walking along the main streets of the city, I could see the Isère River flowing along the bike paths and under the bridges. All while looking up at the 360-degree scenery of mountains around me. Grenoble is a unique city that offers the benefits of a temperate climate in a flat valley, with access to mountain peaks towering over 10,000 feet.
I was lucky enough to have a field course during my first semester of classes, where we ventured deeper into the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. I was able to see the cliffs of the Oisans Valley carved out by glaciers, the rivers that shaped the landscape, and then return to the city built in that same valley.
The highest point in the city of Grenoble is on top of La Bastille, which is a military fort built on a hill overlooking the Grenoble metropolitan area. There is a hiking trail that leads to the top. Every time I climb the stairs and make it to the top, I look out over the sprawl of the city, see the flow of the river, and the mountain peaks in the distance.
