You Are Here – Grenoble

As I’ve mentioned in my previous post, there are more mugs from France waiting for their turn to be reviewed. You Are Here Grenoble is one of them.
Grenoble is located at the foot of the French Alps and is sometimes called the “Capital of the Alps”. Here are some quick interesting facts you probably didn’t know about Grenoble:
– it was named the European Green Capital in 2022
– it is one of the most important research, technology, and innovation hubs in Europe. Almost 20% of Grenoble’s population work in one of these fields.
– Grenoble hosted the “X Olympic Winter Games” in 1968. These were the first games when the International Olympic Committee ordered drug and gender testing for competitors
More symbols and landmarks from the design of the mug:
– The city streets are shown with the mountains covered in snow in the background. And while Grenoble is mostly located in the valley of the two rivers Sère and Drac and hence is completely flat, it is closely surrounded by mountain ranges: the Chartreuse on the North, the Vercors on the South and the West, and the Belledonne on the East. Dozens of ski resorts are within 20 min drive range, which make Grenoble an attractive winter sports lovers destination.
– The Fountain of The Three Orders on the front of the mug commemorates the “Day of the Roof Tiles,” which paved the way for the French Revolution.
– The Grenoble-Bastille cable car (Téléphérique de Grenoble Bastille) a.k.a. “Les Bulles” (the bubbles), connects the city center with the Bastille, a former fortress overlooking the city. Make no mistake, it was a famous Bastille (the Bastille Saint-Antoine) in Paris that was stormed by a crowd on 14 July 1789. It later became the symbol of the French Revolution. The smaller and less known Bastille in Grenoble is still the most visited tourist attraction of the city. The views of the city from atop the eponymous hill are just amazing and well worth the trip.
– Ravioles du Dauphiné a.k.a. Ravioles de Romans are made off of two layers of pasta filled with Comté or French Emmental cheese (cottage cheese made with milk, butter, and parsley).
– Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is a blue cheese made from a mix of warm, raw fresh milk and last night’s cow milk.
– Noix de Grenoble is a variety of walnuts cultivated in this region that has unique quality and taste and is an important ingredient of the local cuisine.