Jardins des Dauphins

The Dauphins gardens

A green stop on the Grenoble audio-guided tour, the Dauphins gardens mark the starting point of the GR 9 for the Isere and Savoie section, a trail of more than a thousand kilometres linking the Jura to the Mediterranean. They are set in the former fortifications of Lesdiguieres.

Lesdiguieres and Dolle

Lesdiguieres, the last Constable of France, supreme head of the army, took Grenoble from the Catholics at the end of the sixteenth century, during the wars of religion, and ordered many changes, including this fortification on the Bastille hill. In 1785, the wealthy Isere merchant Jean-Baptiste Dolle bought this piece of rock and undertook, at great expense, to lay it out as a garden.

What to see

A true arboretum on the hillside, the gardens offer a stunning view of Grenoble and begin the climb to the Bastille. One also comes across the Porte de France, a remnant of the Lesdiguieres rampart. Stroll among the varied species, between nature and the history of the fortifications.

Practical information

The Dauphins gardens are at the foot of the Bastille hill, in Grenoble. Freely accessible, they can be discovered according to their opening hours, to be checked depending on the season.

Who was Lesdiguieres ?

The last Constable of France, who took Grenoble and fortified the Bastille hill in the sixteenth century.

What is found in the Dauphins gardens ?

An arboretum, a stunning view of Grenoble and the Porte de France, a remnant of the fortifications.