As you stroll along the Cours Jean Jaurès, you might feel like you’ll never see the end of it. And no wonder. This 4.8-mile (7.8km) stretch of straight roadway – without a single roundabout in sight – is four times as long as the grand Champs-Élysées, which only measures a mere 1.1 miles (1.9km). But the route wasn’t always a road. At the end of the 17th century, it was the site of a shallow ditch, designed to hold back the Drac river, which regularly overflowed its banks. Even back then, Grenoble residents felt inclined to take a stroll along the path. Four centuries later and it’s still a popular place for leisurely promenades... and of course the odd well-deserved gourmet lunch break!
Read more
