Grenoble is a city of around 158,000 inhabitants located near the French Alps. The climate is quite cold in winter, with days of snow almost every year. Summers are known to be hot, as mountains surrounding the town stop any wind. The town is renowned for its scientific research centers, including Minatec and the Synchotron and universities. The city hosts a relatively large population of foreign scientists and students . Grenoble is crossed by two rivers, the Drac and the Isère , and is surrounded by three mountain chains, the Vercors, Chartreuse and Belledonne.