France > France regions > Languedoc-Roussillon > Herault > Montpellier
Montpellier
Montpellier is found in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, 10 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean.
Montpellier has a reputable university, which has played a large part in the town itself, keeping it young and vibrant. It is quite a sizable town, with more than 250,000 inhabitants, and is said to be the fasting growing city in France.
A nice, clean, attractive city, there are several interesting places to visit in Montpellier. There are numerous fountains, gardens, buildings and monuments to discover as you explore - many not in themselves especially important, but each contributing to the appeal of the city as a whole.
The focus of the city is around the large open, tree-lined areas of the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle and the Place de la Comedie, and in the narrow streets of the old town to the north and west of these boulevards.
The exuberant 'Opera comedie' stands at one end of the Place de la Comedie, with the Fontaine des Trois Graces in front of it. The oval shaped Place de la Comedie and surrounding boulevards contain some impressive and grand 19th century townhouses.
Montpellier old town is known as the Ecusson district, and falls within the boulevards that were construted in the 19th century and stand where the original fortifications for the town once stood - little remains of these original walls now, except for two ancient towers. Another feature you will notice at the edge of the old town is the 17th century arc de triomphe.
Highlights in the town include (not necessarily in order of importance, depending on your preferences):
- the 14th century Cathedral of Saint Peter, with its unusual two towered entranceway
- a 17th century aqueduct, stretching almost a kilometre across the city
- the Porte du Peyrou, (the arc de triomphe) , entering into...
- the botanical gardens (France's oldest botanical garden, dating from the 16th century), now a classified historic monument and very pleasant to visit. garden enthusiasts will be pleased to find several other interesting gardens around Montpellier, including the Jardin de Poitiers - a recreated medieval garden around the ruins of an old church
- the ancient convent of the Ursulines
- enthusiasts of the great Flemish masters of painting will want to visit the Fabre Museum, which houses a very fine collection of oil paintings
Be sure to take a walk around the contemporary Antigone region of Montpellier. It is a carefully designed, 'very modern meets not-quite classical' part of the town that has a style that I've not seen anywhere else, and is both interesting and very effective.
There are a few places in Montpellier where you can see a mountain in the distance to the north of the city. This is called the Pic du Loup and is visible from much of the Herault department.
A large part of the city centre is pedestrianised, so try and park slightly outside and walk in.
Montpellier: tourist information, map, travel plans and gites
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photo by Wolfgang Staudt is copyright |
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Map of Montpellier, France |
Is Montpellier a good place for a holiday? See more places within
about 70 kilometres on a map at Visit Montpellier.
Places to visit - Montpellier
Some of the closer places are listed below (distances from Montpellier are approximate and direct - as the crow flies. Only places listed on the france this way site are shown!)
- Balaruc-le-Vieux Town, Etang de thau at 27 km
- Bouzigues Town, Etang de Thau at 30 km
- Sete Town, Etang de thau at 30 km
- La Grande-Motte Beach resort at 23 km
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