Montpellier, France’s 8th largest city, offers all who visit a veritable feast for the eyes.
Squeezed inside the city’s sun-dappled boundaries are 20th century neighborhoods that resemble ancient Greece, ultramodern municipal buildings designed by world-famous architects, and colorful tramways bearing the signature look of renowned French couturiers.
The best way to enjoy these sights and the rest of Montpellier’s eclectic visual landscape is on foot, and the city’s many pedestrianized streets and squares allow visitors to do just that.
Modern France Meets Ancient Greece
The city center, dubbed l’Ecusson, is named for its coat-of-arms shape. The most famous landmark here is Place de la Comédie, an expansive car-free zone teeming with fountains, umbrella-shaded terrace cafés, and a grand old opera house, Théâtre de la Comédie.
Designed by a disciple of Charles Garnier of Paris Opera-house fame, the theater recently reopened after nearly two years of renovations, all the while retaining its vintage 1880s look, including the beautiful frescoed ceiling and luxe red-velvet interior. One needn’t venture inside to appreciate its beauty; sitting directly outside at the fountain of the Three Graces gives a front-row center perspective of the theater—and the street theater happening on the square every day of the year.
Montpellier brims with young people—more than 40 percent of the population is under the age of 30—and roughly 70,000 of those are students arriving from around the world to expand their education horizons. This infusion of youthful ideas may explain the city’s daring feats of urban planning. Über-modern architectural trends have flourished in Montpellier for decades, and the trend shows no sign of slowing.
The Antigone district, designed to resemble an ancient Greek metropolis and reachable by foot from Place de la Comédie, is one of the first planned neighborhoods to meld the old and the new with function and style. Broad pedestrian promenades, an Olympic-sized public pool, and open spaces punctuated by arches and fountains give it its unique character.
Architectural Diversity
In the fall of 2012, the Pierresvives building, designed by world-famous architect Zaha Hadid, opened after 10 years of planning and construction. The massive glass-and-concrete structure looks like a futuristic landlocked ocean liner, and houses three municipal agencies including a multimedia library and regional archives.
Twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, guided visits allow the public to explore the cavernous interior spaces, and experience the ultimate in architectural modernity. It’s possible to make the long walk to Pierresvives from the city center, but taking the colorful new tram (line 3) designed by Christian Lacroix is another alternative.
Moving back toward the city center, you pass before l’Aqueduc St. Clement, once used to deliver water from the St. Clement spring 14 kilometers away into the city. Inaugurated in 1765, the impressive 22-meters-high structure bears Romanesque features that belie its true age.
Every Tuesday and Saturday locals converge beneath the aqueduct’s arches to shop for fresh flowers and locally grown organic produce at the festive Marché des Arceaux.
Royal Promenade
King Louis XIV’s presence is palpable on the Promenade du Peyrou, an elevated walkway in Montpellier’s royal gardens. At its entry, a majestic Arc de Triomphe built in his honor ushers visitors into the open, manicured space, revealing broad views over the Cévennes mountain range to the north, to the foothills of the Pyrénées to the south.
The grand statue of the Sun King in the center of the promenade, sitting atop his horse in a triumphant pose, is a replica; the original was melted down in 1789 to make ammunition for Revolutionary fighters. At nightfall, panoramic views across the city and its twinkling lights give a magical appeal.
From here, it’s a short walk through the manicured gardens and across the street to the Jardin Des Plantes, created during the reign of King Henry IV in 1593. Its first incarnation was as a medicinal garden, used to cultivate plants with healing properties.
Today, it’s an open-air research laboratory for students at the University of Montpellier, giving would-be botanists direct access to their topic of study. Open to the public, the garden—with its lily-covered ponds and flower beds teeming with bees and butterflies—offers a calming respite from the urban buzz.
Summer Sports and Leisure
This summer, one of the most exciting places to be is on the sidelines of the Tour de France as it spins through the city on the fourth of July. Thousands of cycling fans are expected to descend upon the streets to cheer their favorite riders and to celebrate the tour’s 100-year anniversary.
When the sun sets, revelers will gather in droves on the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle for the 9th year of Les Estivales de Montpellier. This summer-long, Friday-night fête brings together the best that Montpellier has to offer—food, wine, music, dance—and serves it up for free to all.
I really liked visited Montpellier, this city doesn’t have the fame of Paris or the luxury of the south of France, but you can enjoy a really amazing time here. View more of my France travel tips for more inspriation.