Many uses Montpellier as a starting point for traveling around the south of France, including the Riviera and Languedoc – Roussillon area, but more and more are now well aware of the amazing experiences that you can get, without getting too far out of range. Montpellier is originally a traditional old Mediterranean town, with lots of exotic atmosphere. Especially if one has prepared the old town a visit, where there is a lively atmosphere among the more than 500 year old houses and buildings. Many people choose to start at the Place de la Comedie, where the city’s great opera house and theater lies, before they continue through Rue de la Loge and Place Jean Jaures, where in daytime there is a large colourful market with everything the heart could desire of fruit, different kinds of meat, jewelry and textiles. At night the area is dominated by cafes, restaurants and a well of small cozy sidewalk cafes.
If you prefer to shop, there are many opportunities in Montpellier, and if you seek the side streets, especially in the older part of town, it’s almost like going on a treasure hunt. Here you will find both nice little distinctive shops with all kinds of frills, to clean fashion boutiques of the kind that do not price their goods, because they say if you have to know the price, you won’t afford to buy it.
Montpellier is also famous for its antique markets, but if you buy here, you should check in advance what you are allowed to take out of the country. Furthermore Montepellier is regarded as the capital of the Languedoc – Roussillon region, which is known for its excellent wines, so also here there are opportunities for some nice and special souvenirs to take home. In many locations you can also attend wine tasting, which can provide an experience of a lifetime.
There are more than enough attractions to choose from in Monpelliere. Among other things, are one of France’s greatest museums here, the Fabre Museum, with an impressive collection of paintings from the 1600s through the 1800s. You will also find France’s oldest botanical garden here, Jardin de Plantes, and the cathedrals of Notre Dame des Tables and Saint Pierre sits proud in the city. These impressive buildings were also the only ones that were spared during the wars of religion, and is certainly worth a visit.
For the more brave ones there is the Musée d’Anatomie, a museum with lots of anatomical exhibition objects worth seeing, but this museum discourage children and people in general who do not have a relationship to the human body. As recommended rather Aquarium Mare Nostrum, a huge aquarium that modern quality.
Montpellier is no dedicated seaside resort, but there are several beaches near by. Many of these are perfect for families with children, not the least because they are shallow and without streams. If you want a little taste of the jet set, the distance to the Riviera is short, with all it has to offer in terms of glitz and glamour.
If you rent a car, you will quickly and easily get around in the charming Montpellier district, where there are countless vineyards, orchards and picturesque villages where it seems like time has stood still for centuries.