10 Best Things to Do in Montpellier

Officially named Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Montpellier, Montpellier Cathedral is a national monument located in the northwest part of the Old Town. Originally dated back to the 14th century, but rebuilt during the 17th century, this impressive Gothic cathedral is unusual in that it resembles a fortress. Inside, the huge vaulted ceiling and the stained glass windows gives it a rather gloomy atmosphere, emphasised when the organ is played. A restaurant with terrace offers a nice place for a pause, right next to the front porch of the cathedral.

Place de la Comédie is the heart of Montpellier. Hosting the opera house at one end and the park Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulles at the other, this 12,500-sq-m rectangular square is surrounded by splendid 19th-century buildings. One of the largest pedestrian areas in Europe, it features many bars and restaurants with outdoor terraces that offer great people-watching spots, and the perfect place to take the pulse of the city before starting your exploration of the nearby historical centre, l’Écusson.

L’Écusson is the Old Town of Montpellier. Dating back to the Middle Ages, this neighbourhood spreads to the west and northwest of the Place de la Comédie. Pedestrianised, it offers pleasant strolls through a broad network of winding streets in which quaint boutiques, excellent restaurants, and historical landmarks can be found. Highlights include the Montpellier Cathedral and the basilica of Notre-Dame-des-Tables. If walking is not your thing, you can visit l’Écusson on the Petit Train de Montpellier (the Little Train of Montpellier) which departs every 30 minutes from the Place de la Comédie between February and October.

Les Halles de Castellanes is the main covered market in Montpellier. Located in the Old Town, 250 metres north of the Place de la Comédie, the 1,500-sq-m renovated building houses a myriad of stalls and shops selling all sorts of fresh regional products. Here, you can find cured meat, cheese, wine, and many fruits and vegetables. You'll find yourself feeling hungry because of the many appetising scents that float under the Halles Castellanes' roof.

Porte du Peyrou (Arc de Triomphe de Montpellier) is an iconic landmark built near the end of the 17th century, a gigantic archway that you can go under or enter. The arch was built to celebrate the glory of the French monarchy of the 1600s, in particular the Sun King Louis XIV, but today it stands in a vast public park. Going inside, you can climb a staircase to visit a rooftop terrace that offers stunning views of the entire city.

The Arc is also the entrance to the Peyrou Royal Palace, with easy access to many nearby historic structures and sites to see. It's located in the heart of the Montpellier city centre.

Also known as Place Royale du Peyrou, the Promenade du Peyrou is a scenic esplanade classified as a historic monument. Apart from being a pleasant place for a late-afternoon stroll, the Promenade du Peyrou offers a panoramic view of the city and of the Pyrénées, the chain of mountains that separate France from Spain, 200 km away. The Arc de Triomphe, Louix the 14th equestrian statue and the Saint-Clement Aqueduct - all of them built between the 17th and 18th centuries, are just a few of the notable monuments hosted on this serene promenade.

Even though Montpellier is not a seaside city, it’s close enough to the Mediterranean Sea for you to get a suntan at one of the many beach resorts that can be reached in less than the 30 minutes from the city centre. Famed beaches such as Palavas-les-Flots and La Grande-Motte, which are too busy and urbanised for our taste, we suggest you to go slightly further away – 40 km away to be precise, to get to l’Espiguette Beach in Le Grau-du-Roi. Backed by dunes, lagoons and salty scrubland, l’Espiguette Beach is wide and wild. It offers you a place away from it all, with only a few snack bars and pizzerias located 800 metres before you reach the parking lot.

The Camarguaise Bull Race is a traditional sporting game practiced in many places along the Mediterranean coast. Involving bulls and men, it’s the opposite of the corrida (Spanish bullfighting) as the animal is the master of the game. Cockades and strings are tied on the horns and forehead of a bull, and the goal for the players is to pull them off by hand while avoiding being trampled by the bull. The Courses Camarguaise are held from April to October in many villages around Montpellier. To get a full schedule of the bull races, just go to the Montpellier Tourist Office at the northern end of the Place de la Comédie (see location below).

A wine-tasting tour to Pic Saint-Loup is a must if you want to discover the excellent wines of Languedoc Roussillon. Pic Saint-Loup is a mountain located 20 km north of Montpellier which is popular with hikers. It’s also an area that offers the perfect conditions for producing delicious red, white and rosé wines. Some of the most popular vineyards to visit in Pic Saint-Loup include Domaine de l’Hortus, Château de Flaugergues, and Domaine La Croix Belle. You can also sample locally produced labels at the Maison Régionale des Vins, Rue Saint-Guilhem, 500 metres from Place de la Comédie in l’Écusson district.

L'Opéra Comedie is a historic landmark opera house in a namesake public square showcasing performances from the region's most prestigious opera company. Located in the Place de la Comédie in the city centre, this opera house was constructed in 1755 by famous architect Jacques Philippe Mareschal. It survived the French Revolution, fire and natural disasters before being completely destroyed in 1881. It was then rebuilt from the ground up. The current building was erected and dedicated in 1888.

The theatre is a superb building in the Italian style and among the largest of its kind in France. Here you can catch traditional opera and live concerts in an elegant, upscale and historic building that will take your breath away.