Things To Do in Montpellier
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Montpellier Attractions
The expansive place de la Comédie is the living room of Montpellier, a square full of bars and cafes where the 18th-century “Fountain of the Three Graces,” takes pride of place in front of the 19th-century opera. The former military parade ground, champ du Mars, spreads out from here, where you’ll find the Tourist Office, Musée Fabre, and Le Corum convention and arts venue. Head up rue de la Loge to explore the old town.
Walk west along the Rue Foch past the Arc de Triomphe and into the park. The formal arch was erected in 1691 to celebrate the victories of Louis XIV whose equestrian statue you pass on your way up to the 17th-century promenade du Peyrou with views of the Cévennes and the Mediterranean. The lofty classical-style pavilion, Château d’Eau (pictured above) is a monument to 18th-century classicism, built as the terminus of an aqueduct carrying water to the city from a nearby source. Just to the northeast lie the cathedral and botanical gardens.
- Religious Site
Cathédrale St-Pierre
Originally a monastery church founded in 1364, it was mainly rebuilt in the 17th-century after the Wars of Religion. You enter though an odd structure of a projecting porch held up by two solid towers into a light-filled nave. If you’re lucky, at certain times you can hear the…Around Town
- Park/Garden
Le Jardin des Plantes
Paul Valéry met André Gide in the Jardin des Plantes, the oldest such garden in France. The botanical garden, filled with exotic plants and a handful of greenhouses, opened in 1593.Around Town - Museum
Musée Fabre
One of France’s great provincial art galleries occupies the splendid former Hôtel de Massilian. The collection has over 800 works from the Renaissance to the 20th century and includes works by Rubens and Reynolds, Delacroix and Dufy. It began when Napoleon sent Montpellier an…Around Town
Montpellier Shopping
At the southeastern end of place de la Comédie is the ultramodern Polygone shopping center (www.polygone.com), site of more than 120 independent boutiques. For traditional regional delicacies, visit Pâtisserie aux Gourmets, 2 rue Clos-René (tel. 04-67-58-57-04; patisserieauxgourmets.jimdo.com), or visit Scholler Pâtisserie, 121 av. Lodève (tel. 04-67-75-71-55; www.scholler.fr), for a plentiful supply of Ecusson de Montpellier (almond cream with Grand Marnier wrapped in chocolate).
Montpellier Nightlife
After the sun sets, head for place Jean-Jaurès, rue des Ecoles Laïques, place St Ravy, or the more sophisticated area around rue du Palais de Guilhems.
The large student population means Montpellier has its fair share of great bars. Fitzpatricks, 5 pl. St-Côme (www.fitzpatricksirishpub.com; tel. 04-67-60-58-30), serves Irish beer and has an Irish music evening on Fridays. It’s open daily noon to 1am. La FaBRik, 12 rue Boussairolles (tel. 09-60-37-86-45) is friendly, crowded, and noisy and showing TV sports and live music during the week.
Rockstore, 20 rue de Verdun (www.rockstore.fr; tel. 04-67-06-80-00), has 1950s rock memorabilia, a Cadillac embedded in its front entrance, live concerts, several bars, and a disco. No cover, but charges for music nights. For the best jazz and blues in town, check out JAM, 100 rue Ferdinand-de-Lesseps (www.lejam.com; tel. 04-67-58-30-30). Regular concerts in the noisy, industrial-style space average 10€ to 25€.
Students gather in crowds at Cargo, 5 rue du Grand St-Jean (tel. 04-67-29-96-85) for its Tuesday night Latin parties and great bars. Otherwise expect blues, funk, soul, and Latin from their DJs. Le Coxx, 5 rue Jules Latreilhe (tel. 04-99-66-77-61), is one of the most popular hangouts for mainly gay men. Good bar plus karaoke nights and dancing are the main attractions here.
