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Montpellier

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Montpellier law courts building, France (Palais de justice de Montpellier, France)

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Overview

Graceful and easy-going, Montpellier is a stylish metropolis with elegant buildings, grand hôtels particuliers (private mansions), stately boulevards and shady backstreets, and gorgeous white-sand beaches on its doorstep.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Montpellier, France - January 2, 2019: architectural detail of the Fabre museum next to the Place de la Comedie where people pass on a winter day; Shutterstock ID 1628380093; your: Sloane Tucker; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI
1628380093

    Musée Fabre

    Montpellier

    Founded in 1825 by painter François-Xavier Fabre, this exceptional museum houses one of France’s richest collections of European art. The galleries…

  • Montpellier Parc Zoologique

    Montpellier Parc Zoologique

    Montpellier

    Four kilometres north of the city centre, this zoo – France’s second-largest, covering 60 hectares – has an enormous population of wild residents that…

  • Hôtel de Cabrières-Sabatier d’Espeyran

    Hôtel de Cabrières-Sabatier d’Espeyran

    Montpellier

    Attached to the Musée Fabre is L’Hôtel de Cabrières-Sabatier d’Espeyran, a lavish Montpellier mansion that belonged to local notable Madame Frédéric…

  • Jardin des Plantes

    Jardin des Plantes

    Montpellier

    One of Montpellier’s hidden gems, the Jardins des Plantes is the oldest botanical garden in France. Established in 1593, it was used as a model for the…

  • Arc de Triomphe

    Arc de Triomphe

    Montpellier

    Built in 1695, Montpellier's 52m-high triumphal arch is dedicated to Louis XIV. The tourist office organises guided tours in summer that take you up 103…

  • Musée du Vieux Montpellier

    Musée du Vieux Montpellier

    Montpellier

    This municipal museum has a fairly pedestrian collection of local-interest pieces ranging from furniture to paintings and antique weaponry, but it’s worth…

  • Hôtel de la Vieille Intendance

    Hôtel de la Vieille Intendance

    Montpellier

    The early-17th-century Hôtel de la Vieille Intendance was built during the reign of Louis XIII for the queen mother and his niece Marie Louise d’Orléans …

  • Place Royale du Peyrou

    Place Royale du Peyrou

    Montpellier

    At the eastern end of this wide, tree-lined esplanade is the 1695 Arc de Triomphe. From the Château d’Eau, an elaborate hexagonal water tower at its…

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Experience the best of the southern French city of Montpellier with this guide to the top things to do.

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