Must-see attractions in Montpellier

  • 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…

  • 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

    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

    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…

  • 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…

  • Planet Ocean Montpellier

    Montpellier

    Part of the Odysseum shopping centre, this aquarium recreates nine aquatic environments, from polar waters to tropical forests. Kids will love the…

  • Cathédrale St-Pierre

    Montpellier

    Noted for its disproportionately tall porch, Montpellier’s monumental Cathédrale St-Pierre began life as a church attached to the 14th-century monastery…

  • Carré Sainte-Anne

    Montpellier

    The landmark neogothic St Anne's church, with dazzling stained-glass windows, was deconsecrated in the 1980s and is now a spectacular setting for…

  • Plage de l'Espiguette

    Montpellier

    Find this attractive beach a a few kilometres southeast of La Grande-Motte. It features a nature reserve with dune systems. It's exposed to the prevailing…

  • Plage du Pilou

    Montpellier

    Plage du Pilou is an appealing and quiet beach that's near the small town of Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, west of Montpellier.

  • 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…

  • 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

    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 …

  • Hôtel de Varennes

    Montpellier

    The Hôtel de Varennes is a harmonious 18th-century makeover of a medieval structure; it now contains the city’s small history museum, the Musée du Vieux…

  • Hôtel St-Côme

    Montpellier

    The Hôtel St-Côme is a suitably grand building for the city’s Chamber of Commerce.