With its delightful Mediterranean climate, Montpellier (population: 300,000) is among the fastest-growing cities in France.

Place de la Comédie, the main square in the city center.

Capital of the département of Hérault, it boasts the Université de Montpellier, one of the oldest in the world (founded 1220)— Petrarch, Nostradamus and Rabelais went to medical school here. About a quarter of the city's population is students, so there's definitely a youthful vibe.

What to See & Do

The historic city center, surrounded by Tram Line 4, is centered on the spacious Place de la Comédie, taking its name from the Opéra Comédie (1888), with Montpellier's iconic Fountain of the Three Graces. (The sculpture you see in the fountain today is a resin copy of the marble original, now preserved in the lobby of the Opéra Comédie at the southern end of the Place.)

The Office de Tourisme et des Congrès is at the northeastern end of the Place, where it adjoins the Esplanade de Charles de Gaulle. More...

Montpellier is also a great base or jumping-off point to visit France's western Mediterranean shore: Sète, Aigues-Morte and the Camargue.

Transport

The city's main train station, the Gare Montpellier Saint-Roch, is 500 meters (3/10 mile, less than 10-minute walk) south of the Place de la Comédie. The larger Gare Montpellier - Sud de France is 6 km (3.7 miles) southeast of Saint-Roch just off the A9 autoroute (map). More...

The Aéroport Montpellier-Méditerranée, on the shore southeast of the city center, serve flights to numerous European and some North African destinations. More...

Hotels & Apartments/Flats

Dozens of hotels and apartments/flats are available in the city center near the Place de la Comédie. More...

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Montpellier Transportation Where to Stay Restaurants & Cafés What to See & Do Tourist Information Perpignan Céret Languedoc Region