My top 11 things to do in Montpellier
Friday, 16th April 2010
Cactus intern Cécile Sargueux, student at Montpellier University, gives us her first-hand tips on this popular city in southern France...
1. Malls!
If I feel like buying clothes and shoes (or just having a look at them…), I find it very enjoyable to go to one of the two huge modern shopping centers. I can either go for a nice ride on the tramway and reach the one-year old commercial complex the Odysseum, or I can enter the Polygone in the town center. Both offer an abundance of luxury, beauty, fashion, leisure, food, and traditional shops.
2. Open air scenes!
Since 2009 public stages and free open shows are organized by Montpellier council as a new public service! As a result, you can find various music shows/gigs, street arts (theatre and circus) and outdoor cinema projections all over the medieval city, all throughout the year!
3. Nightclubs!
Sun, blue sky, sea, architecture, culture, diversity and modernity have always attracted young people to Montpellier, which is consequently one of the biggest and most dynamic student cities in France. It is therefore easy to find great clubs offering discounts to young people.
4. Town squares! “Ecusson” is the name given to the historical old town center. People love wandering around the beautiful squares within the Ecusson, such as La Place de la Comédie, the heart of the city, or the green and quiet Place de la Canourgue near the courthouse, or the busy Place Jean Jaurès dedicated to students and party-people, who are attracted by DJs from different bars. The Antigone area is also much appreciated for its restaurants and cafés located in the Place du nombre d’Or and the Place de l’Europe.
5. Parks and gardens! Lots of open spaces are freely accessible across the city. The famous Jardin des Plantes has been used as a pattern for the construction of every botanical garden in France and it is registered as a historical monument. There are many species of flowers and trees here. The Place Royale du Peyrou is also a great big park, where festivals often take place. It is also nice to relax by walking along the Lez River or through the Jardins de l’Esplanade.
6. Entertainment! Leisure activities are also a good way to enjoy time in Montpellier. The Odysseum center includes the fabulous Mare Nostrum Aquarium, the Vegapolis Ice rink, the high-tech Galilée Planetarium, a giant cinema, a bowling alley, and much more to have fun and to regress to childhood with pleasure!
7. Lunaret! One of my favorite places to go for a walk in Montpellier is easily the zoo of Lunaret, the second largest zoo in France, where more than 500 animals of 90 species are now living, over a 80 ha field and a 11 km path, and entrance is free! The zoo also includes the largest tropical greenhouse in France. This amazing 12 million euro building is an educational and fun facility, giving you the chance to cross a real forest and pass beneath a waterfall, and to discover piranhas, caimans, monkeys, anacondas, spiders, bats and tropical birds, while understanding the fragility and dangers of the Amazon. We have to pay a small fee to enter the greenhouse.
8. Local beaches!
It is very easy to reach the beaches around Montpellier. Indeed, 20 minutes by car or bus are enough to get the sea. Public bikes are also available to the population. It is very enjoyable to lie down on the sand when the weather is nice - this make us feel on holiday!
9. Intimate covered traditional markets!
Outdoor markets and covered markets take place every day in the different areas of Montpellier, offering local and seasonal products, flowers, and all sorts of objects.
10. Exhibitions and museums!
Museums are all interesting, but some are more famous than others, for example the Fabre Museum which is one of the most important in France. There is also a large amount of galleries across Montpellier, such as La Galerie de l’Écusson located in the old town.
11. Restaurants, theme cafés and wine bars!
There are so many absolutely lovely restaurants across the city, that it is difficult to pick out one… However it’s worth visiting In Vino Veritas, which is both a restaurant and a wine bar, offering about 60 different wines! There are a lot of other cozy and charming wine bars, such as L’Atelier which is open all day long. In the same way, it is pointless to make a list of all the theme cafés in Montpellier; each one is unique and charming.
M-O-N-T-P-E-L-L-I-E-R !
French language courses in Montpellier >
Tags: french, france, montpellier
Posted by Sarah Gooding under Destinations for you,
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