Impressions of Montpellier, France

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During our many travels through France, my husband and I had never visited Montpellier, the 8th largest city in the country. So, while booking our flights for this summer, we decided to fly from Copenhagen to Montpellier to pick up our car.

Located in the South of France along the Mediterranean Sea, the city has a wonderful old historic center with beautiful Haussmannian buildings, small winding streets, wonderful squares, as well as a number of impressive edifices like the Saint Pierre Cathedral, the Porte du Peyrou and Tour de la Babote.

Montpellier is the fastest growing French city. It is not difficult to see why.  Its warm climate and the proximity to the beaches of the  Mediterranean certainly make it very livable and add to the leisurely pace of this city.  The cafés, parks and pedestrian areas are filled with people late into the night, especially in summer, when the sun only sets at eleven pm.

The City has a huge student population thanks to its world-reknown universities. The University of Montpellier, founded in 1160, is one of the oldest in all of Europe. It is also home to the oldest botanic gardens in all of France, which is maintained by the University of Montpellier.

From Montpellier, our travels took us to Avignon and its Palais des Papes, a UNESCO work heritage site.  Stay tuned for more photos.