Montpellier, France

     Montpellier is the capital of the Languedoc region in the South of France and is an important university town. It is home to schools of medicine, law and theology that date back to the 12th century, making the University of Montpellier one of Europe ’s oldest universities. In 1989, Montpellier celebrated its 1000th anniversary.

 Montpellier ’s mild climate and its unpolluted atmosphere have attracted tens of thousands of new inhabitants over the past thirty years. 

Despite the city ’s tremendous growth, local authorities have remained conscious of the Historical Center ’s unique beauty and its wealth of architectural styles. 

Automobile traffic has been banned from most of the City Center and the streets given over to pedestrians. In a vast and ongoing preservation project, facades were cleaned and repaired, streets resurfaced and public parks and squares restored. Walk down the handsome avenues or the maze of Medieval streets and you will find scores of pleasant outdoor cafés and restaurants. In a delightful blend of the old and the new, small family-owned shops and crafts workshops sit side by side with trendy designer boutiques. 

On the edge of the old city stands the monumental Arc de Triomphe and the Place du Peyrou with its equestrian statue of Louis XIV and the exquisite “Château d ’Eau” water tower which is fed by the impressive aqueduct known as “les Arceaux ”. 

The traditional heart of the city is the vast “Place de la Comédie ”Dominated on one side by the 19th century theater and Opera House, it is bordered with outdoor cafés and restaurants and stretches to the lovely, tree-lined Esplanade upon which stands the Musée Fabre, the city ’s Fine Arts Museum, housing a renowned collection that ranks among the best in France. At the end of the Esplanade is Montpellier ’s imposing, new Opera and Convention center known as the “Corum ”. 

Just outside of the old city ’s borders are the new “quartiers”. The most notable of these is the striking neo- classical “Antigone ”designed by the Catalonian architect Ricardo Bofill. 

The Opera and the Philharmonic Orchestra offer superb productions. Theater and dance troupes are also very popular. 

With all of this going on in the city, one of the most amazing features of Montpellier is the proximity of the countryside. The rocky, thyme-scented “garrigue” is only a few miles away and the Mediterranean beaches are just close enough to distract students towards the end of the Spring term!