Montpellier: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

At the Musée Fabre, a tour through European art history from the Renaissance to the present day features works by, among others, Veronese, Rubens, Delacroix, Courbet and Soulages. The museum also preserves an extensive group of paintings by Pierre Soulages, donated by Pierre and Colette Soulages in 2005.

Anyone choosing Montpellier as a travel destination may be planning to rent a holiday apartment there.

Culture

The Musée Atger is Montpellier’s oldest museum and contains around 1,000 drawings and 5,000 prints from the French, Italian and Flemish art traditions. The Bibliothèque Historique Universitaire preserves medieval literary and religious manuscripts as well as medical works by Hippocrates, Galen and Avicenna.

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Montpellier is considered the oldest medical university; it was granted the status of a Universitas medicorum on 17 August 1220. The Cathédrale Saint-Pierre is an example of southern French Gothic architecture. The mikveh can only be visited as part of the guided tours “L’Essentielle” and “Mikvé, un joyau préservé” offered by the tourist office.

Nature

The Jardin des Plantes is France’s oldest botanical garden. It was established in 1593 by Pierre Richer de Belleval on the orders of Henry IV to promote the practice of medicine using medicinal plants. At the Jardin des Plantes, visitors can stroll among bamboo, orange trees, a lotus pond, a cactus greenhouse and a garden with aromatic plants.

In 2022, the Jardin des Plantes received the “Jardin remarquable” designation for five years. This distinction is awarded to public or private gardens and parks of cultural, aesthetic, historical or botanical interest.

History

The chapel of the collegiate church of Saint-Benoît and Saint-Germain was consecrated in 1364. In 1536, the building was elevated to cathedral status when the bishop’s seat was moved from Maguelone to Montpellier.

Montpellier’s Arc de Triomphe was built in 1692 on the site of a former gate in the city fortifications. During a guided tour, visitors can climb the Arc de Triomphe and enjoy views of Montpellier and its surroundings. The Arc de Triomphe is accessible only as part of guided tours offered by the tourist office.

City Squares

The Place de la Comédie forms one of Europe’s largest pedestrian areas. It is also an access point to the tram network; lines 1 and 2 operate from the stop there.

The Promenade du Peyrou is a wide-open vantage point with an equestrian statue of Louis XIV and a water tower designed in the 18th century. Les Dimanches du Peyrou is a large flea and antiques market on the Promenade du Peyrou.

Further local pages: Péret, Saint-Thibéry, Cesseras, Sauteyrargues, Roquebrun, Félines-Minervois, Aspiran, Poilhes

To the higher-level travel overview: Hérault.