With both the coast and the Languedoc-Rousillon countryside within easy access of the city centre, Montpellier offers plenty of activities for outdoor enthusiasts and family holidaymakers with children in tow. The beaches are perhaps the locations with the greatest all-round appeal, offering a mix of relaxation, sand-based games and water-based pursuits. For family days out, the city’s impressive zoo and the aqua-park at nearby Cap d’Agde are ideal destinations.
Aqualand Cap d'Agde
Belonging to a chain of water parks with branches across the country, Aqualand Cap d’Agde is a water-themed fun park located less than an hour by road from Montpellier. The park has a myriad of watery attractions including favourites such as Surf Beach, Crazy Race, Black Hole, Anaconda and Dingo Dinghy. The park is open for the summer season only, and it is the ideal place for a family day out. Phone:+33 4 67 26 85 94.
Beaches
Montpellier has some great beaches where families with young children can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the range of sand and sea activities on offer. Le Petit Travers is the closest beach to the city centre and offers soft white sands and sea waters calm enough for toddlers to bathe in. La Grande Motte and Carnon are the biggest beaches in the area, while La Grande Tavers - in between the two - is smaller, but a lengthy sized strip all the same.
Golf
Golf enthusiasts can take advantage of a number of courses in and around Montpellier, the most popular being the 18-hole Montpellier Massane course. This course is 6,571m long, has a par 72 and offers a mix of gorgeous coastal and inland scenery. Other courses include the Golf Hotel de Fontcaude (18 holes, 6,250 metres long, par 72) and the six-hole beginners course at Golf de Verchamp. Phone: +33 4 67 87 87 87 (Montpellier Massane).
Lunaret Zoo
A spacious safari park style facility, Lunaret Zoo is one of Montpellier’s most popular family attractions. More than 80 acres of open space are dedicated to housing more than 100 different animal species. Phone: +33 4 67 63 27 63
Water Sports
Head for the beaches of Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, Palavas and Carnon if you are an enthusiast of activities such as sailing, waterskiing, jet-skiing, paragliding and scuba diving. All equipment necessary for such pursuits is provided by local operators and instruction is available for complete novices.
Immerse yourself in Montpellier’s history, heritage and arts scene at the city’s varied selection of cultural venues. Highlights for those with artistic leanings include the impressive Musée Fabre, with its extensive creative collection, and the private collection of Xavier Atger at Musée Atger. The Ecusson district is the old part of the city and a good place to start if you have an interest in the Montpellier of yesterday.
La Tour des Pins
For an authentic slice of the city’s history, be sure to visit La Tour des Pin, one of the 25 towers that previously formed a part of the city’s medieval fortified walls. The tower is one of only two remaining towers (the other being La Tour de la Babotte) and is a major city landmark that stands 25 metres high. Today the tower functions as a keep for the city’s archives, but it served as both a Protestant refuge and a prison in previous times.
Musée Atger
A part of the university’s Faculty of Medicine, Musée Atger is an art museum that houses an impressive collection of sketches hailing from French, Dutch, German, Italian and Flemish schools. The drawings were donated by art collector and enthusiast Xavier Atger, who was also responsible for designing the carefully considered layout and exhibition of the works. Phone: +33 467 417 640.
Musée Fabre
The Fabre Museum is Montpellier’s most impressive art museum, with one of the largest art collections of any facility of its kind in the country. The museum recently underwent an expansion and renovation program and now has an exhibition space of 9,200 square metres. There are around 1,600 works exhibited in the museum, at least half of which are part of its permanent collection. Phone: +33 4 67 14 83 00; website: www.ot-montpellier.fr/musee-fabre/en
Musée de l’Histoire de Montpellier
The Notre Dame des Tables Crypt, a building with parts dating as far back as Roman times, houses the Montpellier History Museum, one of the city’s most comprehensive sources of information relating to the events that have shaped the city. Video presentations offer in-depth insights into the most significant events of the city’s past, while virtual animations take a look at the history of the Notre Dame des Tables church. Phone: +33 467 543 316.
Thée Jean-Vilar
For an evening of cultural entertainment, head for Montpellier’s Thée Jean-Vilar, one of the city’s chief venues for the performing arts. The theatre’s monthly program generally offers a diverse selection of shows including traditional theatrical performances, music and dance. Phone: +33 4 67 40 41 39
It would seem that few French regions are not famous for their traditional cuisine. However, the cuisine of the Languedoc-Roussillon region is especially notable, and across the area most towns have their own signature dishes. Visitors will find a myriad of tasty regional creations in Montpellier restaurants, among them favourites such as the sausage casserole with green beans and preserved goose known as cassoulet, the duck creation known as confit de canard and the fish stew known as bourride.
Good places to eat out in the city include Place de la Comedie, where a selection of both French and international eateries can be found, and the riverside area, where an equally diverse selection of dishes awaits. Though the local food is fantastic and shouldn’t be missed, some visitors may like to sample the international cuisine on offer in Montpellier, which includes Caribbean, Asian, Middle Eastern, African and European cuisines.
Shopping opportunities in Montpellier are plentiful, with a number of discernible areas to peruse. The back streets of the city are where you’ll find many independent boutiques and some of the most unique products, while in contrast the Polygone Shopping Centre off Place de la Comedie is where you’ll find popular French stores selling a large selection of more generic goods. For groceries, household products and just about everything else, the hypermarkets on the city’s outskirts are the best places to head for.
The Polygone Shopping Centre is perhaps the best place to head for an all-round shopping experience. Offering respite from the elements, the centre is home to over 120 shops and includes cafés and restaurants also. Best accessed by car, the centre has some 2,000 parking spaces.
The Languedoc-Roussillon region is one of the country’s top wine producers, so visitors with a taste for fine vintages should visit either a winery or a quality wine shop if they want to pick up something that’s been locally bottled.
