Montpellier: A Pleasant Surprise

After the journey to Spain and back we were excited to arrive in Montpellier since we were completely unfamiliar with the city and had no set plans for our time there. We had a great 4 hour train ride from Bordeaux and basically had an entire 1st class coach to ourselves, showing tourist season was slowing. We stretched out and in between naps enjoyed the beautiful French landscapes along the way.

We arrived at 9pm on a Saturday evening and were greeted by our host, Don, with a couple glasses of red wine from the area. Originally from Boston, Don has lived quite a few places but has called Montpellier his home off and on for the last 10 years. Don's hospitality really made our stay in Montpellier fantastic. We felt welcome and at home immediately. When you stay at Don's small, 2 bedroom B&B, Nid' Oiseau, it's clearly his labour of love, and you feel like you're sleeping over in a curated contemporary art gallery. Don's collection of contemporary art mixes with tribal artifacts, all of which incite from you either a big question mark or a big smile. It's hard to do the space justice with photos, but we've included some here to give you an idea.











The old city centre is quite small and the streets are bustling with people since cars aren't permitted in most areas. Montpellier has a very young and dynamic vibe since almost a third of the city's population are students (tidbit: Europe's first medical school started here in the 12th century). We were in a great area just outside the busier plazas and within a 5 minute walk to more quaint local plazas with al fresco dining and drinking spots.





Upon recommendation from Don we went to Insensé for a leisurely lunch next to Musee Fabre and loved it. It was one of our better meals with great menu options and helpful service. We sat on the sunny terrace outside the museum surrounded by grass. We had the crab rolls for a starter and then beef tartar with frites and lamb chops with sweet potato. The food was delicious as was the local house wine we paired with it. It would have been a pricey place to eat dinner so the 20 euro fixed lunch menu was perfect! After lunch we explored the Musee Fabre's current exhibit of Odilon Redon's life's work, a very interesting and prolific French artist.







The beach was about 10km south of the city so we rented bikes one day, packed a day bag and headed for the Mediteranean Sea. We hit the sand within an hour and found a great little beach bar, Zenith Bar, for lunch. We split a couple meal sized salads and then found a spot on the beach to relax and get into our books.







We spent the evenings in the outdoor open air plazas enjoying a healthy selection of local wine and listening to live music. Being a student town there were always lots of people doing the same so it felt easy to fit right in. We were pleasantly surprised by Montpellier and would recommend to anyone to enjoy a few nights there. And obviously THE place to stay is the best B&B in town, Nid' Oiseau! (thanks again Don)



Our next stop is about as "South of France" as you can get: Villefranche-sur-Mer, one train stop east of Nice!


Here's a link to more of our Montpellier photos: More Photos