Montpellier is a
Key highlight: Plaza de la Comedie, good weather, young
Being attracted by the awesome weather and great life in southern France, I decided to share my experience after staying here for a half year as a master student.
Trying to explore the city as much as I could (touristy attractions, shopping centers, coffee shops ,
So, in this article, I will list the top 4 things to do in Montpellier.
Locals almost do them every weekend in Montpellier. If you want to visit here like a local for 1 day, keep reading!!
Estimated time: 1 day
Budget: 10 EU for lunch (plat du jour)
Fun fact about Montpellier:
- 70% of the people are under 30 years old. From my point of view, most people are in their high school/university. As a master student, I feel like everyone looks way younger than me when I am walking on the street ..
- There are more than 300 sunny days in a year. It is 20 ish degrees all the time. It would be the perfect place to retire if I could choose. The weather is definitely what I appreciate the most after I decided to move here.
- Cheek kissing: people do 3 times kissing on the cheek! (not 2 times like Paris). When I met someone from Paris, it is always super awkward because we are not sure how many kisses are we supposed to give to each other. We always ended up laughing at each other.
Explore Place de la Comédie in Montpellier
Highlight: Live performance, walk, boutique
Place de la Comedie is definitely the top place to visit. It is the center of the city. The plaza is surrounded by the Three Graces (the fountain) and the Opéra Comédie.
You can see people sipping coffee at the patio, roaming around with friends, having pizza in the restaurants ,etc. You will immediately feel the laid-back southern France vibe once you step on the ground.
As a local, my favorite things to do is to meet up with my friend and walk around in the old town. There are lots of boutiques, shops, local clothing stores to explore. You will be amazed by the unique designs.
Also, there are performances if you are lucky: dancing, singing, magic shows. It is a great place to explore the local culture.
Tip: However, if you are planning to take a drink at this place, you might get overcharged. Drinks here are more expensive than a regular bar in Montpellier because it is always full of tourists.
Arc de triomphe
Highlight: view, wine
If you have been to Paris, this would not surprise you at all.
Yes, in almost every single city in France, there is always an ‘Arch’. But this one in Montpellier is a smaller vision of the Arch in Paris. However, there are fewer tourists and you can take as many pictures as you want.
As a local, what I usually do with friends is that we would buy some wine and sit on the grass near the Arch. You can see a bunch of students reading books, chatting and drinking wine. This is a typical weekend for most French students.
Locals are deeply in love with the wine culture. There are no better things than drinking wine with your friends on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
In addition, after you pass through the Arch, you can see the highest part of Montpellier: Promenade de Peyrou.
Tip: This is the only place that you will be able to see the whole view of Montpellier. You can see the beautiful architecture when you are standing at the top. (Best view in town)
Drink Coffee at Panaceé
Keywords: patio, coffee
I have never seen a coffee shop like this in my life!
Panaceé is definitely one of the best coffee places in Montpellier. It is more than a place to work, it is a cozy area to chill with friends in the summer. It is a place for you to realize you are living in the moment.
Panaceé has excellent interior design, a wonderful patio and even an art exposition. You can work on your project in the café, or enjoy the sunshine in the afternoon, or simply view the newest drawing.
Moreover, the espresso here only costs around 1-2 EU. Yes, French people order espresso A LOT!
Tip: This place is open until 12AM in the evening. If you want to be fully immersed in the local French artsy culture, this is definitely the place to go. However, the wifi here is not very good. If you are looking for a place to work, this might not be the perfect place for you.
Nightlife in Chupitos
Highlight: drink, shot
Things to do in Montpellier at night?? Go to the bars!
Because it is a student town, you can see more people during night time.
Locals started to drink at bars at around 8 pm-12pm, and
For my favorite place, I would recommend you go to Chupitos. There are more than 200 shots available in the bar, and it only costs 2.5 EU for one shot all night every night.
The place itself is fairly small, the security always stops the place from getting too crowded (usually 20-30 people). There are always lots of students inside the bar because of the affordable & amazing shots.
Tip: ask for the one with orange, it is the best shot I have ever had in my life.
However, there is almost no place to sit in the bar. Most people just use the space as a pre-drink spot. After, they would either head to a club or another bar to chill.