joannyc

Have no idea if we have similar interests but here is what was on my itinerary for Montpellier:

· Arc de Triomphe -From 1692

· Chateau d'eau - Elaborate hexagonal water tower

· Aqueduc de St. Clement - Spectacularly illuminated at night

· St-Pierre Cathedral - St. Pierre became a cathedral in 1536 when the diocese of Maguelone was transferred to Montpellier under King François I. Don't miss the impressive canopy porch supported by two monumental cylindrical pillars (4.55 m in diameter!), which formerly bore the coat of arms of Urbain V.
Heavily rebuilt after the Wars of Religion, now is seat of archbishops.

· Opera House - Good photo op at night

· Medical College - Oldest in France

· Place de la Comedie - Huge open square - heart of the city

· Old Quarter - Lies to the northeast bordered by blvd Henri IV, blvd Foch and blvd Louis Pasteur

· Antigone - Neoclassical housing project designed by Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill

· Musee Fabre - One of France's richest collections of European art. Reubens, Poussin, Manet, Degas. Ceramics, furniture, faiences and jewelry are in the Decorative Arts section

· Hotels Particulars: 17-18th C grand houses. Historic mansion

· Hotel de Varennes - Medieval bldg given a smart Renaissance make over. Now the Musee de Vieux Montpellier containing city's memorabilia from Medieval Ages to Revolution

· Hotel de Tresoriers - Home of Musee Languedocien - archeology museum

· Hotel St. Come - Grand building, city's Chamber of Commerce

· Hotel de la Vielle Intendance - Built during reign of Louis XIII for the Queen Mother and his niece

· Jardin des Plantes - Botanical gardens, France's oldest, laid out in 1593

Musee Ater - Small museum of French, Flemish, and Italian drawings. Within the medical faculty at the University

If it helps at all, here is the link to my pictorial TR from the south of France in 2015:

South of France - TR in Pictures

If you are interested in my detailed itinerary, send me a PM with your email.

Enjoy your trip!

2016adventurer

joannyc, StCirq, kerouac, and everyone else, thank you for additional comments. I am very excited and will do a trip report when I get back. Here is an interesting piece I found, which I am posting here just as a bookmark: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/d...do-city-break/
I am so looking forward to this trip!

TDudette

When do you go, 2016?? FWIW, we shopped on a Saturday at a cheese shop where we sampled Tomme du Haut, Barry Avignon Kolo (23 euros a kilo). It was soooo good.

thibaut

Be sure to see inspector Verjeat...

Fantastic movie with Patrick Dewaere and the fabulous Lion Ventura. Adieu poulet...

2016adventurer

Two more sleeps until I am off to France! I can't wait.

2016adventurer

So I am here in Montpellier and trying to decide where to go on day trips: Cete, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Carcassone, Niem... what would you suggest?

StCirq

Do you mean Sète? Nîmes?

Have you explored Montpellier yet? There is no need to bounce out of the city until you have gotten to know it. It has plenty to offer.

And you have already been given dozens and dozens of ideas about where you might go. Just read up-thread.

kerouac

The spelling of Sète has changed so many times over the centuries. The Greeks first called it Kétos (whale) because for some inexplicable reason they thought that the hill behind the town resembled a whale. The Romans changed it to Cétus (whale), which is also why the Spanish enclave in Africa is called Ceuta. In the Middle Ages, the name became Cette. During the French revolution, they decided that this was ridiculous since there is another word 'cette' -- so they changed it to Sète. But in the 19th century there was a new etiological rebellion, and the name Cette was restored. This name lasted until 1928 when a decree restored the name Sète. If you visit the cemetery overlooking the Mediterranean as I did, you will see tombs using both the name Cette and Sète.

Now you can't say that you didn't learn something at Fodor's today.

2016adventurer

Thank you all for contributing to my trip with your advice and suggestions. I ended up visiting Aix-en-Provence, Sete, Nimes, and spending quality time in Montpellier. The weather was not always conducive to sightseeing, but it enabled me to explore museums and other sights in relative peace, without huge touristy crowds. I truly enjoyed the region and it would be fun to come back to see the other destinations I missed this time, such as Avignon, Carcassonne, and others. Again, thank you!