Montpellier, France
Self-catering Montpellier holiday homes - Villas Montpellier
Montpellier is a major city in southern France. It is the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, as well as the Hérault department. The city is situated on hilly ground 10 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean coast on the River Lez. The name of the city is said to have stood for mont pelé (the naked hill, because the vegetation was poor), or le mont de la colline (the mount of the hill).
Montpellier's highest point is the Place du Peyrou, at an altitude of 57 metres. The city is built on two hills, Montpellier and Montpelliéret, thus some of its streets have noticeable differences of altitude. When you stay in Montpellier holiday rental homes, you’ll notice some of its streets are also very narrow and old - which gives the city an intimate feel!
There is plenty to see and do when you rent self-catering holiday villas in Montpellier, France. The Place de la Comédie is the city’s focal point - at the center of the square is a fountain called the Three Graces, built by sculptor Étienne d'Antoine in 1790. The Opéra Comédie is also located at the square. Don’t miss the Musée Fabre it was founded by François-Xavier Fabre, a Montpellier painter, in 1825. Beginning in 2003, the museum underwent a 61.2 million euro renovation, which was completed in January 2007.
The Jardin des plantes de Montpellier (4.5 hectares) is a historic botanical garden and arboretum located on Boulevard Henri IV. The garden was established in 1593 by King Henri IV, under the leadership of Pierre Richer de Belleval, professor of botany and anatomy. It is France's oldest botanical garden, inspired by the Orto botanico di Padova (1545) and in turn serving as model for the Jardin des Plantes de Paris (1626). Today the garden contains about 2,680 plant species, including 500 native to the Mediterranean region.
Montpellier Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Montpellier) is another cultural site to taken in when renting Montpellier holiday accommodation.
Travelling to your holiday villa in Montpellier, France; Montpellier is served by railway, including TGV highspeed trains. Montpellier's main railway station is Saint-Roch. The Montpellier – Méditerranée Airport is served by low-cost airlines Ryanair and easyjet – check for seasonal variations in their timetables. If you aim to drive from France’s Northern ports allow at least a 10 hours on the road from when you disembark – it’s recommended you stay overnight en route! If you disembark at Bilbao it’s around 6 hours driving time – again without breaks.
Montpellier has a Mediterranean climate, with mild, somewhat wet winters, and very warm, rather dry summers. The monthly mean ranges from 7.1 °C (44.8 °F) in January to 23.4 °C (74.1 °F) in July.