The Écusson, the historic heart (20 minutes on foot)
From the hotel, walk down avenue du Professeur Grasset then join rue de l'Université: you enter the Écusson, Montpellier's medieval centre, through its quietest gate. Pedestrian lanes, place de la Canourgue with its chestnut trees, then Place de la Comédie and its 19th-century opera house.
In the morning, visit the Beaux-Arts market before setting off: fruit, cheese and flowers just steps from the hotel.
The Jardin des Plantes, France's oldest (8 minutes)
Created in 1593 for the faculty of medicine, Montpellier's Jardin des Plantes is the oldest botanical garden in France. Free entry, shaded even in August, it is our favourite cool break at midday. Right next door, the historic faculty of medicine building is worth a look.
The Promenade du Peyrou and the aqueduct (25 minutes)
Cross the Écusson westwards to reach the Promenade du Peyrou: Montpellier's Arc de Triomphe, the equestrian statue of Louis XIV, and above all the view of the Cévennes and the 18th-century Saint-Clément aqueduct. This is where we send all our guests at sunset.
What about the sea?
The beaches of Palavas-les-Flots and Carnon are 25 minutes by car, or reachable by tram (lines 1 then 3) with a short final walk. In summer, leave early in the morning and come back to enjoy the hotel's terrace at the end of the day.
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