David Whitley enjoys the youthful energy, ambitious building projects and private mansions in Southern France.
Youthful Montpellier
Walking around Montpellier is a bit like that crushing moment when you realise in just which year the new pop star/ football hero of the moment was born. Everyone in the city seems so young.
This is no real surprise when you learn that half of the city’s residents are under 35, and 60,000 students call it home. But unless you’re prepared to go with the vibe, then prepare to feel rather grey and wrinkly.
A youthful population makes for a similar spirit, and Montpellier is unquestionably one of the most exciting places in France to visit. There’s a real can-do mentality that permeates almost every aspect of the 1,000-year-old city, even when it comes to unearthing old attractions.
Jewish Montpellier
Recently remains of important Jewish sites have been discovered in the buildings around the old Jewish baths. Restoring them is a mammoth task, but the city is about to add it to the enormous list of projects that it has taken on in the last 25 years or so.
And, boy, are those projects impressive. The most obvious one is the tram system that scoots across the city. The trams look overwhelmingly sleek, they run regularly and on time, and another line is on the way. This one will go all the way to the beach, 11km away.
Place de la Comedie
The city’s heart, Place de la Comédie, has also had a makeover. Locals used to call it The Egg, as it was an ovular patch of concrete ringed by snarling traffic. The vehicles have been kicked out, and the public space expanded massively, breaking into the spectacular tree-lined Esplanade.
There is also the penchant for creating entirely new suburbs from nothing – something that is necessary given Montpellier’s population boom – but it is done in style.
Port Marianne and Antigone
The current project is Port Marianne, which is the latest phase in turning the city’s riverside from a long-neglected wilderness into a thriving area where people can both live and play. It was only in the 1980s that the city was really connected to the River Lez, with the construction of Antigone.
This kilometre-long suburb was designed as a showpiece, rather than springing up in a higgledy-piggledly fashion, and thus the whole thing was left in the hands of Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill. The result was a visually dizzying ensemble of grand neo-classical buildings, all designed with public space and lines of sight in mind. Consequently, it manages to look like a version of ancient Rome remade for the big screen with computer wizardry and special effects.
Amazonian Greenhouse and Aquarium Mare Nostrum
The brand spanking new feel is replicated across the city, whether it’s at the new Amazonian Greenhouse in the north, or the genuinely excellent Aquarium Mare Nostrum at the Odysseum – yet another purpose-built entertainment hub.
Old city
In spite of such ambitious money-flinging, Montpellier’s real charm and character is to be found in and around the old city. Much is hidden to the untrained eye, but a bit of background works wonders.
Take the walls near the war memorial and Esplanade. Today they are surrounded with parkland and greenery, but have a look at which way the arrow slits are pointing. They’re not defending the city, but poised to attack it.
This dates back to the religious wars of the 17th century, when Louis XIII laid siege to Protestant Montpellier, and then built a citadel to secure it. Much of the newer parts of the city, therefore, are built on former military ground – it took an awful long time for the powers that be to trust the locals not to cause any trouble.
The old town is a delightful place to have a stroll, and takes the form of a shield-shaped mess of narrow streets and alleys. Little staircases run up past preserved buildings with medieval stone vaults, then miraculously break into square surrounded by bars and cafés.
Private mansions
But some of the most impressive sites aren’t immediately obvious from the street. The city contains many private mansions that were the homes of the great and good back in the 18th century.
Only a few of these – with their grand staircases, flamboyant gardens and pretty courtyards – can be accessed by the public. It’s very easy to simply walk past and miss them.
The same applies the mikve, or Jewish baths. Tucked away down a dark passageway, this is only accessible by guided tour at the moment. But once, they’ve finished digging out the rest of the Jewish quarter, who knows? In Montpellier, you get the distinct impression that anything’s possible.
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