 Béziers
is the nearest large town and is a fifteen minute
drive from the Hacienda. Renowned for its fresh food market and flower
market on a Friday morning the town has everything to welcome the
visitor, beautiful shops, many restaurants, museums, cinema and
theatre. The most famous festival is La Feria which takes place over
four days in August.
Montpellier
Montpellier resembles that other wonderful French city, Paris, but without the big-city problems.
It is compact and accessible, with world-class art and cutting-edge architecture.
Cars are banned from much of the centre and the tiny cobbled lanes are given over to the strolling pedestrian.
The dynamic city vibrates, pulsing with energy. It was an ancient
village before it metamorphosed into a classical city, and today it
leads the world as a technopolis for the future.
Sixty thousand students live here, ensuring a non-stop party
atmosphere, concert cafes, theatre cafes, discussion cafes, bars, pubs
– something for everyone. Blue skies and warm evenings lend themselves
to a culture lived on the streets.
Montpellier, like Paris, has its own Arc de Triomphe, a gateway to honour Louis XIV.
The strenuous climb to the top is a great way to orientate yourself.
The city is spread out in beauty below, each district easily
identifiable.
In the foreground stand the grand mansions of Rue Foch and, to the west, the ancient aqueduct.
In the east is Antigone, the new quartier. Designed by Catalan
architect Ricardo Bofill and built as student accommodation, it is all
reflecting glass and sharp angles.
At the Place de la Comedie, the old and new towns meet. The wide,
tree-lined boulevard is fronted by museums and art galleries, but the
footpaths are given over to eating and drinking at colourful outdoor
cafes and restaurants.
Nîmes
Sète
Narbonne
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