Montpellier has an ideal getaway. Museums, cultural leisure, Languedoc art, adorable historical heart, a weekend in the Heraultae city leave little room for boredom. So, when the beautiful Mediterranean decides to celebrate Christmas, we hold off its weekend dates and take advantage of its softness to live. In the meantime, Father Christmas…
Historical Center and Cultural Activities
When we talk about history with a great H and compare it to its neighboring Nîmes, Arles or even Agde, Montpellier appears a little like a teenager. Most of its neighbors have their arenas and their Gallo-Roman remains, which evoke the proud and prestigious traces of conquest and occupation by Greek or Roman peoples, hyper-civilized Mediterranean travelers. Montpellier, she, does not start to really exist only in year Mil and has no past only from the Middle Ages. But what existence? Its heritage and its oldest vestiges of stone bear mainly the footprint of xvie, xviie or nineteenth centuries. The medieval aspect lies only in the layout of the streets of the Ecusson, the historical heart and the soul of the city, and the remains of the Commune. Special hotels are legion in the center and it is often possible to slip into the inner courtyards of many of them. Many of the shops of the Ecusson, especially to the rue de l 'Ancienne-Courrier, have had the good taste to preserve sumptuous ceilings in the xive and xve centuries. You can also discover vestiges of the fortified xiith century compound, including the Pine Tower or Babote, particularly well preserved. A beautiful walk in perspective!
Today Montpellier has offered quality cultural radiation with many theater festivals, music, dance, etc., to national and even international reputation. The Fabre Museum is to be seen at least once. Along several thematic routes, there are some 800 odd works from the xve in the twenty-first century, including a monumental work by Buren and two rooms dedicated to the painter Pierre Soulages. The native of Rodez left some thirty paintings in the museum. Unavoidable! The cultural stroll can then be extended to the Musée de l 'Histoire de Montpellier, the Old Montpellier Museum and the Languedocien Museum.
A Tasty Christmas Market
And during this montpelon visit, we will also benefit from the animations set up for the year-end celebrations. For this year, the heart of Montpellier is going to vibrate at the rhythm of its now famous Winter throughout the period of Avent… and even a little more, since the festivities will continue until Sunday December 27. For its 13 th edition, the Heraultaise event will restore the recipe for success. From Friday, December 4 th, the esplanade Charles de Gaulle will once again partake of Christmas decorations and host more than 100 chalets, all of which are wooden. This elegant treadmill walk will leave its Guinguans to let the Christmas fairy go. A unique opportunity to find gift ideas, decorations to beautify his fir or greedy products. Because, of course, like every Christmas market that respects itself, the beautiful part will be made to local products. Between two small and large events, we will regenerate, among other things, oysters and wines from Languedoc. This is an all-embracing pretext for discovering a Heraultaise gastronomy rich in Mediterranean flavors, meeting the influences of the sea and the mountains. Olives and olive oil, cheeses, oysters, but also shellfish and seafood, fruits filled with sun, honey, confectionery and even beer… It will be all the accent of the south on your plate and on your table. Less known than the famous bouillabaisse, hinterland cuisine has always been under the influence of neighboring mountain departments such as Aveyron or Lozère. There are therefore all the charcoal specialties, including ham, terrines and sausages, based on the high Languedoc pig, but also delicious cheeses such as pillow, the emblematic Causses and Cevennes. Flavors that will delight visitors to the Montpellian Christmas market.
The city is going to illuminate…
In view of the great success of the great festival of lights in 2014, at the initiative of the Montpellier Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the festivities 2015 will once again make the light beautiful. Of course, as at the end of last year, we will find the great illuminated sphere, which evokes a mappemeral, on the square of Comedy. And once again, there may be a tail to get his selfie…
This partnership between ICC, the city and some private actors will allow eight different facades of the city center to illuminate every night from December 17-19. A true show sound and light inspired by the famous Festival des Lumière in Lyon and Montpellier named "City Heart in Light". We will then emerge in front of images of images of all beauty reflecting the history of the city on montpellian monuments such as Saint-Roch Church, Saint-Denis Square, Prefecture or even the Chamber of Commerce. And it's the eyes wide open that small and large children will take a nice family moment at night, between 6:30 p. m. and 9:30 p. m. A unique opportunity to discover or rediscover the city center and its lively streets, shops and restaurants throughout this course in the heart of the Ecusson district. We are certainly not at the 71 places of the Lyon Enlightenment, but who knows, within a short time, Montpellier may be entirely of light for the greatest pleasure of all. While waiting for Santa Claus, that's what we're looking at…
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When is it? Of course, you can go to Montpellier all year round, but to enjoy the festivities that are going to rhythm with Montpellier's life at Christmas, meet from December 4-27, 2015.
Go there. By train, by plane, by car (via the A 9 motorway and A 75 motorway), everything is possible.
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