The weather was fantastic, so Mick and I took the opportunity to explore the city on foot. Our apartment is only 1.5Km from the very centre of Montpellier.

There were lots of other people out enjoying the weekend as well. Most shops were closed except for restaurants and bars. I loved this typical photo of visitors, or locals, enjoying a coffee.

Montpellier is the eighth largest city in France, but it also has the title of the fastest growing city in the country. About a third of the population is made up of students.

In this area of Montpellier, I think it was Antigone, close to main square, there was an art market in full swing – I think it happens every weekend.

The main square in Montpellier is Place de la Comédie. It is supposedly one of the largest pedestrian precincts in Europe. At the end of this photo you can see the city’s Opera House, Opéra Comédie.

 In the centre of the square is a beautiful statue – which I believe is only a copy of the original one which is located nearby inside the Opéra Comédie.

The history of some of the key buildings and parks in Montpellier date back to Louis XIV’s time (who ruled from 1643–1715).  Louis XIV made Montpellier the administrative capital of the Languedoc region.

One thing we did not know until today, was that Montpellier has its own triumphal arch, called Porte du Peyrou.

Four of the sculptures on the arch depict key successes of Louis XIV’s rule, one celebrating the construction of the Canal du Midi.

Very close to this arch there was a statue of Louis XIV in a park which we read was not the original statue, as the original one had been melted down to make canons during the Revolution.

In the mid 18th Century, this aqueduct was constructed to bring water to the city. The water was transported more than 14Km from a spring in Saint-Clément.

This structure supplied many of the fountains found in Montpellier, and I could not find out for sure if it still did.