Mediterranean soul — medieval streets, student energy, southern French cuisine
Montpellier is France's youngest city in spirit despite its medieval bones — one-third of its 300,000 residents are students, which gives the grand Place de la Comédie and its café terraces a vibrancy most French cities envy. The Écusson historic quarter spirals through lanes too narrow for cars, past food markets, wine bars, and bistros serving cuisine that owes as much to Languedoc's vineyards and the Catalan coast as it does to Paris.
Founded in the 10th century as a spice-trade crossroads between Italy and Spain, Montpellier's university (established 1220) became one of Europe's most celebrated medical schools, drawing Arab, Jewish, and Christian scholars. The city was a Huguenot stronghold during the Wars of Religion and changed hands repeatedly before Cardinal Richelieu dismantled its walls in 1622.