Avignon: The historic capital of Provence, Avignon is 95 kilometres from Montpellier. Vibrant and charming, this southern French city is popular with students. Avignon is famous for its theatres, bars and medieval stone ramparts. Don’t miss the Palais des Papes, St-Bénézet medieval bridge and the Collection Lambert — a contemporary art gallery.
Nîmes: The Roman city of Nîmes is just under an hour’s drive from Montpellier. Once an important city of Roman-Gaul France, Nîmes has plenty of intact Roman ruins to keep even the most diehard history fan happy. If you’re a food-lover, head to Les Halles food market to pick up some mouth-watering local delicacies.
Château Puech-Haut: Around 20 kilometres from Montpellier is Château Puech-Haut — the largest vineyard in the region. The château was built by owner Gérard Bru, an industrialist who bought an old prefecture in Montpellier and slowly transformed the land into a vineyard. Tastings and tours are available from Tuesday-Saturday; just make sure you have a designated driver.