Colors of Montpellier - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Montpellier is an incredibly beautiful French city that has preserved its historic charm and beautiful traditions. It is famous for annual festivals. In summer, the music Festival Radio France is held. During the festival, over 150 concerts and themed events take place in the city. Most of the events take place in the historic district. In Montpellier, there are several modern concert halls. Most of the concerts held during the festival are free.

When the main music fest comes to an end, the International Festival Montpellier Danse starts. It is held in the second half of July. On one of the central streets, there is the main folk dance center. This building is a remarkable historic attraction. At one time, there was a monastery that was abandoned. The old building was not destroyed. It has been reconstructed into a culture center where everyone can study traditional dances. During the festival, you can enjoy beautiful performances and attend free dance classes in the center.

The eventful cultural life and the diversity of festivals are just some of the attractive features of Montpellier. This city located in the hills attracts with its parks and gardens. There are over 50 parks. Much attention is paid to the landscape design of the city. At each step, you can see the rows of thin palms, beautiful fountains, and other landscape exposures. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In recent years, TaMs (Tramways de Montpellier) running across central streets have become an interesting city symbol. The main feature of these tramways is a colorful design, so tourists love photographing them. Tramways run across interesting places and landmarks, so such a trip will not leave you indifferent.

As for modern Montpellier, the locals’ love of two-wheel transport should be mentioned. Many central streets are closed for road transport so you can travel only on foot or ride a bike here. In Montpellier, there are wonderful conditions for bikers. There are special paths, the total length of which is 120 km. The guests of the city have an opportunity to participate in local cultural life and ride a bike during their vacation. In Montpellier, there are over 50 rental stations.

In recent years, the population of the city has become “younger”. Today, a quarter of the population is students. There are several large universities where students from different countries study. Such a number of young people has impacted the city’s image and way of living. When walking in the students' district, you can see colorful graffiti. Some of them resemble real masterpieces. All these pictures are painted by local talented young people.

Montpellier is constantly changing and is always open up to something new. For many years, fountains have been the main feature of the city. Most of them are decorated with symbolic symbols and have a unique history. A few years ago, an interesting program named “100 Fountains” was launched. As you can guess, it is planned to build a hundred fountains in the city territory. Today, there are 80 fountains in Montpellier so there is just a bit left to do. They are quite popular with local people and tourists. It is pleasant to relax at a fountain on a hot day.

If you have no opportunity to visit the city during holidays or festivals, you can just walk in the central city square. From Friday to Sunday, interesting performances take place in the square. Musicians, dancers, theater troupes, and other people of contemporary art often perform here. During public holidays, children’s performances and traditional fairs are organized in the square. There is also one of the most unusual symbols of the city, a traditional carousel that even adults can ride.