Montpellier is a city located in the south of France that serves as the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It has the distinction of being one of the few places in the country that has largely been untouched by Roman influence.
Montpellier is a remarkably picturesque city with many charming hamlets, majestic castles and imposing towers dotting its landscape. Among the most striking architectural features of the city are the towers Tour de la Babott and the Tour des Pins.
This proud architectural and cultural legacy does not detract one bit from Montpellier’s vibrancy however, and over the years it has managed to cultivate an air of modernity while still retaining its unique historical heritage. From flashy bars to cozy pubs and from sophisticated malls to colorful markets, Montpellier offers all the best characteristics of a truly modern European urban center.
Residential Places in Montpellier
Being the capital of Languedoc, property rates in Montpellier can be somewhat expensive as you can imagine. The presence of the university also means that there is a continuous demand for apartments and flats–as well as rooms–in the center of town. In fact, to meet this demand, virtually all of the older buildings in the city were converted to flats a long time ago.
Today, any available property is often snapped up within a few days–and sometimes even a few hours–of listing, so you would probably have considerable difficulty finding a place to stay in the city proper. You can expect to pay around 100,000€ for a studio apartment and about 600,000€ for a large apartment with four bedrooms and a terrace.
You will have much better luck searching through the listing of houses in the suburbs where 250,000€ will get you a decent–albeit smallish–town house. A large villa with a garden and a swimming pool will likely set you back upwards of one million euros.
The huge demand for residential locations has prompted the development of several apartment buildings all over the city so things may get better in the future. For now though, it appears that the suburbs are your best option.
Hospitals and Universities of Montpellier
With 3,000 beds and over 9,000 employees, the University Hospital Center of Montpellier is the facillargest health care ity in the city. They are a fully equipped state-of-the-art facility, able to address a wide range of health concerns including psychiatry, neurology, all types of surgery and many more.
Some of the other hospitals in the city are the Saint-Eloi Hospital and the Arnaud de Villeneuve Hospital.
Montpellier is particularly famous for its university, which is one of the oldest education institutions in the country. It dates back to the year 1220, when it was first granted a charter by Cardinal Conrad von Urach. Today, the university exists in the form of three successor universities, namely the University of Montpellier 1, the Montpellier 2 University and the Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III.
Other universities in Montpellier include the University of Nîmes–which was formerly known as the Nîmes University Centre for Training and Research–and the University of Perpignan Via Dometia.
Commercial Places in Montpellier
France is of course known worldwide for its excellence in the culinary field, and Montpellier upholds this reputation proudly.
You will want to check out La Grange for the finest in local cuisine in a cozy and familiar art gallery setting.
For a bit of a rustic flavor, Le Prince de Minorque is steeped in the culinary tradition of the Mediterranean, with a huge selection of meats and fishes cooked over a spit. The menu comes in English and German as well as French, so you should have no trouble making your selection.
Finally, Les Jardins de la Babote combines the best of Eastern and Western cuisine, and they proudly serve only the best in local wines. Les Jardins de la Babote is well known all over the city for its Rossini bison slab with truffle sauce and sweet potato rosette.
Service Establishments of Montpellier
Previously, electricity and gas supply services in Montpellier–as in the rest of France–was provided solely by Electricité de France. It was admittedly a bit of an annoyance not having any choice of electrical service providers, but Electricité de France attempted to ease this situation by providing consumers with the option to choose from three electrical connection packages, depending on their intended power consumption and the number of appliances they owned.
In a much welcome move, the government opened up the possibility of purchasing these services from privately owned companies in July of 2007. However, unless you actively discontinue your service, your current subscription with Electricité de France continues. Also keep in mind that if you do decide to switch companies, you cannot go back to the Electricité de France rates at a later date.
Contracts with electric and gas companies in Montpellier typically last for a year, although you may discontinue this if you plan to move residences before then, provided you inform Electricité de France of your subsequent address.
Montpellier’s water supply needs are currently serviced by several private companies, the largest being Ondeo and Veoilia.
Embassies in Montpellier
There is an office of the British honorary consul in Montpellier which you can call at (33) (4) 67 15 52 07 and fax at (33) (4) 67 15 52 07. Additionally, you may also get in touch with the British Embassy in Paris at the following address: 35 rue du Faubourg St Honoré, Paris. Their telephone number is (33) 1 44 51 31 00, and to get in touch with the British Council directly, you can call (33) 1 49 55 73 00. They also have several fax numbers that you can use depending on your particular concern. These are:
(33) 1 44 51 32 88 for management,
(33) 1 44 51 34 01 for commercial inquiries,
(33) 1 44 51 32 34 for press and communications,
(33) 1 44 51 34 85 for political and economic concerns,
(33) 1 44 51 34 40 for defense, global issues and strategic threats,
(33) 1 44 51 31 27 for consular services,
(33) 1 44 51 31 28 for Visa related concerns, and finally
(33) 1 47 05 77 02 for the British Council.
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