Montpellier

The building—combining a 17th-century hôtel, a vast Victorian wing with superb natural light, and a remnant of a Baroque Jesuit college—is a mixed bag of architectural styles. — Fodor's

Its fantastical 14th-century entry porch alone warrants the detour: two cone-top towers—some five stories high—flank the main portal and support a groin-vaulted shelter. — Fodor's

North of place Royale du Peyrou is Montpellier's delightful botanical garden, France’s oldest botanical garden, laid out in 1593 and still used as a research resource by the University of Montpellier. — Lonely Planet

A 10-minute walk from Agropolis, this add-on to Montpellier's zoo replicates the humid world of an Amazonian rainforest, complete with prowling piranhas, alligators and reptiles. — Lonely Planet

Currrently the headquarters of Montpellier's chamber or commerce, it was built in the 18C by Jean-Antoine Giral, thanks to a donation from François Gigot de Lapeyronie. — Michelin Guide

The nerve centre of the city and favourite meeting place of all its inhabitants. — Michelin Guide

Romanesque sculptures from Fontcaude and Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert abbeys, Coronelli's celestial sphere, a yellow 18C style drawing room and fine pieces of majolica. — Michelin Guide

At Montpellier's highest point and designed in 1688 by Charles d'Aviler, the promenade is crossed by the St Clement aqueduct which served to carry water from the Lez springs to the water tower. — Michelin Guide

Within the medical faculty of the University of Montpellier, this museum displays a small collection of French, Italian and Flemish drawings. — Lonely Planet

High-profile artists to have featured here include Marc Desgrandchamps, Véronique Pagès, Hervé Di Rosa, Manuel Ocampo, Robert Combas and Gérard Garouste. — Lonely Planet

A hotel has stood at this prime location, right off the promenade du Peyrou, since the late 1800s. — Frommer's

Dedicated to leisure, culture and retail, Odysseum is a world apart. — Michelin Guide