A late summer break in Montpellier, one of France’s sunniest cities

The reinvention of Montpellier from ancient university town to ‘Berlin by the Med’ is in full swing, and late summer is the best time to visit

Strolling around the Estanove district, just south-west of Montpellier centre, it’s hard not to feel excited by how this Mediterranean city is transforming for the 21st century. Here, on a brownfield former military site next to leafy Parc Montcalm, the city is building one of several “eco” districts – this one will link its new Cité Créative (a cluster of schools devoted to culture and the creative industries, including animation and games art) with the park.

That will be a while away, but there are already many reasons to visit this youthful and energetic city, whose reinvention is in full swing. (It’s one of the oldest university towns in France, and according to the tourist board one inhabitant in five is a student.) Le Halle Tropisme, a former machine hall built in 1913, has in recent years been transformed into a huge creative village for live music, clubbing, festivals, flea markets and games of pétanque, with plentiful street food and natural wine and craft beer stalls.