City Stories Index · France · 2026 edition
Bordeaux vs Montpellier
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, they tie 2–2. Character is a different question: Bordeaux is the wine merchants' port; Montpellier is the physicians' city.
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| What we measure | Bordeaux | Montpellier | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 23 | 40 | Montpellier |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 333 | 234 | Montpellier |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | — | 6 | Montpellier |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 27 | 23 | Bordeaux |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 12 | 11 | Bordeaux |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | — | 37 | Montpellier |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Bordeaux in orange, Montpellier in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
BordeauxMontpellier
4 places
royalty & nobility13 places
2 places
faith & churches11 places
11 places
guilds & trade2 places
3 places
crime & dark history9 places
6 places
arts & culture9 places
6 places
industry & modern era1 place
1 place
parks & leisure5 places
1 place
fortification & siege4 places
Bordeaux scorecard →
The wine merchants' port
Montpellier scorecard →
The physicians' city