France

Montpellier

Enter one of Europe's most important art museums and discover a world-class collection spanning centuries of European artistic achievement. The Musée Fabre houses over 700 paintings, sculptures, and drawings across 9,200 square metres of gallery space, but what truly sets it apart is its extraordinary Soulages collection. The museum holds the world's largest collection of works by Pierre Soulages, the legendary artist who lived to 108 and pioneered "Outrenoir," a technique exploring black pigment's optical and emotional depth. With 33 Soulages canvases spanning from 1951 to 2012, you can trace the artist's evolution across six decades. Here's a wonderful bit of history: young Soulages discovered the Musée Fabre in 1941 during World War II while preparing to teach drawing at Montpellier's school of fine arts, and this early encounter profoundly shaped his artistic path. A major retrospective in 2025 celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the museum's 2005 donation of works from Soulages himself and his wife Colette. With Questo, you can discover the intimate connection between an artist and the institution that inspired him, exploring how a single museum visit changed the course of modern art.

Musée Fabre

Place Jean Jaurès is one of the liveliest squares in Montpellier's old town, a run of cafe terraces that fills up in the evening. Beneath it lie the excavated remains of a Romanesque church, visible through the crypt entrance.

Place Jean Jaurès

Place de la Comédie is Montpellier's living room, an enormous paved oval that Montpellier locals simply call l'Oeuf, the egg, after the shape once marked out on it. The Three Graces fountain stands in the middle and the opera house closes one end. Almost every walk through the city passes through it.

Place de la Comédie

Stroll through France's oldest botanical garden, a living testament to over 430 years of horticultural history and scientific discovery. Created in 1593 by Pierre Richer de Belleval, a doctor-professor commissioned by King Henri IV, the Jardins des Plantes was revolutionary in its time. The original mission promoted "health through medicinal plants," but Richer's vision rapidly expanded beyond medicine, establishing the first dedicated botanical study garden in France. So influential was this garden that it became the model for all subsequent French botanical gardens, including the famous Jardin des Plantes de Paris, founded 40 years later. Today the garden covers nearly 5 hectares in central Montpellier, housing 2,679 plant species representing botanical diversity from across the globe. Walking through the garden, plants are organized by family, function, and origin, preserving the Renaissance geometric principles combined with botanical knowledge that guided its original design. The layout seamlessly merges aesthetic beauty with scientific education, allowing you to explore the plant world as both art and science. With Questo, you can discover the fascinating stories of rare plants, medicinal uses, and the botanical pioneers who shaped European science right here in Montpellier.

Jardins des Plantes

Experience an 18th-century landscape of power and ambition at La Promenade du Peyrou, a monumental royal terrace that commands the city with architectural grandeur. Laid out in 1689 and completed in 1774, this Place Royale was envisioned as Montpellier's answer to imperial ambition. At its heart stands an equestrian statue of Louis XIV, erected in 1718 and designed by architect François d'Orbay. The Sun King is portrayed with his arm pointing majestically toward the Pyrenees, the region that became part of his empire after peace with Spain, literally commanding the landscape toward royal domains. Designed in 1690-1691, the magnificent triumphal arch serves as the promenade's gateway, creating a monumental perspective that expresses political hierarchy and power through urban design. At the far end stands the Saint-Clément aqueduct and reservoir, built in 1753 as an extraordinary engineering feat that connected the Saint-Clément source over 14 kilometres to supply the city's fountains. Water cascades throughout, making fountains visible symbols of royal power and engineering prowess. With Questo, you can unravel the stories of royal ambition, architectural innovation, and engineering achievement that transformed this stony hilltop into a landscape celebrating monarchy and municipal pride.

La Promenade du Peyrou

Montpellier's historic games - Euric's Bow

The Pavillon Populaire

The Spellbound Sculpture: A Montpellier Halloween Quest

Basic/Tier2

<p>Tonight, Montpellier pulses with forgotten magic. Statues stir, fountains whisper, and Euphrosyne—the muse of joy—awakens with a mission.&nbsp;</p><p>Her beloved sculptor vanished two centuries ago, and only you, her loyal assistant, can help her reunite with him. Follow the trail through the city's most beautiful landmarks, solve clues etched in stone and bronze, and gather the elements needed for The Awakening. But beware—shadows move with purpose tonight.</p><p>This quest is a walking adventure through Montpellier’s heart, blending romance, mystery, and mythology. Solve real-world puzzles, explore with friends or family, and become part of a story that bridges time and love. Will you help love live again—or fade into legend?</p>

Fontaine des Trois Grâces

<div>To help Euric get to the royal tournament you need to unlock the route of the procession, and stop at special points along the way.&nbsp;<br>Getting to the last chapter you find out why it’s so important, how and where they played the game, what the special prize is and who Euric is.&nbsp;<br><br>With each step you discover something interesting about each place; like why grown men shot at a wooden parrot, a little city trivia and what’s so special about Euric’s bow, but be careful, you’re being pursued.&nbsp;</div>

The Pavillon Populaire, Montpellier, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Plan Your Visit

Explore The Pavillon Populaire with a Questo quest