Arc de Triomphe

Montpellier


Built in 1695, Montpellier's 52m-high triumphal arch is dedicated to Louis XIV. The tourist office organises guided tours in summer that take you up 103 steps inside the arch to the top for panoramic views. The best time to photograph it is just before sunset from Place Royale du Peyrou, when the entire arch glows in the golden light.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Montpellier attractions

1. Place Royale du Peyrou

0.08 MILES

At the eastern end of this wide, tree-lined esplanade is the 1695 Arc de Triomphe. From the Château d’Eau, an elaborate hexagonal water tower at its…

2. Carré Sainte-Anne

0.12 MILES

The landmark neogothic St Anne's church, with dazzling stained-glass windows, was deconsecrated in the 1980s and is now a spectacular setting for…

3. Cathédrale St-Pierre

0.17 MILES

Noted for its disproportionately tall porch, Montpellier’s monumental Cathédrale St-Pierre began life as a church attached to the 14th-century monastery…

4. Hôtel de la Vieille Intendance

0.18 MILES

The early-17th-century Hôtel de la Vieille Intendance was built during the reign of Louis XIII for the queen mother and his niece Marie Louise d’Orléans …

5. Jardin des Plantes

0.22 MILES

One of Montpellier’s hidden gems, the Jardins des Plantes is the oldest botanical garden in France. Established in 1593, it was used as a model for the…

6. Hôtel de Varennes

0.31 MILES

The Hôtel de Varennes is a harmonious 18th-century makeover of a medieval structure; it now contains the city’s small history museum, the Musée du Vieux…

7. Musée du Vieux Montpellier

0.32 MILES

This municipal museum has a fairly pedestrian collection of local-interest pieces ranging from furniture to paintings and antique weaponry, but it’s worth…

8. Hôtel St-Côme

0.34 MILES

The Hôtel St-Côme is a suitably grand building for the city’s Chamber of Commerce.

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