Cheap flights from Bristol to Montpellier from £106

Hôtel de Varennes is one of the most beautiful hôtels particuliers — private mansions. This building was constructed in the 18th century on the site of an older, medieval building. Now it houses a small museum of the history of the city, Musée du Vieux Montpellier. Check out the 13th-century Black Virgin, a gilded table-clock in this museum's collection.

The Antigone district was designed by the Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill in the neoclassical style. The peculiarity of this area is that if you look at it from above, the 900-meter complex resembles a key. Admire the water jets at Place du Nombre d'Or, sit by the fountain at Place de Thessalie, and photograph the arched buildings at Place de l'Europe here.

The Abbey of Valmagne was built in the 12th century and today is the venue for various local festivals. The abbey was last rebuilt in the 14th century. It means that today, you can walk along the walls more than six centuries old.