Montpellier, capital of France's southern region of Languedoc, has a student population that makes up a quarter of its residents, making the city percolate with activity. Its 13th century medical school is where Nostradamus earned his doctorate, and remains a respected institute today. Macabre mementos from the early days of medicine are housed at the city's Musee d'Anatomie, and the Musee de la Pharmacie tracks the history of the apothecary.

Montpellier's native son, artist Francois Bazille, was raised at the Hotel Perier. Several of his works are exhibited at the Musee Fabre, located along the attraction-ridden Esplanade Charles-De-Gaulle, and residents often congregate at the Place de la Comedie before setting out to discover the city's pleasures. La Tour des Pins once supported medieval walls that protected the city, but not enough to stop the efforts of James the Conqueror, king of Aragon, to whom a plaque at the foot of the tower is commemorated.