Walking with your guide, you will hear how, from the Middle Ages, Montpellier earned a reputation as an important trading and commercial hub, and later as a college town. Montpellier University, established in 1289 by William VII of Montpellier, is one of the oldest in the Western World. Nowadays, the University buildings and the Botanical Gardens, and even the stunning National Opera, are just some of the landmarks that show the cultural preeminence of this illustrated city. In the old town, your group will also explore the stunning Gothic Saint-Pierre Cathedral. The unique two tower-like cylindrical pillars give the building a fortress-like appearance that earned it the nickname of ‘Fort St. Peter’.