Both — the department stretches from Montpellier's historic centre to the Étang de Thau's oyster villages and the coast around Sète and Cap d'Agde.
Discover Authentic Hérault: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure
At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Hérault, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?
Our map pins local favourites such as the Jardin des Plantes de Montpellier, the Méjean Reserve and Maguelone Cathedral.
Top 5 Things to Do in Hérault
Montpellier
A university city with a genuinely old centre — the Écusson — alongside the neoclassical grandeur of the Antigone district. Easy to reach, easy to walk, and never far from a market square.
Sète
A working fishing port built on canals, sometimes called the 'Venice of Languedoc.' Come in summer for the joutes nautiques — water jousting matches on the canals, a local tradition worth timing your visit around.
Béziers
The Fonséranes locks here — nine locks stepping the Canal du Midi down a hillside — are part of the UNESCO-listed canal. Walk the towpath at your own pace; boats still queue to pass through.
Pézenas
Molière lived and performed here before Paris made him famous, and the old town's antique shops and craft workshops still carry that theatrical, slightly eccentric charm.
Bouzigues
The village that gave its name to the region's oysters, farmed in suspension on the Étang de Thau since there's no tide to help them along naturally. Pull up a stool at one of the waterside tasting huts and order a dozen.
Explore Hérault's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map
What's on the map in Hérault
We've mapped local spots around the Hérault, from Montpellier's old town to the Thau Lagoon.
Montpellier
Jardin des Plantes de Montpellier
Created in 1593, France's oldest botanical garden: a bamboo forest, orange trees, a lotus pond and a cactus greenhouse. A 15- to 20-minute walk from our Montpellier hotels.
Montpellier · Botanical garden · Perfect for a peaceful stroll
Les Ateliers Saint-Roch
In historic Montpellier, thirteen makers craft and sell jewellery, ceramics, glass and leather goods – and some run taster workshops. A short walk from our Montpellier hotels.
Saint-Roch, Montpellier · Craft workshops · Made for handmade souvenirs
Lattara archaeological site – Musée Henri Prades
The ancient Mediterranean port of Lattara, brought back to life in this archaeological site and museum, with temporary exhibitions. 25 minutes from our Montpellier hotels.
Lattes · Archaeological museum · Ideal for history
MRAC Occitanie
A light-filled regional contemporary art museum in Sérignan, devoted to artists from the 1960s to today, such as Daniel Buren.
Sérignan · Art museum · Great for contemporary art
La Ferme de Marguerite
Traditional French cooking with local, seasonal produce in a country-style setting in central Montpellier.
Montpellier · Restaurant · Perfect for French cuisine
Delaluce
A Japanese tea shop and tea room serving fine teas with homemade mochi and cakes. Slow down.
Montpellier · Tea room · Ideal for a calm break
Restaurant Mahé
Chef Richard Juste's honest, seasonal cooking, built on local producers.
Restaurant · Great for local produce
Le Verseau
Close to nature in Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois, cooking with local seasonal produce.
Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois · Restaurant · Perfect for a country lunch
Lagoons & coast
Méjean Reserve
Lagoons, salt marshes and reed beds shelter 170 bird species, flamingos, herons and storks among them. Trails start at the Maison de la Nature in Lattes, and a bike path runs to the beach.
Lattes · Nature reserve · Made for birdwatching
Maguelone Cathedral, Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone
On the Maguelone peninsula, a seafront cathedral among vineyards and lagoons where flamingos and egrets gather. 25 minutes from our Montpellier hotels.
Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone · Cathedral and nature · Ideal for an afternoon escape
L'Étoile de Thau boat trip
From Marseillan, a fisherwoman guides 90-minute boat trips on the Thau Lagoon, into the world of oyster farming and out to the mouth of the Canal du Midi. 20 minutes from our Mercure Cap d'Agde.
Marseillan · Boat excursion · Perfect for oysters and lagoon life
Manufacture de la Savonnerie
In Lodève, the only satellite of the Paris national carpet workshop, where carpets are woven for embassies and the Élysée. Watch the weavers at work.
Lodève · Workshop visit · Great for crafts
Château Laurens
An eclectic villa begun in 1898 by collector Emmanuel Laurens, mixing Art Nouveau, neo-Greek and Orientalist styles.
Agde · Historic house · Perfect for architecture
Espace Georges Brassens
Put on the audioguide and let Georges Brassens himself talk you through his songs, from his childhood in Sète to Parisian fame.
Sète · Museum · Made for music lovers
Maison Noilly Prat
Cellar tours in the little port of Marseillan, where the first French vermouth has been made for 200 years.
Marseillan · Cellar visit · Ideal for cocktail lovers
La Grande Motte
An audioguided tour of the seaside resort designed by architect Jean Balladur – pyramids by the sea.
La Grande Motte · Architecture · Made for design lovers
La Grande Conque beach
A black-sand beach in Cap d'Agde, formed from ancient volcanic rock and reached by steps cut into the cliff.
Cap d'Agde · Beach · Perfect for a swim
Au Poisson Bleu
A seafood restaurant in central Palavas, where the fish is often caught that same morning.
Palavas-les-Flots · Restaurant · Great for seafood
Pézenas
An old fair town where Molière stayed in the 17th century, full of historic mansions and craft shops.
Pézenas · Historic town · Ideal for a day trip
Around Mercure Arles
Parc Ornithologique de Pont-de-Gau
A 60-hectare bird park in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, with over 6 km of paths among herons, birds of prey and pink flamingos.
Camargue · Bird park · Perfect for nature lovers
FAQ
Oysters are farmed and available year-round on the Étang de Thau, though the tasting huts are liveliest and easiest to enjoy outdoors from spring through autumn.
Yes — its train links to Sète and Béziers make it a practical hub for day trips across the department.
The Jardin des Plantes de Montpellier, created in 1593, a short walk from our Montpellier hotels.
At the Méjean Reserve in Lattes and around Maguelone Cathedral, both about 20 to 25 minutes from Montpellier.
Take L'Étoile de Thau boat trip from Marseillan, run by local fishers, to learn about oyster farming.
Where to Sleep in Hérault
See our Mercure hotels across Hérault, ideally placed to explore these picks.