Charles-de-Gaulle Esplanade, Montpellier

Charles-de-Gaulle Esplanade, Montpellier

It was after the siege of Montpellier in 1622 that Louis XIII ordered some ramparts demolished to improve sight lines for the artillery pieces in the Citadel.

By 1679 the bastions and walls had been taken down around the common area and the deep moat by the Gate of Lattes was filled in. Later a military drill field was created for the soldiers based in the neighboring fort, the Citadel.

The military drill field was sold by the army to the town and transformed into an esplanade in 1900. There emerged fountains, numbers of statues and a monument to All The Dead of All the Wars. At first the monument was close to the Corum Palace, home of Opera Belioz. An inscription on the cornice reads, "Montpellier to her children dead for France."

The Esplanade is really an extension of the Comedy Square. It holds the Garden of the Fields of Mars, fountains, the Fabre Museum, the Museum of France, the Corum, a statue of Jean-Jaures, a bust of General de Gaulle, and kiosks of food.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Montpellier. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Charles-de-Gaulle Esplanade on Map

Sight Name: Charles-de-Gaulle Esplanade
Sight Location: Montpellier, France (See walking tours in Montpellier)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Montpellier, France

Create Your Own Walk in Montpellier

Create Your Own Walk in Montpellier

Creating your own self-guided walk in Montpellier is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Montpellier Introduction Walking Tour

Montpellier Introduction Walking Tour

The trouble with living in a pleasant seaside town in the middle ages was pirates. This was especially true for the town of Maguelone on the south shore of present-day France. A settlement more inland was combined with Maguelone under the feudal dynasty of Guilhem in 985. They added a castle and walls and called it Montpellier.

Montpellier was an important trading center in the 12th century and...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Murals and Street Art Walk

Murals and Street Art Walk

For those unaware, sunny Montpellier is more than just a quick getaway with a beautiful blue sky, sunshine, Mediterranean vibes and southern architecture. In fact, Montpellier is one of the few cities in France where all forms of street art, from elaborate murals to little gems that a passersby might not even notice right away, are found in rich supply, practically on every side street.

The...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.8 Km or 0.5 Miles