Photo Exhibition at the Pavilion Populaire

Montpellier's Pavilion Populaire is a modern photography museum located in Esplanade Charles de Gaulle, just off Place de la Comédie, the city's main square.  With three new exhibitions per year, the Pavilion Populaire is considered one of the leading photography exhibition venues in France.  

Pavilion Populaire

Entry is free and we wander in, initially walking through several rooms of new European photography.

Our visits starts

After the modern photography, much of the current exhibition is devoted to Ukranian photography, particularly photos from the ongoing Russian invasion.

Ukraine

The combination of modern European photography and [modern] Ukranian-war photography is thought provoking and intriguing, reminding us of many different aspects of current life in Europe.

Antigone and Along the River Lez

Montpellier's Antigone district, started in 1977, is a series of grand neo-classical structures along a unified visual axis one kilometer long, stretching from the old town to the River Lez.  Starting at Place de la Comédie, we walk through the mall to the beginning of the Antigone district, first entering a tree-filled stretch of shops, restaurants, and fountains

Entering the Antigone district

Soon, the tree-fill courtyard transitions into sections of grand office buildings and sports complexes.

Grand architecture

At the far of the Antigone district, we reach the Lez River at the Bassin de Richter and follow it a ways toward the Mediterranean, 12 km (7 miles) away.

Along the River Lez

There is a lot of construction along the river and find that many kilometers of stages, stands, and booths are being erected for FISE Montpellier, the largest extreme sports event in Europe, due to start a few days after we leave.

Setup for FISE

Continuing along the Lez, we come to the Port Marianne section of Montpellier, a modern neighborhood across from the city hall, with construction starting in the 1990s and continuing today.

Port Marianne

Along the Lez

We turn around and head back on the banks of the Lez.  Later on, we'll rent bicycles and follow the Lez to the Mediterranean, about 30 minutes away, but today we're on foot.

Street Art in Montpellier

With one of the largest pedestrian-only areas in Europe, Montpellier has worked to decorate the streets with banners and wall and pavement artwork.  In addition,  impromptu art has appeared around the city.

Decorated streets

Art on the street

Even the mall is wonderfully decorated with statues, balloons, and decorative touches everywhere.

Mall decor

The whole effect is delightful, occasionally whimsical, and visually pleasing as we wander through the city.