Montpellier: The southern France city basking in Mediterranean light

In our quest to explore France beyond Paris, we ended up in Montpellier. About 10 km inland from the Mediterranean coast this southern France city is defined by its Gothic Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, medieval towers and alleys, old town limestone houses, café terraces and outdoor cafes, private mansion turned hotels, little boutiques and many hidden gems like the medieval mikveh, a ceremonial Jewish bath dating from the 13th Century. About 3 hrs by high-speed Euro rail from Paris, this place is worth exploring. Photos by Sujoy Dhar