Geography
The city is situated on hilly ground 10 kilometres (6 mi) inland from the Mediterranean coast on the River Lez. The name of the city, which was originally Monspessulanus, is said to have stood for mont pelé (the naked hill, because the vegetation was poor), or le mont de la colline (the mount of the hill)
Montpellier is located 52 kilometres (32 mi) from Nîmes, 168 kilometres (104 mi) from Marseille, 248 kilometres (154 mi) from Toulouse. It is at a distance of 750 kilometres (466 mi) from the capital of France, Paris.
Montpellier's highest point is the Place du Peyrou, at an altitude of 57 metres (187 ft). The city is built on two hills, Montpellier and Montpelliéret, thus some of its streets have great differences of altitude. Some of its streets are also very narrow and old, which gives it a more intimate feel.
Read more about this topic: Montpellier
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