4 weeks example activity program - Sport in and around Montpellier

You can participate in any activity you wish - you just decide locally at ILA. All activities and excursions are accompanied by specially trained ILA teachers. The following activity program is just an example of activities proposed, there will be numerous other activities as well.

Week 1

Monday :	Welcome Party Cheese and wine party - meet the other students and make new friends. Your are all invited!
Tuesday :	Guided tour of the city - the historic centre You will discover the charm of the historic centre, the small pedestrian streets, the picturesque squares etc. You will learn about the history of Montpellier and will also get many tips on where to find what: restaurants, bars, cinemas, theatres etc.
Wednesday :	Wine tasting Wine production is one of the main industry of the Languedoc-Roussillon region and has a very long tradition. Red, white and rose wines get produced as well as the famous sweet wine Muscat. The wine tasting takes place in a typical private mansion house dating back to the 19th century, a local sommelier will make you discover the wines of our region together with some other specialities. You will enjoy it!
Thursday :	Bar evening Your teacher will accompany you to discover the student bars of Montpellier around the famous square « Place Jean Jaures ». Great occasion to meet other ILA students, local French students and to have fun!
Friday :	Excursion to Arles You will discover Arles, one of the most beautiful towns of Provence. Because of the stunning architecture and the range of historical treasures Arles got recognised as cultural heritage by the UNESCO. Arles has always attracted famous people - Picasso and Van Gogh lived there and we discover their patrimony.

Week 2

Monday :	Guided tour of the city - the private mansion houses You will discover the charm of the private mansion houses. These magnificent buildings were constructed in the 17th and 18th century by rich families. There are more than 250 of those houses in the historic centre of Montpellier.
Wednesday :	Visit to the Planetarium Equipped with the latest technology, the planetarium will take you on a virtual, intergalactic journey in its dome offering a 15 meter wide screen. The 3D images will show you the astronomical phonemes.
Thursday :	Restaurant "Moules Frites" Speciality restaurant for s mussels and French fries. You will have a wide rage to choose from according your taste: classic, coked in white wine or in different sauces. Large beer and wine selection. (For those of you who do not like mussels you will find other dishes as well!)
Saturday :	Full day excursion to Uzes, Pont du Gard and Avigon You will discover Uzes, a historic town with a rich patrimony situated in a charming countryside. The Saturday market is very colourful and offers typical local products such as pottery, herbs, olive oil, home-made-cheese etc. After Uzes, we will visit the famous "Pont du Gard", disignated by UNESCO as having historic preservation status. This is the biggest romaine viaduct ever built and more than 2000 years old. You can take you take lunch in a caféteria or take you own picnic and join us for a swim in the river afterwards. In the afternoon we will discover the famous city of Avignon, with its historic centre still completely surrounded by an impressive city wall. Form the cathedral, which dominates the city you can see the river Rhone with its famous bridge. Many boutiques, art galleries and the animation by street musicians make a stroll in the historic centre enjoyable. You can also join in for an optional wine tasting in the exceptional surrounding of the ancient palace of the pope.

Week 3

Monday :	Guided tour of the city - Antigone (the new city) You will discover the Antigone quartier, designed in a neo-classical style by the famous Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill. You will see the Olympic swimming pool, the new National Library, the new "Arc de Triomphe" etc.
Wednesday :	Cheese tasting You will visit the most famous cheese shop of Montpellier. With the expert you will discover several cheeses (like Pélardon, Camenbert, Livarot, Cantal etc.) of many different French regions - a real "Tour de France". You can taste this delicious cheeses and also get lots of advice from the expert.
Thursday :	Comedy evening The most famous comedy theatre of Montpellier welcomes you. The program offers different pieces, but they have all one thing in common - they just make you laugh.
Friday :	Excursion to Nimes For some people Nimes is the Rome of France, others call it the French Sevilla - Nimes is very well known for its Arena - similar to the Coliseum in Rome. The "Maison Carré", a magnificent small romaine temple, the "Carré d'Art" which its museum of modern art and the cathedral "Notre Dame St. Castor" next to others highlights contribute to the charm of the city. After a pleasant walk along the "Quais de la Fontaine" you will reach the famous French gardens of the 18th century.

Week 4

Monday :	Guided tour of Montpellier You will discover the charm and sights of the city, the small pedestrian streets, the picturesque squares etc.
Wednesday :	The underground museum "Crypte" The museum Crypte, hidden under the square "Jean-Jaures", will show you about the history of Montpellier. You discover ancient relics and a tour with headphone explaining the history.
Thursday :	Dinner in Crepes restaurant In this typical French Creperie near Place de la Comédie you can taste real crepes with an amazing range of salty toppings, let yourself surprise! For desert you can have sweet crepes with: Caramelised apples, melted chocolate, almonds etc.)
Saturday :	Excursion to Camargue You will discover Aigues-Mortes, an old fortress built in the 13th century by Saint-Louis. Next to it are the salt mountains - salt production from the salt lagoons nearby. You will have picnic in the sand dunes of the beach Espiguette. Afterwards we drive to "Les Saintes Maries de la Mer", the capital of the Camargue region. On the way you can see the typical Camargue wildlife (camargue bulls, wild horses and wild pink flamingos) as well as the typical houses of the "Gardians". You will have free time to do horse back riding, a boat trip or to hire a bycicle.