The French call it la surdouée (the gifted one). The term of endearment has had particular resonance over the past 25 years, as Montpellier became the country’s fastest-growing city by population, with almost half of residents today aged under 35. Many are drawn by the University of Montpellier, founded in the 1200s and home to the planet’s oldest continuously operating medical school. With several other universities and dozens of schools, the city’s 80,000 students provide ample talent for a rising economy. Centuries of medical expertise have nurtured a growing life sciences ecosystem, joining existing tech and IT regional operations for IBM, Ubisoft and Dell, with dozens more firms arriving every year. The lifestyle attraction is obvious: a great climate with Mediterranean beaches just a 20-minute bus ride away. The walkable medieval centre is connected to a 150-kilometre network of bike paths throughout the city, with even more leading to the sea, all contributing to a #9 ranking for Biking and #11 for Walkability. Free public transit has also been available to all residents since 2023, making Montpellier one of the largest European cities to embrace the concept.