La Grande Motte, which has made a lasting impression with its unique architecture, is one of the most popular seaside resorts in Languedoc. This city, entirely created by architect Jean Balladur, welcomes nearly two million tourists each year. Here are 5 things to know about this iconic destination in Hérault.
La Grande Motte is a seaside town and marina on the Mediterranean located near Montpellier in the Hérault department. When visiting this city today, it is hard to imagine that it was built from scratch...
And yet, the architect Jean Balladur virtually brought into existence a seaside resort with a unique style on a site that was once just a swamp. Because it was built on virgin land, this city emerged straight from its creator's imagination and features great architectural harmony.
La Grande Motte is one of the seaside resorts created in the 1960s as part of the Mission Racine, along with Gruissan, Leucate-Barcarès, Le Cap d'Agde, and Saint-Cyprien.
However, it stands out from these other tourist towns on the Languedoc coast due to its visionary architecture, which leaves no one indifferent! Whether you love it or hate it, it's impossible to remain unmoved by its pyramid-shaped buildings, facing south.
On the seafront, this bold architectural choice has created a jagged skyline. This unique and recognizable landscape is the most striking creation of Jean Balladur (1924-2002). This architect, trained at the École nationale des beaux-arts in Paris, was the cousin of former Prime Minister Édouard Balladur.
During his career, he was also responsible for coordinating the development work of Port Camargue, but he went down in history as the creator of this singular seaside town. In 2024, during the celebrations of the centenary of his birth, the mayor of La Grande-Motte unveiled a statue in his likeness in front of the Palais des Congrès and declared: "No one will be able to forget this man and his humanistic conception of architecture, aiming to recreate a lost paradise on Earth."
It took nearly ten years, from 1965 to 1974, for the seaside resort envisioned by Jean Balladur to emerge from the ground or rather from the marshes on this stretch of coastline.
October 1, 1974 is a key date in the history of La Grande Motte. It is the day when this emerging city acquired the status of an autonomous municipality, thus separating from Mauguio-Carnon. The year 2024 therefore marks a double commemoration for this city in Hérault: the centenary of its architect's birth and its 50 years of existence as an independent municipality!
In the span of 50 years, this city once nicknamed "The Big Ugly" has earned its reputation for its unique architecture and green surroundings. Indeed, although La Grande Motte is mainly known as a seaside resort, it is also a green city.
Green spaces occupy 70% of the municipality's area. Footbridges separate car traffic from the 25 km of pedestrian paths and the 7 km of green track that give the city an exceptional quality of life.
Mediterranean vegetation finds its way into the urban space with an abundance of umbrella pines, tamarisks, and oleanders. Less famous than the pyramids, the villas scattered in the greenery add to the charm of this one-of-a-kind city.
Thanks to its visionary architecture, La Grande Motte received the 20th Century Heritage label on January 19, 2010. This distinction is awarded by the Ministry of Culture to works considered remarkable. This atypical seaside resort is the first city in the region to have received this label.
If you are curious to discover this architectural heritage that is worth a visit, you can enjoy guided walking tours organized in the different neighborhoods by the Tourist Office (see the link below).
Author Audrey on 02 April 2024
Travel and Tourism : Stay
Author Audrey on 06 July 2022
Travel and Tourism : Stay