The Écusson — French for "shield" — is the heart of historic Montpellier, named for its shape on the map. The whole quarter is a tight tangle of medieval and Renaissance lanes paved in pale stone, almost entirely closed to cars. Place de la Comédie sits at the south, the Promenade du Peyrou at the west, and the Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle bounds the north.
Wandering the Écusson is the city's main pleasure. You'll find hidden squares (Place de la Canourgue, Place Saint-Roch), grand 17th-century private mansions known as hôtels particuliers (Hôtel des Trésoriers de la Bourse, Hôtel de Manse), small designer boutiques, second-hand bookshops, late-night student bars, and a small army of cafés. Get lost on purpose; the area is small enough that you can't go too wrong.