A formal 17th- and 18th-century esplanade laid out at the highest point of the old town. At the eastern end, the Porte du Peyrou is a triumphal arch built in 1693 to glorify Louis XIV. At the western end, the elegant hexagonal Château d'Eau water tower marks the terminus of the Saint-Clément aqueduct — a long line of two-tier stone arches that brought drinking water to the city in the 18th century, deliberately built in the Roman style.
The views from the upper terrace are the best in central Montpellier — south to the Mediterranean, north toward the Cévennes. It's a favoured spot for an evening stroll, and the Tuesday morning food market that runs along the aqueduct arches at Les Arceaux is one of the city's best.