The city is situated on hilly ground 10 kilometres (6 mi) inland from the Mediterranean coast on the River Lez. The name of the city, which was originally Monspessulanus, is said to have stood for mont pelé (the naked hill, because the vegetation was poor), or le mont de la colline (the mount of the hill)
Montpellier is located 170 kilometres (106 mi) from Marseille, 242 kilometres (150 mi) from Toulouse. It is at a distance of 748 kilometres (465 mi) from the capital of France, Paris.