France is full of beautiful villages, and being France, it has an association to which they can belong. Les Plus Beaux Villages de France was started in 1981 in Collonges-la-Rouge in Corrèze, in southwestern France, by then-mayor Charles Ceyrac. In the 1980s, rural France was experiencing an exodus from the cities, especially of the young, and the mayor saw this as a way to promote tourism and help stop the rot. There was also a permanent threat that overzealous local authorities would spoil some of France’s greatest attractions.
Thus, Les Plus Beaux Villages de France was officially born in March 1982.
Today there are 157 designated villages distributed in 21 regions and 69 departments. Villages can apply if they have certain qualifications. Two of the main stipulations are that there is a maximum population of 2,000 inhabitants (not difficult; most villages never reach that number), and it has at least 2 protected sites or monuments, a decision that is more difficult for many small villages. .
Locating the towns
It is easy to find the villages; the official website has them listed by department. So if you’re going to a part of France that you don’t know about, it’s worth checking the website for a list in your area.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France website.
There is also a useful map showing the location of all the towns.
Some towns by region
Alsace Lorraine
Riquewihr, Upper Rhine. Dating from the 15th to 18th centuries, Riquewihr is a charming medieval town. It is on the Alsatian wine route, which runs through the Vosges Mountains.
Atlantic Coast
Vouvant en Vendée, it is just north of the marshy Marais Poitevin and close to the fabulous and, for many, the best theme park in the world, Le Puy du Fou. Voted the eighth most popular village in an annual French poll, this beautiful village on the Mère River has whitewashed houses and an 11th-century Romanesque church.
More about Vendée
Auvergne
Arlempdes, in the Haute-Loire department, is a spectacular village atop a volcanic peak surrounded by the mighty Loire River. It is south of Le Puy-en-Velay and north of Pradelles, another of the most beautiful villages in France.
Conques in Aveyron is more than a very beautiful town; It is also classified as a Grand Site de France . Once one of the main stopping places for pilgrims from Le Puy-en-Velay to Santiago de Compostela, today this quiet little town in the Lot Valley draws visitors with its half-timbered houses, the church of St Foy from the 11th and 12th centuries and the remarkable treasure of the golden statue of Sainte Foy.
More about Auvergne
Brittany
Locronan in Finisterre is named after Saint Ronan, the hermit who founded the city in the 10th century. The granite village with its Renaissance houses and a 15th century church was more prosperous during the 16th century through its candle makers.
The best beaches in Brittany
Burgundy
Vézelay stands proudly over the surrounding countryside, beckoning to pilgrims flocking to Spain that made the Romanesque basilica one of the great centers of Christendom.
Corsica
There are 2 classified towns in Corsica.
Sant’Antonino near Calvi stands almost 500 meters high on a granite peak. One of the oldest villages on the rugged island, it is full of ancient passageways and has a magnificent view of the remains of the old castle.
Piana in southern Corsica dominates the Golfe de Porto. It is just above the entrance to the rocky entrance or calanche, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Swear
Château-Chalon in Franche-Comté is located on top of a cliff. On the Jura Wine Routes, the town was the first to produce the special Jura vin jaune made with late harvest grapes.
More about the Jura
Loire valley
Montrésor in Indre et Loire is 50 kilometers (31 miles) southeast of Tours. It is a town of Renaissance houses and a castle dating from the 11th century.
Mediterranean
Visit Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert in eastern Languedoc in Herault to see the magnificent Gelone Abbey from the 10th to 12th centuries (although its cloister was sold to New York in the 19th century and is part of the Cloister Museum). The Abbaye is located on the charming Place de la Liberté, surrounded by old houses with Renaissance mullioned windows.
Sainte-Agnès is located high in the Maritime Alps above the Mediterranean. It is a strategic site, once it protects the Franco-Italian border on the Maginot line.
Normandy
Barfleur in Manche is one of the most beautiful fishing villages on the north coast. On the Cotentin peninsula, it was the leading port in Normandy in the Middle Ages. Its proximity to the Normandy D-Day landing beaches makes it popular with British and American visitors.
Périgord, Dordogne
The Plus Beaux Villages association began in Collonges-la-Rouge, where red houses and historic buildings line the winding streets.
La Roque Gageac runs along the Dordogne River, with its beautiful houses reflected in the waters. Take a trip on a gabare (traditional flat-bottomed boat) and experience the glory of this rich region.
Provence
Moustiers-Saintes-Marie in the Alpes de Haute Provence is an extraordinary-looking village, built in the crevice of a large rock. It is overrun in the summer as visitors flock here for its famous pottery, much produced by local artisans. It is also close to Lac de Sainte-Croix and Gorges du Verdon.
Seillans on the Var is a fortified hilltop village, its narrow streets winding down the hillside from a square where terrace restaurants keep the influx of well-fed and watered summer visitors.
Gordes en Vaucluse looks out over the Cavaillon plain. It draws a posh crowd with its warm stone buildings, castle, and narrow streets.
Pyrenees
The ancient and strongly Basque La Bastide Clairence in the Pyrénées Atlantiques was founded by Louis de Navarra (later King of France).
Rhone Valley
Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye, near Romans-sur-Isère, is dominated by its Gothic abbey, which began in the 12th century and ended in the 15th century. The abbey buildings surround the abbey from this important stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Today it is the tourists who come to see the half-timbered houses, the covered market and the small winding streets.
Roman cities and sites in France
Events
The organization promotes events; next is La Route des Villages, Paris to Cannes. It is organized by 4 roues sous une parapluie (4 wheels under an umbrella, which is a rough description of a 2cv). It will run from May 10-17, 2015, and will consist of 30 to 80 people riding in those wonderful vintage cars. Sounds a bit wacky and immense fun.
