''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' (meaning “the most beautiful villages of France”) is an independent association created in 1982 for the promotion of the tourist appeal of small rural villages with a rich cultural heritage. As of September 2016, it numbers 156 member villages (independent ''communes'' or part of a '' communauté de communes''). Membership requires meeting certain selection criteria and offers a strategy for development and promotion to tourists. The three initial selection criteria are the rural nature of the village (a population of less than 2,000 inhabitants), the presence of at least two national heritage sites ( ''sites classés'' or ''monuments historiques'') and local support in the form of a vote by the council. Each village must pay an annual fee to the association and the mayor must sign the association's Quality Charter. If the village fails to meet the requirements of the charter it may be excluded. The association claims membership can bring a rise of between 10 and 50% in visitor numbers. The southern

departments Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

of the

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is named ...

and Aveyron have the most number of member villages, with ten in each. They are followed by Vaucluse, with seven, and Lot, with six. Following the success of the French certification, similar associations have been formed in Wallonia ('' Les Plus Beaux Villages de Wallonie''),

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

('' Les Plus Beaux Villages du Québec''), Italy ('' I Borghi più belli d’Italia''), Japan ('' 日本で最も美しい村」連合 Nihon de mottomo utsukushii mura rengō''), Spain ('' Los pueblos más bonitos de España''), Russia ( Самые красивые деревни России), and Switzerland and Liechtenstein ( Les plus beaux villages de Suisse).

History

The idea of an association to gather the most beautiful villages of France was born in Collonges-la-Rouge, Corrèze in 1981. Charles Ceyrac, mayor of the village, was inspired by a '' Reader's Digest'' book entitled ''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' which included pictures of Collonges. He decided to launch an association that would unite villages to give them a public face and revitalise their economies. He wrote to the mayors of one hundred villages included in the book, advising them of his plans. Sixty-six mayors responded and the association was officially founded on 6 March 1982 at Salers, Cantal. Charles Ceyrac remained the president of the association until 1996, when he was succeeded by Maurice Chabert, mayor of Gordes, Vaucluse, who is the current president. The association is still situated in Collonges-la-Rouge. The association and its certification have been very successful. Many competing certifications exist in France, differentiated by their targets (e.g. level of population), stringency of criteria and the cost of membership. The association has four employees and an annual budget of €479,000. An application, as well as each six-yearly review, requires evaluation by the Quality Committee at the cost of €800 plus €0.50 per inhabitant. Each member village contributes an annual fee calculated at the rate of three euros per inhabitant. Since 2000, the president of the association has had a seat on the ''Conseil national du tourisme'' (National Tourist Board).Décret n°2000–96 du 2 février 2000 modifiant le décret n°86–201 du 11 février 1986 portant création du Conseil national du tourisme
/ref> Since 7 July 2012, ''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' has been part of the international association ''Les Plus Beaux Villages de la Terre'' ("The Most Beautiful Villages of the World").

Principles

The association was set up to help villages promoting their touristic potentials. It specifically targets villages that are sometimes neglected by wider regional or national touristic strategies. The association believes in improving life in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

countryside and it places an emphasis on bringing back economical activities to villages. Most of the labelled villages are in regions that greatly suffer from rural flight. Many villages can be considered dead when most of their houses are either in ruins or transformed into holiday properties by foreigners or French people living in other regions. The association does not promote or encourage open-air museums and other museum-villages. One of the major principles of the association is the protection of the historical and cultural heritage. Labelled villages must show a real strategy to preserve and promote their heritage. The association encourages environmentally friendly tourism, for instance by encouraging tailor-made breaks rather than mere passing trade.

Criteria

The association asks candidate municipalities to fill out an application form for the

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

or hamlet they wish to see receive the label. The locality must have a rural character with no more than 2,000 inhabitants and it must include two national heritage sites and their protection perimeter. The municipality must show real interest and the local council must have deliberated on the application. After the form is returned to the association, it sends experts to evaluate the application. They create a record of pictures and documents about the locality and consider its appearance (

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

, urbanism, facilities for welcoming tourists,

environment Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally * Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...

quality). The dossier is then given to a commission who decides if the village receives the label or not. If it is successful, the municipality must sign a quality charter.

List

Alsace

* Bas-Rhin ** Hunspach pop. 684 ** Mittelbergheim pop. 605 *

Haut-Rhin Haut-Rhin (, ; Alsatian: ''Owerelsàss'' or '; german: Oberelsass, ) is a department in the Grand Est region of France, bordering both Germany and Switzerland. It is named after the river Rhine. Its name means ''Upper Rhine''. Haut-Rhin is th ...

Eguisheim Eguisheim (; german: Egisheim; Alsatian: ''Egsa'') is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies in the historical region of Alsace (german: Elsass). The village lies on the edge of the Ballons des Vosges ...

pop. 1572 **

Hunawihr Hunawihr (; german: Hunaweier) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. The village is a member of the ''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' ("The most beautiful villages of France") association. See also ...

pop. 611 ** Riquewihr pop. 1300

Aquitaine

** Belvès **

Beynac-et-Cazenac Beynac-et-Cazenac (; oc, Bainac e Casenac) is a village located in the Dordogne department in southwestern France. The medieval Château de Beynac is located in the commune. The village is classified as one of '' Les plus beaux villages de F ...

** Castelnaud-la-Chapelle ** Domme **

La Roque-Gageac La Roque-Gageac (; oc, La Ròca de Gajac) is a commune in the Dordogne department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department ...

Limeuil Limeuil (; oc, Limuèlh) is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Limeuil village is located at the confluence of the Dordogne and Vézère rivers. Historically this location at the meeting of the t ...

** Monpazier **

Saint-Amand-de-Coly Saint-Amand-de-Coly (; Limousin: ''Sench Amand de Còli'') is a former commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Coly-Saint-Amand. The village is a me ...

** Saint-Jean-de-Côle **

Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère (, literally ''Saint-Léon on Vézère''; oc, Sent Leu de Vesera) is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Population Views File:Château de Chabans 2004.jpg File:Saint-L� ...

* Lot-et-Garonne ** Monflanquin **Pujols-le-Haut (commune of Pujols) * Pyrénées-Atlantiques ** Ainhoa ** La Bastide-Clairence ** Navarrenx ** Sare

Auvergne

* Allier ** Charroux * Cantal Salers - 21

** Salers ** Tournemire *

Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; oc, Naut Léger or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named after the Loire River, it is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Ardèche, ...

Arlempdes Arlempdes (; oc, Arlemde) is a commune in the Haute-Loire department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrati ...

Blesle Blesle (; oc, Bleila) is a commune in the Haute-Loire department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative d ...

** Lavaudieu ** Pradelles * Puy-de-Dôme ** Montpeyroux **

Saint-Floret Saint-Floret (; oc, Sent Floret) is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France. History Saint-Floret is a place of passage on the Way of St. James, a leading Catholic pilgrimage route originated in the ...

** Saint-Saturnin ** Usson

Brittany

* Côtes d'Armor ** Moncontour * Finistère **

Le Faou Le Faou () is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Le Faou are called in French ''Faouistes''. Events The commune contains the village of Rumengol, location of a major religi ...

** Île-de-Sein ** Locronan * Ille-et-Vilaine ** Saint-Suliac * Morbihan **

Rochefort-en-Terre Rochefort-en-Terre (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. Rochefort-en-Terre is a designated “Petite Cité de Caractère”. The medieval chateau located in the town was the home of American pai ...

Burgundy

* Côte-d'Or F07

** Châteauneuf-en-Auxois ** Flavigny-sur-Ozerain * Saône-et-Loire ** Semur-en-Brionnais * Yonne ** Noyers ** Vézelay

Centre

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industr ...

** Apremont-sur-Allier * Indre ** Gargilesse-Dampierre **

Saint-Benoît-du-Sault Saint-Benoît-du-Sault (; oc, Sent Benet de Saul) is a commune in the Indre department in central France. It is a medieval village, perched in a curve on a rocky butte overlooking the Portefeuille River in the former province of Berry. In 1988, ...

* Indre-et-Loire ** Candes-Saint-Martin **

Crissay-sur-Manse Crissay-sur-Manse () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative ...

Montrésor Montrésor () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. Geography The village lies on the right bank of the Indrois, which flows northwest through the middle of the commune. Population See also *Communes of ...

* Loir-et-Cher ** Lavardin * Loiret ** Yèvre-le-Châtel (in Yèvre-la-Ville)

Champagne-Ardenne

No village labelled

Corsica

* Corse-du-Sud ** Piana * Haute-Corse ** Sant'Antonino

Franche-Comté

* Doubs **

Lods Lods () is a commune in the Doubs département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. Geography Lods is located southeast of Ornans in the valley of the Loue River. History It is first documented in 1189, and there are ar ...

* Haute-Saône ** Pesmes * Jura ** Baume-les-Messieurs ** Château-Chalon

Île-de-France

* Val-d'Oise ** La Roche-Guyon ** Barbizon

Languedoc-Roussillon

* Aude ** Lagrasse * Gard **

Aiguèze Aiguèze (; oc, Aiguesa) is a commune in the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. In 2016, it had a population of 217. Since 2005, Aiguèze has been a member of ''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' ("The most beautiful vi ...

La Roque-sur-Cèze La Roque-sur-Cèze (; Occitan: ''La Ròca de Céser'') is a commune in the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French language, French as , is a defi ...

* Hérault ** Minerve **

Olargues Olargues () is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is rated as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Olargues is a good example of a French Medieval town. It was occupied by the Romans, the ...

** Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert * Lozère **La Garde-Guérin (commune of Prévenchères) ** Sainte-Enimie *

Pyrénées-Orientales Pyrénées-Orientales (; ca, Pirineus Orientals ; oc, Pirenèus Orientals ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean ...

Castelnou Castelnou is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center * Instituto Nac ...

Eus Eus ( in both French and Catalan) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Localization Eus is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. Population ...

** Évol (commune of Olette-Évol) **

Mosset Mosset () is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative divis ...

** Villefranche-de-Conflent

Limousin

* Corrèze ** Collonges-la-Rouge ** Curemonte ** Saint-Robert ** Ségur-le-Château **

Treignac Treignac (; oc, Trainhac) is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France. Treignac, designated one of the 'most beautiful villages of France', is a most typically French town retaining much of its medieval character, situated on the ...

** Turenne * Haute-Vienne ** Mortemart

Lorraine

Moselle The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it jo ...

** Rodemack pop. 804 ** Saint-Quirin pop. 873

Lower Normandy

* Calvados **

Beuvron-en-Auge Beuvron-en-Auge (, literally ''Beuvron in Auge'') is a commune in the Calvados department and Normandy region of north-western France. Beuvron is affiliated to Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ("the most beautiful villages of France"), an ...

* Manche **

Barfleur Barfleur () is a commune and fishing village in Manche, Normandy, northwestern France. History During the Middle Ages, Barfleur was one of the chief ports of embarkation for England. * 1066: A large medallion fixed to a rock in the har ...

* Orne ** Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei

Midi-Pyrénées

* Ariège ** Camon ** Saint-Lizier * Aveyron ** Belcastel **

Brousse-le-Château Brousse-le-Château (; oc, Brossa) is a commune in the Aveyron department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (admin ...

** Conques **

La Couvertoirade La Couvertoirade (; oc, La Cobertoirada) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. Geography La Couvertoirade is located on the Larzac plateau. History and sites of interest This well-preserved fortified town was owned b ...

** Estaing ** Najac ** Peyre (commune of

Comprégnac Comprégnac (; oc, Comprenhac) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. The village of Peyre is part of the commune of Comprégnac. It belongs to The most beautiful villages of France association. Population See also * ...

) ** Saint-Côme-d'Olt **

Sainte-Eulalie-d'Olt Sainte-Eulalie-d'Olt (Languedocien: ''Senta Aulària d'Òlt'') is a commune in the department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and militar ...

Sauveterre-de-Rouergue Sauveterre-de-Rouergue (, literally ''Sauveterre of Rouergue''; oc, Sauvatèrra) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. It is one of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (most beautiful villages of France). Population ...

* Haute-Garonne ** Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges * Gers ** Fourcès ** Larressingle ** Montréal-du-Gers ** Sarrant * Lot **

Autoire Autoire (; Languedocien: ''Altoire'') is a commune in the Lot department in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Lot department The following is a list of the 313 communes of the Lot department of France. The communes c ...

Capdenac Capdenac () is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times. At one time Capdenac was thought to be identifiable as the Gaulish settlement of Uxellodunum which was besieged by Julius Ca ...

Cardaillac Cardaillac (; oc, Cardalhac) is a Communes of France, commune in the Lot (department), Lot Departments of France, department in south-western France. It is located northwest of Figeac. The village is located on the edge of the Limargue—a ...

** Carennac **

Loubressac Loubressac (; oc, Laubreçac) is a commune in the Lot department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative d ...

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (; oc, Sent Circ de la Pòpia) is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France. It is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The most beautiful villages in France) association. Its position on a steep ...

* Tarn ** Castelnau-de-Montmiral ** Lautrec ** Monestiés ** Puycelci-Grésigne * Tarn-et-Garonne **

Auvillar Auvillar (; oc, Autvilar) is a commune in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne and the Occitanie region, situated at the edge of the Lomagne region on the banks of the Garonne river. Since 1994, Auvillar has been voted one of the "most beautiful vil ...

** Bruniquel ** Lauzerte

Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Cassel

Pays de la Loire

Maine-et-Loire **

Montsoreau Montsoreau () is a commune of the Loire Valley in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast and from Paris. The village is listed among '' The Most Beautiful Villages of France'' (french: Les Plus ...

* Mayenne ** Sainte-Suzanne, Mayenne * Vendée ** Vouvant

Picardy

* Aisne ** Parfondeval *

Oise Oise ( ; ; pcd, Oése) is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise. Inhabitants of the department are called ''Oisiens'' () or ''Isariens'', after the Latin name for the river, Isara. It had a population of 829,419 ...

** Gerberoy

Poitou-Charentes

* Charente **

Aubeterre-sur-Dronne Aubeterre-sur-Dronne (, literally ''Aubeterre on Dronne''; oc, Aubaterra or ''Aubaterra de Drona''), commonly referred to as Aubeterre, is a commune in the Charente department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. In 2017, it h ...

Charente-Maritime Charente-Maritime () is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region on the southwestern coast of France. Named after the river Charente, its prefecture is La Rochelle. As of 2019, it had a population of 651,358 with an area of 6,864 square ...

** Ars-en-Ré ** La Flotte-en-Ré ** Mornac-sur-Seudre **

Talmont-sur-Gironde Talmont-sur-Gironde (, literally ''Talmont on Gironde'') is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France. Geography The village lies about south of Royan, on a small promontory which dom ...

Deux-Sèvres Deux-Sèvres () is a French department. ''Deux-Sèvres'' literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department. It had a population of 374,878 in 2019.

** Coulon * Vienne ** Angles-sur-l'Anglin

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

* Alpes-de-Haute-Provence **

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie Moustiers-Sainte-Marie (; oc, Mostiers Santa Maria), or simply Moustiers, is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. In 2017, it had a population of 709. It conside ...

Alpes-Maritimes Alpes-Maritimes (; oc, Aups Maritims; it, Alpi Marittime, "Maritime Alps") is a Departments of France, department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the France–Italy border, Italian border and Mediterranean Sea, Mediter ...

** Coaraze ** Gourdon ** Sainte-Agnès * Bouches-du-Rhône ** Les Baux-de-Provence * Hautes-Alpes ** La Grave-la-Meije ** Saint-Véran * Var ** Bargème ** Gassin ** Seillans ** Tourtour * Vaucluse ** Ansouis ** Gordes ** Lourmarin ** Ménerbes ** Roussillon ** Séguret ** Venasque

Rhône-Alpes

* Ain ** Pérouges * Ardèche **

Balazuc Balazuc (; oc, Balasuc) is a Communes of France, commune in the Ardèche Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southern France. The village has been labelled a "Village of Character" by the Departmental Committ ...

** Vogüé *

Drôme Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.

Grignan Grignan (; oc, Grinhan) is a commune in the Drôme department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France. It has a Renaissance castle and is mentioned in the letters that Madame de Sévigné wrote to her daughter, Madame de ...

** La Garde-Adhémar **

Mirmande Mirmande (; oc, Mirmanda) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Drôme department The following is a list of the 363 communes of the Drôme department of France. The communes c ...

** Montbrun-les-Bains ** Le Poët-Laval * Haute-Savoie ** Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval ** Yvoire * Isère ** Saint-Antoine-l'Abbaye *

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhôn ...

** Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez * Rhône ** Oingt *

Savoie Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population o ...

** Bonneval-sur-Arc

Upper Normandy

Eure Eure () is a department in Normandy in Northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2019, Eure had a population of 599,507.Le Bec-Hellouin ** Lyons-la-Forêt

Overseas departments and territories of France

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

** Hell-Bourg (commune of Salazie)

References

External links

Website of the association (French)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plus Beaux Villages de France, Les Tourism in France 1982 establishments in France Organizations established in 1982 Lists of most beautiful villages