Medieval, fortified, squat and often all of the above. To distinguish villages out of the ordinary, the association of the most beautiful villages in France, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2022, awards its label each year to several rural communities with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. It met from September 30 to October 1 in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain (Côte d’Or) to decide the five candidates. Four of them were selected. Le Castellet (var), Coat of arms (var), Lavoute-Chilhac (Haute-Loire) and: Sancerre (expensive). It is enough to put them in front of the stage and attract new tourists.
Le Castellet is located on the heights of Bandol, 15 km from the Mediterranean Sea. Accessible only through two fortified gates, the medieval village is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves and is the gateway to the Saint-Baum massif. Still Driving Coat of arms, 30 km west of Draguinyan city, is located at the foot of the tufa rock, from where the waterfall falls. Houses of the 16th century, colorful alleys, houses with troglodytes… Everything here invites you to take a walk.
172 villages are now tagged
Two hours by car from Paris, Sancerre It is world famous for its wines made from two grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. The medieval town, whose origins date back to the 12th century, is located on a hill on the Berry side of the Loire. In 2021, the city was chosen as the “Favorite Village of the French” in Stephane Bern’s program of the same name. He is now a candidate for UNESCO. Finally, Lavoute-Chilhac, 50 km west of Le Puy-en-Villais, occupies the wild banks of the Allieres Gorges. The city consists of two districts connected by a medieval bridge (listed as a historical monument) that crosses the river.
In June 2022, the association united four new villages. Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne (Correz), Bergheim (Haut-Rhin), Hammer (batch) and: Rocamadour (batch). From now on, 172 villages distributed in 70 departments are included in the award list. Occitania is the region with the most (49 in total). Classified or protected places, quality of the village surroundings, architectural unity… The association determines its choice by evaluating about thirty criteria.
Often isolated and far from big cities, some of them have the advantage of being accessible without a car thanks to the train or bus. Enough to enable travelers without a vehicle to discover all that the charm of these villages is truly unlike any other.
[Publié en juin 2022, cet article fait l’objet d’une mise à jour.]
Source: Le Figaro
