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.
The association asks candidate municipalities to fill out an application form for the village 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.
In 2022, the association has 164 members: villages, municipalities, former municipalities, spread over 70 departments. It promotes harmonious rural development based on the triptych “Quality, notoriety and development”.
A study carried out for the villages fleuris label by the IPSOS polling institute shows that The Most Beautiful Villages in France label is the best-known heritage label in France (92%).
A recent study, carried out at our request by Focus MARKETING, and, on a sample of 1,000, people showed that The Most Beautiful Villages in France label is the 2nd most cited heritage label, just behind UNESCO World Heritage, says Alain Di Stefano, president of the association.
Compare: Most Beautiful Villages of Spain (Es. Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España) is a Spanish association created in 2011 to promote, disseminate, encourage and preserve the cultural, natural and rural heritage in geographical areas with a lower level of industrialization and population.
Pérouges medieval town
Full list by region and by department (in alphabetic order)
Auverge-Rhône-Alpes
Ain (1 village)
Allier (1 village)
- Charroux
Ardèche (2 villages)
- Balazuc
- Vogüé
Cantal (2 villages)
- Salers
- Tournemire
Drôme (6 villages)
- Châtillon-en-Diois
- Grignan
- La Garde-Adhémar
- Le Poët-Laval
- Mirmande
- Montbrun-les-Bains
Isère (1 village)
- Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye
Loire (1 village)
- Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez
Haute-Loire (6 villages)
- Arlempdes
- Blesle
- Lavaudieu
- Lavoûte-Chilhac
- Pradelles
- Polignac
Puy-de-Dôme (2 villages)
- Montpeyroux
- Usson
Rhône (1 village)
Savoie (1 village)
- Bonneval-sur-Arc
Haute-Savoie (1 village)
- Yvoire
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Côte-d’Or (2 villages)
- Châteauneuf
- Flavigny-sur-Ozerain
Doubs (1 village)
- Lods
Jura (2 villages)
- Baume-les-Messieurs
- Château-Chalon
Nièvre (0 villages)
Haute-Saône (1 village)
- Pesmes
Saône-et-Loire (1 village)
- Semur-en-Brionnais
Yonne (2 villages)
- Noyers
- Vézelay
Territoire de Belfort (0 villages)
Bretagne
Côtes-d’Armor (1 village)
- Moncontour
Finistère (1 village)
- Locronan
Ille-et-Vilaine (1 village)
- Saint-Suliac
Morbihan (1 village)
- Rochefort-en-Terre
Centre-Val de Loire
Cher (2 villages)
- Apremont-sur-Allier
- Sancerre
Eure-et-Loir (0 villages)
Indre (2 villages)
- Gargilesse-Dampierre
- Saint-Benoît-du-Sault
Indre-et-Loire (2 villages)
- Candes-Saint-Martin
- Crissay-sur-Manse
Loir-et-Cher (1 village)
- Lavardin
Loiret (1 village)
- Yèvre-le-Châtel
Corse
Corse-du-Sud (1 village)
- Piana
Haute-Corse (1 village)
- Sant’Antonino
Grand Est
Ardennes (0 villages)
Aube (0 villages)
Marne (0 villages)
Haute-Marne (0 villages)
Meurthe-et-Moselle (0 villages)
Meuse (0 villages)
Moselle (2 villages)
- Rodemack
- Saint-Quirin
Bas-Rhin (2 villages)
- Hunspach
- Mittelbergheim
Haut-Rhin (4 villages)
- Bergheim
- Eguisheim
- Hunawihr
- Riquewihr
Vosges (0 villages)
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe (0 villages)
Guyane
Guyane (0 villages)
Hauts-de-France
Aisne (1 village)
- Parfondeval
Nord (0 villages)
Oise (1 village)
- Gerberoy
Pas-de-Calais (0 villages)
Somme (0 villages)
Île-de-France
Essonne (0 villages)
Hauts-de-Seine (0 villages)
Paris (0 villages)
Seine-Saint-Denis (0 villages)
Seine-et-Marne (0 villages)
Val-de-Marne (0 villages)
Val-d’Oise (1 village)
- La Roche-Guyon
Yvelines (0 villages)
Martinique
Martinique (0 villages)
Mayotte
Mayotte (0 villages)
Normandie
Calvados (1 village)
- Beuvron-en-Auge
Eure (2 villages)
- Le Bec-Hellouin
- Lyons-la-Forêt
Manche (1 village)
- Barfleur
Orne (1 village)
- Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei
Seine-Maritime (1 village)
- Veules-les-Roses
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Charente (1 village)
- Aubeterre-sur-Dronne
Charente-Maritime (5 villages)
- Ars-en-Ré
- Brouage
- La Flotte
- Mornac-sur-Seudre
- Talmont-sur-Gironde
Corrèze (6 villages)
- Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
- Collonges-la-Rouge
- Curemonte
- Saint-Robert
- Ségur-le-Château
- Turenne
Creuse (0 villages)
Dordogne (10 villages)
- Belvès
- Beynac-et-Cazenac
- Castelnaud-la-Chapelle
- Domme
- La Roque-Gageac
- Limeuil
- Monpazier
- Saint-Amand-de-Coly
- Saint-Jean-de-Côle
- Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère
Gironde (0 villages)
Landes (0 villages)
Lot-et-Garonne (5 villages)
- Monflanquin
- Penne d’Agenais
- Pujols-le-Haut
- Tournon d’Agenais
- Villeréal
Pyrénées-Atlantiques (5 villages)
- Ainhoa
- La Bastide-Clairence
- Navarrenx
- Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
- Sare
Deux-Sèvres (0 villages)
Vienne (1 village)
- Angles-sur-l’Anglin
Haute-Vienne (1 village)
- Mortemart
Occitania
Ariège (1 village)
Aude (1 village)
Aveyron (10 villages)
- Belcastel
- Brousse-le-Château
- Conques
- Estaing
- La Couvertoirade
- Najac
- Peyre
- Saint-Côme-d’Olt
- Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt
- Sauveterre-de-Rouergue
Gard (4 villages)
- Aiguèze
- La Roque-sur-Cèze
- Lussan
- Montclus
Haute-Garonne (1 village)
- Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges
Gers (6 villages)
Hérault (3 villages)
Lot (8 villages)
- Autoire
- Capdenac-le-Haut
- Cardaillac
- Carennac
- Loubressac
- Martel
- Rocamadour
- Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Lozère (3 villages)
- La Garde-Guérin
- Le Malzieu-Ville
- Sainte-Enimie
Hautes-Pyrénées (0 villages)
Pyrénées-Orientales (6 villages)
Tarn (5 villages)
Tarn-et-Garonne (3 village)
Pays de la Loire
Loire-Atlantique (0 villages)
Maine-et-Loire (1 village)
- Montsoreau
Mayenne (1 village)
- Sainte-Suzanne
Sarthe (0 villages)
Vendée (1 village)
- Vouvant
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (2 villages)
- Entrevaux
- Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
Hautes-Alpes (2 villages)
- La Grave
- Saint-Véran
Alpes-Maritimes (4 villages)
- Coaraze
- Gourdon
- Sainte-Agnès
- Saorge
Bouches-du-Rhône (1 village)
- Les Baux-de-Provence
Var (6 villages)
- Bargème
- Cotignac
- Gassin
- Le Castellet
- Seillans
- Tourtour
Vaucluse (7 villages)
- Ansouis
- Gordes
- Lourmarin
- Ménerbes
- Roussillon
- Séguret
- Venasque
Réunion
Réunion
- Hell-Bourg
See also Pyrenees travel guide
See also France travel guide
See also Spain travel guide
See also Andorra travel guide
