The Most Beautiful Villages of France is one of the most attractive organisations that the French are so good at creating and enjoying. Les Plus Beaux Villages de France was first thought of in 1981 at Collonges-la-Rouge in Corrèze in south west France. The mayor Charles Ceyrac saw how rural France was emptying as the young made their way to the towns and the local small villages were dying.

Zut alors! Promote tourism, stop the rot and start an organization (something the French are very good at). March 1982 saw the birth of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and it’s never looked back.

This year is the 40^th anniversary of the founding of the organization. Now there are 168 designated villages scattered throughout the country.

How Villages Join

The rules are strict. First of all there must be a maximum population of 2,000 inhabitants, and the village must have at least 2 protected sites or monuments. The first rule is fairly easy as France is full of small beautiful villages. The second? More difficult for many small villages.

Then the criteria get complicated. Among the 30 regulations the villages have to meet: harmony and homogeneity of the village architecture; siting of electricity and telephone wires; vegetation, and Uncle Tom Cobley and all. You look at the list of what is needed and marvel at those villages which have achieved the status of one of the most beautiful villages of France.

Locating the Villages

The official website lists every village alphabetically. To locate a village near you type in the French department you are in and all the most beautiful villages in the department come up. So if you’re going to a part of France which you don’t know, check the website first and see which ones you can visit.

There’s also a useful map on their website showing the location of all the villages.

Such a Variety of Villages

The villages are very different. Some, as in Provence, are perched high up on a hillside; others snuggle down beside one of France’s great rivers or, surrounded by high walls, provided the main defence of a local lord against his neighbour.

Here are some villages you might like to visit that I have picked out. They are scattered throughout France.

10 Villages to visit

Normandy

Normandy has 6 most beautiful villages.

Veules-les-Roses in Seine-Maritime between Fécamp and Dieppe, is a lovely seaside village. Wander through the narrow streets lined with those typical Normandy half-timbered houses and discover the old mills along the tiny Veules river.

Brittany

Brittany has 4 most beautiful villages.

Hilltop Moncontour in the Côtes-d’Armor looks down on two valleys. Its defensive position sealed its early fate as the centre of war, frequently changing hands between the various armies. Some ramparts remain today but the main attraction is the church of Saint-Mathurin. Built in the 16^th century, it gained a spectacular Baroque façade in the 18^th century, and 200 hundred years later a strange bell tower. Don’t miss the stained glass windows inside telling the story of the Bible – and the revered medieval Breton saint, Yves.

Loire Valley

I have taken the Loire Valley as the route following the whole river. If you want to know more about the route, check the complete Loire Valley drive.

Montrésor sits on the riverbank of the Indrois river, around 65kms/40miles south east of Tours. The medieval village has a glorious château that experienced its fair share of warfare in the past. Today it’s a serene beautiful building full of stately furniture and art. Wander the streets and look at the Halle des Cardeux, the wool carder hall which was so important in this former textile centre.

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Of the 9 most beautiful villages of France, I’ve visited just two: Château-Chalon in the Jura, perched high up on a rocky hillside and known for its vin jaune, and Vézelay in Yonne.

Vézelay is extraordinary. I visited on a cold autumn day when the leaves were rustling on the ground and the wind was sweeping up the hill. It was easy to imagine the awe and wonderment of the pilgrims on the route to Spain as they made their way up the hill to the basilica. I’d love to go on Midsummer day when the light makes an extraordinary pattern. It’s one of the great sacred sites of France.

It has UNESCO World Heritage status.

Corrèze, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

There are 6 most beautiful villages in Corrèze, the department where the association first started.

Collonges-la-Rouge was the first village. It’s a delight with its red sandstone 15^th– and 16^th-century houses, many topped with odd towers. There’s a 12^th-century church and a covered market hall with an ancient bakers’ oven the villagers used to bake their daily bread.

But beware; like the better known villages it gets very crowded in peak holiday times.

Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

The Dordogne has 10 villages.

The only one I have visited is La Roque-Gageac in Perigord. Standing beside the Dordogne with its pretty houses reflected in the still waters, it’s the place to take a gabare (flat-bottomed traditional boat) and drift along the river.

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has 24 plus beaux villages in the 12 departments that make up the large region. My house is in the Auvergne; it’s a wonderful, rural and remote region known as ‘deep France’.

Conques in Aveyron is more than a most beautiful village; it’s also classified as a Grand Site de France. In the middle ages it was one of the major stopping places for pilgrims walking from Le Puy-en-Velay to Santiago de Compostela. Today this small peaceful village in the Lot valley attracts visitors with its half-timbered houses, the 11^th– and 12t- century Abbey and the remarkable treasure of the golden statue of Sainte Foy.

I’ve also chosen Arlempdes in the department of the Haute-Loire, near my house. Okay so I am biased, but do go there; it’s a spectacular village built high up on a volcanic peak circled by the Loire River. It’s south of Le Puy-en-Velay and north of  Pradelles, another of the most beautiful villages of France.

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Not surprisingly this picturesque, popular part of France has 18 most beautiful villages. It’s difficult to pick one out.

Tourtour in the Var, named the ‘village in the Provençal sky’, is one of my favourites. It’s peaceful and far less crowded than Moustiers-Saintes-Marie or others near the coast. Refreshed by the fountains in the place des Ormeaux and vaulted passageways, Tourtour is an oasis on a hot summer’s day.

Alsace-Lorraine

Alsace-Lorraine is not an official region, nor is Alsace a department in its own right. But it’s still known as a region to the French. It’s now part of Grand-Est.

Riquewihr in Bas Rhin on the Alsatian wine route and just 65kms/40miles from Strasbourg is a real gem. 16^th-century half-timbered houses line the streets, their flower-filled balconies hanging over the cobbled walkways. It’s given a fairy tale quality by the shop signs, created by the Alsation illustrator Jean-Jacques ‘Hansi’ Waltz (1873-1951). There are museums of the artist, the Thieves Tower Museum and the Maison de Vigneron with old winemaking equipment.

New Most Beautiful Villages of France

Each year more Most Beautiful Villages are added. Sometimes they are villages that have re-joined the organization; at other times they are new. In 2022 it was the time for these five.

Tournon-d’Agenais, Lot-et-Garonne

This bastide overlooks the countryside from a rocky promontory. It’s a lovely medieval village dating from the 13^th century with ramparts, a bell tower with a moon clock, the old house of the Agen bishops and a great food market.

Cordes-sur-Ciel, Tarn

Cordes-sur-Ciel is a real must-see village, perched high up on a conical hill. Founded in 1222, it became a Cathar stronghold challenging the power of the catholic church. 13^th– and 14^th-century houses line the steep cobbled streets where tunnels and storage rooms are hidden underneath. They were built to escape the soldiers intent on wiping out the Cathar heresy. And there are of course, fabulous views.

Le Malzieu-Ville, Lozère

This small delightful village with its old medieval ramparts, towers and gateways still largely intact has a place in local history. It was part of the story of the Bête du Gévaudan which gobbled up people and animals indiscriminately from 1764 to 1767.

Polignac, Haute-Loire

You can see Polignac, located next to Le Puy-en-Velay, for miles. Like its neighbour there’s an impressive building on the top of a rock. In the case of Polignac it’s a ruined castle.

Châtillon-en-Diois, Drôme

In the Vercors Regional Nature park, the village of Châtillon-en-Diois seems remote, cut off from the rest of the world by its surrounding vineyards and high cliffs. Walk through the viols, narrow cobbled and steep streets past fountains and vaulted passageways. It’s a certified botanical village so is full of flowers, scents and colours.

More about France and its Villages

Read about the villages the French are voting for in the category Favourite Villages of France. Some of them are in the most beautiful villages of France organisation. Started by French TV, the result of the public vote comes out in September.

For the difference between a bastide and a mas, a manoir and a château, read my Idiot’s Guide to French Architecture.

More on the Geography of France

Regions of France

The Departments of France

Longest Rivers of France

The 7 Main Mountain Ranges of France

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Every year the French public gets the chance to vote for their favourite village. The Village préféré des Français is the brainchild of TV presenter Stéphane Bern. This year it’s the 10^th anniversary of the show so there’s plenty of excitement.

Here’s the list of the 14 possible favourite villages of the French. Some you might have heard of, while others hopefully come as a nice surprise. I certainly haven’t been to all of them.

Many of them are classified, not surprisingly, in The Most Beautiful Villages of France (Les Plus Beaux Villages de France). Check them out here.

The map of France shows each 2022 candidate. They are all notable, so if you’re in the area make the detour to visit. On the map I’ve located them geographically as far as possible. I think it makes sense. Start in the north and go anti-clockwise around France.

The French voted on the favourite villages of France earlier in the year and the winner was announced on Wednesday June 29, 2022. See the winner at the bottom of the article!

Hesdin, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts de France

Hesdin in the area known as the Seven Valleys was once an important French stronghold. In 1553 Emperor Charles V destroyed the fortified town and built the present village 6 kms/3.7 miles away. On the banks of the river Canche and surrounded by forest, Hesdin is charming with its old streets and houses, an ornate16^th-century town hall and a lovely church.

La Bouille, Seine-Maritime, Normandy

The small village of La Bouille stands in woodland just 18 kms/11 miles southwest of Rouen. Beloved by the Impressionists including Gauguin, Sisley and Turner, it’s always included in Normandy’s Impressionist Festivals. It stands on the river Seine with a ferry taking you over to the opposite village of Sahurs.

Quintin, Côtes d’Armor, Brittany

This ancient village’s wealth came from the 17^th– and 18^th-century weaving industry and the trade in linen cloth. The French Revolution and growth of cotton put paid to that but Quintin still has mills and plenty of waterways that lead to the sea in the Saint-Brieuc bay. This Small City of Character has two châteaux, the main one housing a museum that includes a kitchen with an 18^th-century oven for slow cooking (it’s not a new idea!), some lovely old houses and a museum/weaver’s house showing the history of linen.

Port-Joinville, L’île d’Yeu, Pays de la Loire

The island off the glorious Vendée on the Atlantic coast was once the centre of the Atlantic tuna fishing industry. Port-Joinville is where you come into from the mainland. It’s dominated by the atmospheric and deserted citadelle.

Here’s more about the Glorious islands of France that lie off each coastline.

Ainhoa, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

In Basque country, Ainhoa is on the pilgrim route from Bayonne to Santiago. It’s near Espilette, famous for its October pepper festival (Oct 29, 30, 2022), celebrating one of the major products of the area. A fortified village, its streets are full of the red and white houses typical of the architecture of the region.

Le Malzieu-Ville, Lozère, Occitanie

On the pretty Truyère river, Le Malzieu-Ville is a small fortified village in the glorious Margueride. Narrow streets lie within the stone walls; there’s a medieval festival on Ascension Day in May and it’s associated with the Bête du Gévaudon (the Beast of Gévaudon) a man-eating animal that terrorised the area between 1764 and 1767.

Dieulefit, Drôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Dieulefit is set among the lavender fields and olive groves that make this region so famous. The pretty village with its narrow streets and historic buildings is also known for its pottery so take a look at the local ateliers and try to visit the Maison de la Céramique which has both traditional and contemporary exhibitions. There’s a ceramics fair each Whitsun at the beginning of June.

La Grave, Hautes-Alpes, PACA

Now a ski resort, La Grave has some challenging off-piste runs only for the experienced. It’s in the Oisans massif, sandwiched between the well-known ski resorts of Les 2 Alpes and Serre Chevalier. Overlooked by La Meije (3,982 metres/13,064 ft) the old village has small streets, stone houses, a church and a Penintents Blancs chapel. It was the birthplace of Nicolas de Nicolay, an adventurer and Geographer Ordinary to Henry II of France.

Pino, Bastia, Corsica

On Monte Cupieta, Cap Corse, Pino has a small port on the sea, and good walks in the tree-covered landscape above the village. There’s a baroque church and bell tower, the convent of San Francesco nearby and cafés at the harbour where you can sit and watch the world go by.

Bergheim, Haut-Rhin, Grand Est

On the Alsace Wine Trail, the well-preserved village with its 16^th– and 17^th-century houses has a sinister history. The witch trials that were conducted here in Bergheim between 1582 and 1683 are shown in the Musée de la Sorcière (Witches Museum).

Walk through a happier history along the ramparts complete with towers, the gardens and the gothic basilica.

Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, Yonne, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

If you want to discover the Puisaye area, read some of the novels of Colette. The celebrated author and journalist was born in Saint-Sauveur in January 1873. You can find out more about her unconventional, often scandalous, life at the Musée Colette. It’s located in the house where she spent her first years. She’s best known outside France for Gigi, her novel adapted about the 16-year old who is groomed as a courtesan to attract a wealthy lover but who ends up marrying him instead. Adapted for the stage in 1951, Gigi was played by the then unknown Audrey Hepburn who was personally picked by Colette. The 1958 musical movie starred Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan.

If you visit, take in the extraordinary nearby project of Guédelon, a medieval castle being built according to medieval craftsmanship from scratch.

Levroux, Indre, Centre-Val de Loire

Walk through the impressive Porte de Champagne into a village that has always been associated with leather production. Levroux in the rich Berry region has medieval houses lining its small streets, the Saint-Sylvain collegiate church which is worth seeing for its 16^th-centurystalls and 1502 gothic organ case, château ruins and a Museum of Leather and Parchment with working models.

Saint-Sulpice-de-Favières, Essonne, Île-de-France

Just one hour from Paris, Saint-Sulpice-de-Favières has a magnificent church with notable 13^th-century glass. There’s also a historical arboretum, the Domaine de Segrez which groups of five people can visit by appointment.

Overseas France Favourite Village

Saül, Guyane, Outre-Mer

The overseas French commune of Saül in Guyane completes the list of France’s favourite villages. This remote commune in the Amazonian Park is surrounded by forests. It’s the most sparsely populated commune in French Guiana.

The 2022 Winner of the Favourite Villages of the French

The winner is…Bergheim, Haut-Rhin, Grand Est region.

More about the Geography of France

Regions of France

The Departments of France

Longest Rivers of France

The 7 Main Mountain Ranges of France

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The beautiful medieval village of Conques is in the Aveyron department, part of the Midi-Pyrénées region. It’s surprisingly little known, and except at the height of summer, is relatively quiet.

Why visit Conques?

Conques is is officially classified as one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France. You’ll find it perched on the slopes of a wooded gorge in the valley of the little river Dourdou, a tributary of the Lot.

In the Middle Ages Conques was a major stopping off point for pilgrims walking from Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne to St. James of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. They came to gaze at the remarkable treasures of Sainte Foy (Saint Faith), displayed in the Romanesque Abbey, and added to the wealth of this perfect medieval little village, much to the abbey’s delight (and coffers).

Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy

The vast stone Romanesque Abbey dominates the town.  Huge pointed towers rise above the medieval houses that cluster around its feet and climb up the hill behind. The Abbey is out of all proportion to the small village, a remarkable testimony to the power of the catholic church.

The Tympanum of Sainte-Foy

The first thing you see before you enter is the magnificent Last Judgement in the tympanum sculpted between 1107 and 1125 above the door. Christ is at the center with the righteous to his right, figures which include the Emperor Charlemagne. Christ points to the left and to Hell, with its damned writhing figures. The bottom level depicts Heaven and Hell, each in a roofed building with an entrance door. The righteous are welcomed by angels who welcome them to a city. At the centre, Abraham embraces two souls.

The portrayal of the damned is much more graphic and fun. The damned are forced into the Jaws of Hell, depicted as a mythical beast with its mouth wide open. The tortures that the damned will endure are shown in great detail. It’s a remarkably human depiction: a hated bishop is caught in a net while poachers on abbey property are being roasted by the rabbit they caught. ‘Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord’ was clearly in the minds of the medieval carvers.

The Interior of Conques Abbey

Inside the interior is simple, somber and impressive, its size reflecting the huge numbers of pilgrims who came here to see the famous relics on display. Climb up to to the organ loft and you can clearly see the intricate carvings on the capitals and get a sense of the size of the interior.

If you’re there on summer evenings, make sure you get to the abbey at 9.30pm.

An organ recital…with a difference

We couldn’t quite believe it. Here we were, in the great abbey at Conques in the late evening listening to a white-robed monk play the organ. It was a magical moment.

Some Bach, some Messiaen which was surprising and interesting and then…were we hearing right? Surely this was the House of the Rising Sun, the No 1 hit by the Animals in July 1964?

The song’s about a brothel in New Orleans called the House of the Rising Sun after its founder, Madame Marianne LeSoleil Levant (‘rising sun’ in French). It opened for business in 1862 to accommodate Union troops and closed in 1874 on complaints by the neighbours.

So we asked the organ-playing monk afterwards. “It’s a folk tune” he said.

I did some research and yes he was right. It’s believed to be an old English, Scottish or Irish folk song, so the tune dates way back. So far, so good. But it’s based on a 16^th-century folk song called The Unfortunate Rake. It laments a young man dying of syphilis. 

Oh well, it’s a good tune and it was a remarkable rendition in that empty, spacious abbey.

The Abbey’s History

The abbey was completely rebuilt between 1045 and 1060, making it one of the oldest churches on the route to Santiago, a well-established pilgrimage route by the 11^th century.  Standing beside it is the monastery housing the Benedictine monks, a community founded by the religious order fleeing the Saracens in Spain around 800 AD. The medieval village of Conques may have been small, but it became a major destination.

Priceless Treasures

This is one of the most important treasuries in Europe, an amazingly rich gold and bejeweled collection of reliquaries. There’s the arm of St George the Dragon Slayer, and the ‘A’ of Charlemagne to amaze the medieval peasants and pilgrims…though today’s visitors are less believing.

The main attraction for medieval pilgrims were the remains of Sainte-Foy, a young girl tortured to death in the fourth century for her Christian beliefs. They came to see the reliquary, to pray and be cured of blindness or to secure the release of relatives captured by whichever enemy they had the misfortune to meet.

The Majesty of Sainte-Foy

The Majesty of Sainte-Foy is an amazing work of art that has had historians and theologists debating its modeling, which is oddly scaled, as well as the significance of its gleaming gold, gems and enamels. Containing the skeletal remains of the saint, some parts of the intricate gold work date back to the 5^th century.

She’s pretty impressive today; to a medieval peasant, the impact of seeing her was extraordinary. As one Bernard d’Angers in 1010 remarked: “When they saw it for the first time, all in gold and sparkling with precious stones and looking like a human face, the peasants thought that the statue was in truth looking at them and answering their prayers with her eyes.”

Cut-throat Competition for those Relics

Such relics were vital to the prosperity of abbeys like Conques and there was a pretty cut-throat trade in them. The monks had earlier had a go at acquiring the relics of Saint Vincent of Saragossa and then the relics of St. Vincent Pompejac in the rich city of Agen without success. So they turned their eyes to the relics of Sainte-Foye, also in Agen. For ten years, a monk from Conques masqueraded as a monk here, then when trusted enough to get close to the treasure, stole it. There were no repercussions; in medieval law, royalty and clerics were excused because the sacredness of the theft, and of course the person committing it, outranked the ethics. Agen today is better known for its prunes than for its religious treasures.

The treasures at Conques survived through the centuries intact. They also escaped the fate of many other religious collections in 1793 when the government of the French Revolution confiscated all they could to melt down for money. The inhabitants of Conques divided up the priceless relics and hid them in their homes or dug them into their gardens.

The Sainte-Foy Abbey is open daily 8am to 8pm.
The Treasure is open daily 9.30am-12.30pm and 2pm-6pm.

More to see in Conques

Musée Joseph Fau

You really feel you are stepping back into the past in this old house. It’s filled with sculptures and wood paneling from the 16^th to 17^th centuries, tapestries and stone carvings from the old cloister. It’s beautifully laid out in the wooden floored rooms.
Please Note: The museum is currently closed due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Please contact the Tourist office for more information (see below).

Practical Information
Open daily
Check opening times at the Tourist Office
Ticket with Treasury admission €6.50 euros

The Medieval Village of Conques

The village itself is an attraction. So make time to wander through the little streets, past extraordinary half-timbered wood and stone houses, most of them dating from the Middle Ages, and up winding alleyways. Don’t miss the gardens next to the church. Medieval walls surround most of the village, with some of the gates still complete.

There are delightful discoveries to make: fountains, a circular tower, the ancient pilgims’ bridge.  

The pilgrims who came from Estaing and from Le Puy-en-Velay, one of the great starting points for pilgrims to Santiago, arrived via the old rue Haute, or ‘upper street’. They continued on to Figeac and Cahors through the Porte de la Vinzelle and the rue Charlemagne which runs downhill through the Porte de Barry to the river. Walk the route that they did and you’re rewarded with the Pont Romain and the chapel of St-Roch. From here, there’s a fabulous view of the medieval village of Conques above you.

Where to Stay in Conques

Not surprisingly, the medieval village of Conques has a no parking policy in the streets, so you’ll have to park for a moment to take out your bags then take the car to one of the official car parks. But everything is very nearby so it’s not a long walk (though it is slightly steep).

Auberge St-Jacques
Right in the middle of the village, the hotel is on many different levels (slightly difficult access so check if stairs are a problem). This is a good budget option with room rates around 60 euros a night. Rooms are small but adequate and comfortable. There’s a good restaurant which makes this the best place to eat in the center of Conques. Make sure you get a table on the terrace in summer, and also make sure you get to the 9.30pm organ recital in the church opposite. They will serve you dessert and coffee when you get back.

Auberge St-Jacques
Le Bourg
Tel.: 00 33 (0)5 65 72 86 36e
Website

Hôtel-Restaurant Hervé Busset/Domaine Cambelong
In an old chestnut and walnut flour mill down by the river and slightly away from the medieval village of Conques, the charming hotel has been beautifully renovated. The eight large rooms and one suite are modern and extremely stylish; bathrooms are equally chic. There’s a swimming pool and garden and a very well regarded Michelin-starred restaurant. Rates are from €190 to €220 euros per night.

Hôtel-Restaurant Hervé Busset
Domaine de Cambelong
Tel. : +33 (0)5 65 72 84 77
Website

Pilgrims’ Hostel
If you’re walking on the pilgrim trail, you might consider staying at the hostel. It’s basic, very inexpensive and you’ll meet fellow walkers. It’ll give you a feeling of being part of the medieval village of Conques, just like the pilgrims of the Middle Ages.

Pilgrims Hostel of the Abbaye of Sainte Foy
Conques
Tel: +33(0) 5 65 69 89 43
Website

Conques Tourist Office
Tel: +33 5 65 72 85 00
Email: contact@tourisme-conques.fr
Website

Here’s more about the four great Pilgrim Walking Routes in France. They left from Tours, Le Puy-en-Velay, Vézelay and Arles and united at St Jean-Pied-de-Port in the Pyrenees before crossing into Spain.

Conques is one of the Great Sacred Sites of France. Read about more of them, from Mont St-Michel to Vézelay where on midsummer day light from nine windows beam down onto the altar.

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