Favourite Monuments of France 2022

Favourite Monuments of France might seem like yet another list but this one is a list with a difference. They are voted for by the French themselves, a nation that loves lists and classifications of their cities. Think of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, or the towns that qualify for Villes d’Art et Culture and you get the general idea.

Place Stanislas in Nancy at night showing view through elaborate black and gold cast iron grill and long classical building bathed in spotlights — Place Stanislas in Nancy © Nicolas Cornet/CC-BY-SA 3.0

The Favourite Monument of France (Monument préféré des Français 2022 which really translates as the favourite monument of the French) is a project run by France 3 TV Chanel. 42 places were listed and the French voted on France Télévisions at the end of May.

Last year’s winner was the Place Stanislas in Nancy. What will win this year?

After this first vote, 14 places (one for each chosen region) are selected for the finals. The winner will be announced, probably on the European Patrimony days on September 17 and 18 but the TV channel has not confirmed that yet.

So what about those monuments? It could be a château, a museum, a place, an ancient site, a work of civil engineering… Three from each region are on the list.

Favourite Monument of France 2022 follows on from France 3 tv channel where Stéphane Bern asks the audience to vote for the Village préféré des Français (Preferred village of the French).

I know most of them but not all. It’s an intriguing list and I’ll add the few I haven’t seen to my must-see attractions.

The 42 Favourite Monuments of France List

The list is alphabetical with the name of the monument followed by the town/village/location and the department. There are links to the departments I have written about.

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Looking up very high rocky pinacle in Le Puy to the Aiguille of St Michael Pilgrim Walking routes in France — Le Puy en Velay Public domain via Wikimedia

Rocher et Chapelle Saint-Michel d’Aiguilhe (Rock and Chapel Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe). Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire

Villa La Casamaures (La Casamaures Villa). Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux, Isère

Moulin à papier Richard de Bas (Richard de Bas Paper Mill). Ambert, Puy-de-Dôme

Of course I hope that Le Puy will win. It’s my local town in the rural, remote and beautiful Auvergne!

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Fontenay Abbey from above showing grand chateau in background against green wooded hills, lake and garden in front — Fontenay Abbey

Maison de Louis Pasteur (Louis Pasteur’s house). Arbois, Jura

Abbaye de Fontenay (Fontenay Abbey). Marmagne, Côte-d’Or

Château de Bazoches. Bazouches-du-Morvan, Nièvre

Brittany

Chapelle de la Maison Saint-Yves (Chapel of the Saint-Yves Seminary). Saint-Brieu, Côtes-d’Armor

Château du Taureau. Plouezoc’h, Finistère

More about the glorious Islands of Brittany.

Haras national d’Hennebont. Hennebont, Morbihan

Centre-Val-de-Loire

azay-le-rideau chateau facade seen from the other side of the moat with turrets, white stone building and greenery in front — Azay-Le-Rideau © Mary Anne Evans

Domaine de George Sand (George Sand’s House). Nohant-Vic, Indre

Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, Azay-le-Rideau, Indre-et-Loire

A road trip in the Loire Valley taking in this beautiful château

Palais Jacques Cœur. Bourges, Cher

Corsica

Maison Bonaparte (Bonaparte’s Home). Ajaccio, Corse-du-Sud

Napoleon’s France – His life, achievements and last days

Site préhistorique de Filitosa (Filitosa prehistoric site). Sollacaro, Corse-du-Sud

Citadelle de Calvi. Calvi, Haute-Corse

Grand-Est

Parc de Wesserling eco museum showing pile of sheeps wool in front of old wooden loom in old room — Parc de Wesserling Eco museum

Parc de Wesserling. Husseren-Wesserling, Haut-Rhin

Musée de la Faïence et Moulin de la Blies (Earthenware Museum and La Blies mill). Sarreguemines, Moselle

Fort de Schœnenbourg. Hunspach et Ingolsheim, Bas-Rhin

Hauts-de-France

Lewarde Mining Museum with huge towers behind brick industrial building and steel as well — Lewarde Mining Museum © Jérémy Jännick/CC-BY-SA 1.2

Centre historique minier de Lewarde (Mining History Centre). Lewarde, Nord

Domaine de Chaalis. Fontaine-Chaalis, Oise

Hortillonnages d’Amiens (Marsh market gardens of Amiens). Amiens, Rivery, Camon et Longueau, Somme

Île de France

Vaux-le-vicomte Chateau near Paris with lake in front and spouting dragons and magnificent warm stone chateau behind — Vaux-le-Vicomte © F. Jaumier

Basilique de Saint-Denis. Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis

If you’re in Paris, check out the famous Saint-Denis Festival of Music in June and early July

Colonne de Juillet et Génie de la Liberté (July column of the Spirit of Freedom). 11th arrondissement, Paris

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. Maincy, Seine-et-Marne

Normandy

Benedictine Palace in Fecamp. Very elaborate red brick old building with pionted towers in front of lawns — Benedictine Palace © Zairon/CC-BY-SA 4.0

Palais Bénédictine. Fécamp, Seine-Maritime

Gare transatlantique de Cherbourg et Sous-Marin Le Redoutable (Cherbourg Maritime Station and the Submarine Le Redoutable). Cherbourg-en-Contentin, Manche

Château de Carrouges. Carrouges, Orne

More about the region in the Normandy Travel Guide