France's 10 Prettiest Villages: A Travel Guide
A ranking of France's most picturesque villages, many part of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (founded 1982), highlights destinations like Gordes (Provence) with its 12th-century castle and Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque; Rocamadour (Dordogne) built into a cliff, a medieval pilgrimage site with the Black Madonna; Èze (French Riviera) with Jardin Exotique and Nietzsche's inspiration; Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (Lot) home to André Breton; Riquewihr (Alsace) with intact fortifications and wine cellars; Collonges-la-Rouge (Corrèze) built from red sandstone; Conques (Aveyron) with Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy and 10th-century reliquary; Yvoire (Haute-Savoie) on Lake Geneva with Jardin des Cinq Sens; Locronan (Brittany) with 17th-century granite architecture and Grande Troménie procession; and Beynac-et-Cazenac (Dordogne) with a 12th-century castle from the Hundred Years' War. The list appears in Lonely Planet and spans regions from Provence to Brittany, emphasizing regional cuisine, craft traditions, and the feasibility of combining multiple villages in one road trip.
Key facts
- Les Plus Beaux Villages de France was founded in 1982.
- Gordes features a 12th-century castle and Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque.
- Rocamadour is a medieval pilgrimage site with the Black Madonna statue.
- Èze has the Jardin Exotique d'Èze and inspired Nietzsche's 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra'.
- Saint-Cirq-Lapopie was home to André Breton.
- Riquewihr has intact 13th-century fortifications and is on the Alsace Wine Route.
- Collonges-la-Rouge is built from local red sandstone.
- Conques has the Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy with a 10th-century gold reliquary.
- Yvoire features the Jardin des Cinq Sens and is on Lake Geneva.
- Locronan holds the Grande Troménie procession every six years.
- Beynac-et-Cazenac's castle played a role in the Hundred Years' War.
- The list is from Lonely Planet.
Entities
Artists
- André Breton
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Institutions
- Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
- Lonely Planet
- Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque
- Jardin Exotique d'Èze
- Jardin des Cinq Sens
- Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy
Locations
- Gordes
- Provence
- France
- Rocamadour
- Dordogne
- Èze
- French Riviera
- Nice
- Monaco
- Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
- Lot
- Riquewihr
- Alsace
- Collonges-la-Rouge
- Corrèze
- Conques
- Aveyron
- Yvoire
- Lake Geneva
- Switzerland
- Locronan
- Brittany
- Beynac-et-Cazenac
- Dordogne River
Sources
- Quartz —