We talk to you about it often and even in detail, the “most beautiful villages in France” are part of French heritage to the point that municipalities labeled in this way have now become essential places in their regions for any visitor who walks there. And like any self-respecting label, it is constantly evolving and enriched each year with the addition of new locations.
For 2024, two new municipalities have been added to the list which today includes 178 “most beautiful villages in France” spread across France and overseas.
Fontevraud and Blangy
The two new labels this year are named Fontevraud-l’Abbaye and Blangy-le-Château and are located in Anjou and Normandy which are not necessarily the richest regions in terms of the number of awarded municipalities. The most awarded being in fact Occitanie with 49 villages registered.
Fontevraud-l’Abbaye (Maine-et-Loire)
Located 15 km from Saumur, the town is renowned for its royal abbey founded in 1101. Having become the Plantagenêts necropolis then a prison from 1804 to 1963, it now houses a modern art museum since 2021 and remains the element premier tourist destination in this village of 1,500 inhabitants.
Blangy-le-Château (Calvados)
Typical of the Pays d’Auge with its half-timbered or brick houses, Blangy-le-Château is nicknamed the “little Rome of Calvados” because of its seven surrounding hills. Located between Pont-l’Evêque and Lisieux, this charming village offers an authentic and peaceful setting that appeals to visitors.
What are the “most beautiful villages in France”?
Originally the “Most Beautiful Villages in France” is an association under the 1901 Law created in 1982 by a former elected official from the commune of Collonges-la-Rouge (in Corrèze) which has always been recognized as one of the prettiest in the country. . The initial idea being to bring together all the small towns in France with a certain character in order to remove them from anonymity and guarantee them some economic benefits through a tourist label.
Currently, with this year’s addition, there are 178 municipalities, spread across 70 departments, which benefit from this label throughout France.
> Infos : www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org
