4 new villages join the circle of the most beautiful villages of France

In 2021, 5 communes joined the circle of the "most beautiful villages of France": Polignac (Haute-Loire), Le Malzieu-Ville (Lozère), Tournon-d'Agenais (Lot-et-Garonne), Châtillon-en-Diois (Drôme) and Cordes-sur-Ciel(Tarn), which then rejoined the list.

Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, Bergheim, Martel and Rocamadour among the most beautiful villages in France

In this year 2022,"Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" welcomes four newcomers. Of the five applications studied, the Quality Commission of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France" has chosen to award its label to :

Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, in Corrèze: which, after two attempts, has finally been crowned with success. The town, which is involved in the "Small towns of tomorrow" programme, and which strives to enhance all of its heritage and its living environment, beyond its historic centre and its privileged location on the banks of the Dordogne, has won over the Commission.

Bergheim, in the Haut-Rhin: in the heart of the Alsatian vineyards, with a perfectly preserved medieval enclosure and a rich heritage, the village enhances the natural setting in which it flourishes and concentrates its efforts on the treatment of public spaces and the rehabilitation of buildings.

Martel, in the Lot: an ancient town with a precious medieval heritage, also involved in the "Small Towns of Tomorrow" programme, Martel aims to combine the rehabilitation and enhancement of buildings, the revitalisation of the town centre by welcoming new shops and the management of road and tourist flows.

Rocamadour, in the Lot department: a major stopover on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the village of Rocamadour aims to invest in the long-term preservation and enhancement of its heritage and the management of tourist flows.

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A confirmed ranking for 9 villages

With four new additions, the list of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France" now includes 168 villages in 14 regions and 70 departments. In addition to these new villages, the Quality Commission has also renewed the classification of nine villages:

Bonneval-sur-Arc (Savoie)
Cardaillac (Lot)
Eguisheim (Haut-Rhin)
Hunawihr (Haut-Rhin)
Hunspach (Bas-Rhin)
Mittelbergheim (Lower Rhine)
Riquewihr (Haut-Rhin)
Saint-Quirin (Moselle)
Saint-Véran (Hautes-Alpes)

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How does one become one of the most beautiful villages in France?

To be awarded the precious label by the Quality Commission, each village must first of all meet three very specific criteria:

have a population of less than or equal to 2,000 inhabitants
have two protected sites or monuments
attest to its willingness to join by municipal deliberation

After that, the village can be studied and rated on the basis of 27 criteria that allow us to evaluate its heritage, architectural, urban and environmental quality as well as its efforts to enhance it.

The final word goes to the Quality Commission, which scrupulously examines the expert report.

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