"Most Beautiful Villages in France" which four new villages have been awarded the label?

Elected "favourite village of the French" in 2021, Sancerre, a wine-growing commune located two hours from Paris, has just been labelled "Most Beautiful Villages of France" alongside three other communes - Le Castellet and Cotignac, both located in the Var, and Lavoûte-Chilhac, in the Haute-Loire.

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Two Var villages among the new "Most Beautiful Villages in France

Like Cotignac, Le Castellet, a small feudal village perched on a promontory, was already distinguished as a "Village de Caractère du Var". It has kept its picturesque Provencal charm intact, with its sloping streets lined with shops, its squares surrounded by skilfully restored stone houses and its 15th century castle.

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Between the Gorges du Verdon and the Côte d'Azur, Cotignac lies at the foot of an impressive tufa cliff and has a heritage as rich as it is varied: its Notre-Dame-des-Grâces sanctuary, in particular, is one of the most visited places in the department. Its many fountains and other beautiful coloured facades also have their share of charm with visitors, and have obviously convinced the association.

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What are the advantages of the new "Most Beautiful Villages in France"?

In the south of theAuvergne, to the west of Puy-en-Velay, Lavoûte-Chilhac is in the heart of the Allier Gorges. Its two districts, separated by a loop of the river, are linked by a medieval bridge. It is pleasant to stroll through the village to discover the remains of its Cluniac priory and the facades of its houses built into the rock face.

Sancerre, internationally renowned for the quality of its two grape varieties, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, is also worth a visit for its rich heritage. A medieval house in Sancerre was selected this year to take part in the Heritage Mission led by Stéphane Bern, to benefit from the Heritage Lottery.

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172 "Most Beautiful Villages in France" spread over the territory

In total, 172 villages have been awarded the label by the association, while four villages had already been included in June 2022: Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, in Corrèze, Bergheim, in Haut-Rhin), as well as Martel and Rocamadour, both in the Lot.

The 172 villages are spread across 70 departments, but one of them stands out for its number of villages with the label: Occitania, which has almost 50 villages with the "Most Beautiful Villages in France" label - Conques, Lauzerte, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert and La Roque-sur-Cèze.

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Among the thirty or so decisive criteria for being awarded the label, let's mention the quality of the village's surroundings and accesses, the vegetation and flowering, or the number of listed sites and/or remarkable heritage sites.