{"id":96965,"date":"2024-11-22T07:44:57","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T20:44:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/?p=96965"},"modified":"2024-11-25T09:54:29","modified_gmt":"2024-11-24T22:54:29","slug":"les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france-whats-behind-the-precious-title-part-1-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/2024\/11\/22\/les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france-whats-behind-the-precious-title-part-1-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Les Plus Beaux Villages de France: What\u2019s behind the precious title\u2014Part 1\/4"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>I&#8217;m delighted to announce the launch of this 4-part mini-series, in which new Contributor Betty Carlson will guide us through the three villages most recently named among the official \u201cmost beautiful villages in France\u201d.\u00a0 But first, let\u2019s find out more about this prestigious label.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Les Plus Beaux Villages de France \u2013 what\u2019s behind the precious title<\/h2>\n<p><strong>France is brimming with beautiful villages &#8212; but some are more beautiful than others. At least that\u2019s the principle behind the trademarked label \u201cLes Plus Beaux Villages de <\/strong><strong>France\u201d, or LPBVF for short.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve explored the French countryside, you have likely encountered villages proudly bearing this credential. But how many are there? Where does the label come from? And what do you need to know about visiting these popular sites?<\/p>\n<h3>LPBVF by the numbers:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Currently, there are 181 Plus Beaux Villages de France<\/li>\n<li>Nearly half (47%) are located in just 2 regions: Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine<\/li>\n<li>5 regions have fewer than 5 LPBVF each: Hauts-de-France, Ile-de-France, Pays de la Loire, Corsica, and, rather surprisingly, Brittany<\/li>\n<li>Only 1 LPBVF can be found in an overseas department: Hell-Bourg in La R\u00e9union<\/li>\n<li>With 51 labeled villages, you can enjoy the most LPBVF by far in the Occitanie region<\/li>\n<li>Aveyron boasts 11 LPBVF, making it the label\u2019s top d\u00e9partement, followed by Dordogne with 10<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_96974\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-96974\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-96974 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/FEATURE-IMAGE-1-Estaing-AVEYRON-1.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"http:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/FEATURE-IMAGE-1-Estaing-AVEYRON-1.jpg\" alt=\"Les Plus Beaux Villages de France\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271024%27%20height%3D%27768%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201024%20768%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271024%27%20height%3D%27768%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/FEATURE-IMAGE-1-Estaing-AVEYRON-1-200x150.jpg 200w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/FEATURE-IMAGE-1-Estaing-AVEYRON-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/FEATURE-IMAGE-1-Estaing-AVEYRON-1-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/FEATURE-IMAGE-1-Estaing-AVEYRON-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/FEATURE-IMAGE-1-Estaing-AVEYRON-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/FEATURE-IMAGE-1-Estaing-AVEYRON-1.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-96974\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Estaing, Aveyron\u00a0 Image credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/author\/bettycarlson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Betty Carlson<\/a>\/ author<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<h2>A bit of history<\/h2>\n<p>It all started with a book published by the French Readers\u2019 Digest, entitled \u2013 you guessed it \u2013<strong> Les Plus Beaux Villages de France.<\/strong> In 1982, inspired by the concept, the mayor of decidedly beautiful Collonges-la-Rouge reached out to the other villages\u2019 powers-that-be, convincing them to join forces in promoting these scenic sites.<\/p>\n<p>Membership eligibility was later expanded to include villages not presented in the volume.<\/p>\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload size-full wp-image-97010 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMAGE-2-original-book-2.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"http:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMAGE-2-original-book-2.jpg\" alt=\"Les plus beaux villages de France\" width=\"455\" height=\"617\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27455%27%20height%3D%27617%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20455%20617%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27455%27%20height%3D%27617%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMAGE-2-original-book-2-200x271.jpg 200w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMAGE-2-original-book-2-400x542.jpg 400w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMAGE-2-original-book-2.jpg 455w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px\" \/>The selection process<\/h2>\n<p>By now, you may be imagining anonymous village inspectors roaming around France like Michelin Guide reviewers, on the look-out for lucky villages that receive the delightful news that they can hang up a few Plus Beaux Villages de France signs.<\/p>\n<p><em>Ce n\u2019est pas si simple !<\/em> Becoming a <em>plus beau<\/em> village is a long and arduous process\u2014one of the newly named villages I\u2019ll be taking you to first applied in 1998!<br \/>\nTo even be considered, there are 3 deal-breakers:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a maximum population of 2,000<\/li>\n<li>2 or more officially recognized historical monuments<\/li>\n<li>proof of strong town council support for the project<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The candidates are then evaluated on-site based on 32 criteria. Twice a year, members of the LPBVF network and experts vote, and three possible \u201cverdicts\u201d are decided by a 2\/3 majority:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The label is awarded<\/li>\n<li>The label is refused<\/li>\n<li>The label is taken away (for villages under review)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once chosen, a village can expect a huge uptick in visitors, as well as an economic boost. For example, Polignac (Haute-Loire), no longer had a single restaurant in 2010, but since winning the label in 2021, 2 restaurants have set up and are doing brisk business.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_96977\" style=\"width: 695px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-96977\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-96977\" src=\"http:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-3-the-door-to-opportunity-1.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"http:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-3-the-door-to-opportunity-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"685\" height=\"914\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27685%27%20height%3D%27914%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20685%20914%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27685%27%20height%3D%27914%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-3-the-door-to-opportunity-1-200x267.jpg 200w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-3-the-door-to-opportunity-1-400x533.jpg 400w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-3-the-door-to-opportunity-1-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-3-the-door-to-opportunity-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-3-the-door-to-opportunity-1-800x1067.jpg 800w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-3-the-door-to-opportunity-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-3-the-door-to-opportunity-1-1200x1600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-3-the-door-to-opportunity-1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-3-the-door-to-opportunity-1.jpg 1704w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-96977\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>The LPBVF label opens the door to many opportunities &#8211; Image credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/author\/bettycarlson\/\">Betty Carlson<\/a>\/author<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Tips about visiting<\/h2>\n<p>Working a selection of France\u2019s most beautiful villages into your next trip itinerary can be a brilliant idea. While every village is different, here are some general points to keep in mind.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The vast majority are not served by public transportation, so travelling by car or by bicycle is your best bet.<\/li>\n<li>All of the villages see a big influx of tourists during the high season. For a peaceful experience, consider an early morning or late evening visit.<\/li>\n<li>Or why not lean into liveliness by participating in the villages\u2019 myriad summer activities: soir\u00e9es musicales, street art festivals, and evening food markets, just to name a few. Consult Office de Tourisme websites to find out what\u2019s happening.<\/li>\n<li>An official guidebook to the villages exists, last updated in 2022 with 164 entries.<\/li>\n<li>Keep in mind that restaurants, shops, and attractions may be closed off-season. In fact, the smallest villages can be dead as a doornail during the winter months \u2013 but there\u2019s a certain charm to wandering through them all alone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_96976\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-96976\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-96976\" src=\"http:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-4-Collonges-la-Rouge-photo-credit-Gu-Bra-Pexels-1-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"http:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-4-Collonges-la-Rouge-photo-credit-Gu-Bra-Pexels-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Les Plus Beaux Villages de France\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27800%27%20height%3D%27533%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20800%20533%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27800%27%20height%3D%27533%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-4-Collonges-la-Rouge-photo-credit-Gu-Bra-Pexels-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-4-Collonges-la-Rouge-photo-credit-Gu-Bra-Pexels-1-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-4-Collonges-la-Rouge-photo-credit-Gu-Bra-Pexels-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-4-Collonges-la-Rouge-photo-credit-Gu-Bra-Pexels-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-4-Collonges-la-Rouge-photo-credit-Gu-Bra-Pexels-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-4-Collonges-la-Rouge-photo-credit-Gu-Bra-Pexels-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-4-Collonges-la-Rouge-photo-credit-Gu-Bra-Pexels-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Image-4-Collonges-la-Rouge-photo-credit-Gu-Bra-Pexels-1-scaled.jpg 2560w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-96976\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Collonges-la-Rouge, Corr\u00e8ze \u2013 Image credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/fr-fr\/@gu-bra-11680150\/stats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/fr-fr\/@gu-bra-11680150\/stats\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1731963051483000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1xXABOkfc2er48lsB_4GM4\">Gu Bra &#8211; Photographie<\/a>\u00a0 via Pexels<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p>I\u2019m so looking forward to introducing you to France\u2019s newest plus beaux villages!<\/p>\n<p><strong>In the meantime, have you ever visited an official \u201cPlus Beau Village de France\u201d? Do you have a favorite?<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"gmail_quote\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gmail_quote\"><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"text-align: center;\">SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER<\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe style=\"border: 1px solid #EEE; background: white;\" src=\"https:\/\/judymacmahon.substack.com\/embed\" width=\"480\" height=\"320\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;m delighted to announce the launch of this 4-part mini-series, in which new Contributor Betty Carlson will guide you through the three villages most recently named among the official \u201cmost beautiful villages in France\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40285,"featured_media":96974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[1107,1081],"tags":[5447,12033,12034],"class_list":["post-96965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-city-guides","category-escapades","tag-les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france","tag-lpbvf","tag-frances-newest-plus-beaux-villages"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40285"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96965"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96965\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97035,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96965\/revisions\/97035"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}