The most scenic towns and villages in France

[Charlie99]

Wishing all of you, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a future rooted in beautiful and memorable traditions as well as a bright future.

 

[jw5]

Wishing all of you, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a future rooted in beautiful and memorable traditions as well as a bright future.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

 

[jw5]

Yvoire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes​

Set within sight of Lake Geneva, the lovely little town of Yvoire is noted for its collection of medieval buildings and vivid summer floral displays, best appreciated in the enchanting Jardin des Cinq Sens ("Garden of Five Senses").

 

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Amiens, Hauts-de-France​

In fact classified as a city, Amiens nonetheless exudes a delightful town character. The imposing 13th-century Amiens Cathedral is the destination's principal draw, and should be explored at leisure. Meanwhile, the canals that Amiens is also famous for can be explored by boat.

 

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Cluny, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté​

Surrounded by neatly combed Burgundy vineyards, Cluny offers the visitor all sorts of reasons to linger. The town grew up around the 10th-century Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, which is a perfect spot to commence your sightseeing.

 

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Bayeux, Normandy​

After you've marveled at the 11th-century tapestry bearing its name, Bayeux deserves further exploration of its historic core. The town is also known as the first to be secured by by the Allies during Operation Overlord—the codename for the Battle of Normandy, launched on June 6, 1944.

 

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Locronan, Brittany​

Locronan is named after Saint Ronan, the Irish hermit who founded it in the Middle Ages. It was granted town status in 1505, but Locronan's quiet streets and stone-clad cottages lend it a pleasant village air. The destination is noted for its once thriving hemp-weaving industry, the material used primarily for rigging vessels, both commercial and military, that operated from Brittany's many ports.

 

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Grasse, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur​

Grasse is celebrated as the world's capital of perfume, and that's reason enough to explore this delightful medieval town in southern Provence. Grasse is especially known for its fragrant May rose, the pale pink flower that blooms in May, and jasmine. Both are used in Chanel No. 5, the first perfume launched by French couturier Coco Chanel in 1921.

 

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Chamonix, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes​

This attractive alpine-fresh town is a pleasure to visit any time of the year, but of course in winter it positively buzzes as one of the country's top ski resorts, with its proximity to Mont Blanc making it a world-class winter destination. Incidentally, Chamonix was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924.

 

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Rochefort-en-Terre, Brittany​

With its film set looks and yesteryear charm, it's no wonder Rochefort-en-Terre is designated a "Petite Cité de Caractère." Dating back to the Middle Ages, Rochefort-en-Terre prospered as a roche fort ("stronghold"), controlling trade routes that generated considerable income for the village, which was ploughed back into building a church, castle, covered market, and a cluster of mansions.

 

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Château-Chalon, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté​

Château-Chalon is one of the gems found in the Jura mountains. Perched high above the vineyards in the Seille Valley, Château-Chalon is another town that expanded around a abbey. Exploring the church and the ruins of a castle provide an excuse afterwards to partake in a drop of wine tasting in any one of the winemakers' houses lining the town's narrow streets.

 

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Vouvant, Pays de la Loire​

The Notre-Dame de l'Assomption church shouldn't be missed as you make your way slowly through ancient Vouvant, which still has some of the original fortifying walls around it. The town is also noted for a beautiful medieval bridge, which crosses the Loire river.

 

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Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur​

One of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera, Saint-Paul-de-Vence boasts a roll call of celebrity visitors and residents past and present, names that include Picasso, French actor Yves Montand, and former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman.