The 12 Best Villages in France (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 12 picks

The best villages in France in 2026 are Gordes and Roussillon in the Luberon, Eguisheim and Riquewihr in Alsace, Rocamadour and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie in the Lot, and Conques in the Aveyron. All twelve picks are members of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France network, which counts 186 villages.

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France is an association founded in 1982 whose members must be rural, under 2,000 inhabitants, and have at least two protected heritage sites, according to Wikipedia. Its site counts 186 member villages after two additions in 2026. We picked twelve across Provence, Alsace, the Lot, Brittany, Burgundy and the Alps, and every one is on the association's list. Most are small and most are best reached by car. Go early in the morning or out of season to beat the crowds; village parking is often paid. For Provence and the Paris region, see our best places to visit in France, best châteaux in France and best day trips from Paris.

1. Gordes — Luberon, Vaucluse, Provence

A hilltop Luberon village of cobbled streets with a castle and views over lavender country.

Best for Views · Luberon · Lavender

Gordes is a hilltop village in the Vaucluse with cobbled streets, clustered stone houses and wide views of the Luberon. The association lists the Château de Gordes, now an exhibition venue, the dry-stone Village des Bories nearby, and the Saint-Firmin cellars among its sights.

The 12th-century Cistercian Abbaye de Sénanque, still home to monks, is set among lavender fields close by, and the page calls Rocher Bel-Air the best viewpoint, especially at sunset. Its page lists a Tuesday market and a summer festival of evening performances every August.

Good to know: Go early or at sunset; parking is paid or partly paid depending on the season.

Place du Château, 84220 Gordes

Google Maps Website

2. Roussillon — Luberon, Vaucluse, Provence

An ochre-red village beside Europe's largest ochre deposit, with a walking trail through the cliffs.

Best for Ochre trails · Photography · Luberon

Roussillon's houses are painted in ochre shades, and the association's page says the village sits on Europe's largest ochre deposit. The Sentier des Ocres is a walk through the ochre landscape on a 30-minute or 50-minute route.

The page warns to wear clothes and shoes that the ochre will not stain, and mentions the Conservatoire des Ocres for guided tours on ochre production. A food market is held every Thursday. The village is about 8 kilometers from Gordes by the association's figures.

Good to know: Wear dark shoes for the ochre trail and visit on a Thursday for the market.

Place de la Poste, 84220 Roussillon

Google Maps Website

3. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie — Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

A cliffside village known for its faience pottery, near the Gorges du Verdon.

Best for Pottery · Verdon · Hiking

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is known for faience earthenware renowned since the 17th century. The association says the Musée de la Faïence has over 100 exhibits and visitors can watch potters at work in the workshops.

A star hangs between two cliffs above the village, tied by Mistral's legend to a crusader's vow. The Chapelle Notre-Dame de Beauvoir, 12th and 16th century, is reached by 262 steps with views of the rooftops and the Verdon. The Gorges du Verdon and Lake Sainte-Croix are close, and the village is part of the Verdon Regional Nature Park.

Good to know: Climb the steps to the chapel in the morning, then browse the faience workshops.

Place de l'Église, 04360 Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Google Maps Website

4. Eguisheim — Haut-Rhin, Alsace

A concentric wine village near Colmar, with a Christmas market and a stork park.

Best for Alsace wine · Christmas market · Families

Eguisheim, in the Haut-Rhin near Colmar, has a concentric layout built around its castle square and ramparts. It is a wine village whose vineyards produce AOC Alsace wines from the Pfersigberg and Eichberg grands crus, with a marked trail covering both.

The association lists the chapel of Château Saint-Léon, the Trois Châteaux viewpoint and a Parc des Cigognes with storks. Its Christmas market, with about thirty artisans, is listed from late November to late December 2026.

Good to know: Visit on a weekday in December to avoid the Christmas-market crowds.

Place du Château Saint-Léon, 68420 Eguisheim

Google Maps Website

5. Riquewihr — Haut-Rhin, Alsace

A fortified wine village of half-timbered houses, with a medieval tower and Grands Crus trail.

Best for Half-timbered houses · Wine · Christmas market

Riquewihr is called the jewel of the Alsatian vineyards on the association's page. It lists AOC Alsace Grands Crus Schoenenbourg and Sporen, a Grands Crus wine trail starting on rue de la Piscine, the city walls and half-timbered houses.

The 13th-century Dolder tower holds a museum on the town's life as a fortified town, and the Tour des Voleurs museum in the old prison has torture instruments and a winegrower's house. The page lists its Christmas market from November 27 to December 20, 2026.

Good to know: Walk the Grands Crus trail in the morning and save the town museums for the afternoon.

Rue du Général de Gaulle, 68340 Riquewihr

Google Maps Website

6. Rocamadour — Lot

A pilgrimage village clinging to a cliff above the Alzou canyon, with a Black Madonna.

Best for Pilgrimage · Views · Goat cheese

Rocamadour sits 120 meters above the Alzou Canyon and is a major stop on the Way of St James. The association calls it the sacred town of Quercy, centered on the Sanctuaire Notre-Dame, the Basilica of Saint-Sauveur and seven chapels, and lists it as a UNESCO site. A 12th-century Black Madonna is in the Chapel of Our Lady.

A Grand Staircase of 216 steps leads up to the sanctuary, and the 14th-century ramparts give views of the Alzou Valley. The village also gives its name to Rocamadour AOP, a small creamy goat's cheese. The L'Hospitalet viewpoint is the place to photograph the village on the cliff.

Good to know: Go early and take the L'Hospitalet viewpoint for the classic photo of the cliff village.

Rue de la Couronnerie, 46500 Rocamadour

Google Maps Website

7. Conques — Aveyron

A medieval pilgrimage village around the Romanesque abbey church of Sainte-Foy.

Best for Romanesque art · Pilgrimage · Stained glass

Conques is in the Aveyron in the Lot Valley and a stop on the Way of St James. The abbey church of Sainte-Foy dates from the 11th and 12th centuries and has about 250 capitals, and its tympanum shows 124 figures carved for the Last Judgement.

The contemporary stained glass is by Pierre Soulages, and the Treasury Museum in the south wing of the cloister holds the gold-covered reliquary of Sainte-Foy. The page says the tympanum is illuminated from May to September and the Treasury Museum is open every day.

Good to know: Visit in the evening between May and September to see the tympanum illuminated.

Rue Charlemagne, 12320 Conques-en-Rouergue

Google Maps Website

8. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie — Lot

A cliff-top village above a bend in the River Lot, once a summer home of André Breton.

Best for River walks · Artists · Canoeing

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie sits above a bend in the River Lot in the Quercy area, with narrow medieval streets, a fortified church, castle ruins and artisan shops. The association says André Breton discovered it in 1950 and made the former Auberge des Mariniers his summer home.

A towpath cut into the cliff face has a 30-meter bas-relief and is described as an easy family walk. Other activities listed are canoeing on the Lot and the Célé, a one-hour river cruise to Bouziès and tastings of Quercy specialties such as pastis quercynois.

Good to know: Walk the cliff towpath and combine it with a river cruise to Bouziès.

Rue de la Pelissaria, 46330 Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

Google Maps Website

9. Locronan — Finistère, Brittany

A granite town of Renaissance mansions, a former weavers' center near Quimper.

Best for Brittany · Granite architecture · Crafts

Locronan in the Finistère is described as a well-preserved granite town with Renaissance mansions, and a former weavers' town whose sailcloth industry peaked in the 16th century. The 15th-century church of Saint-Ronan has a notable stained-glass window, and the adjoining Pénity chapel holds a recumbent statue of the saint.

The page lists the Musée d'Art Charles Daniélou with early 20th-century Breton paintings, the chapel of Notre-Dame de Bonne-Nouvelle with stained glass by Alfred Manessier, and the Grande Troménie pilgrimage among its traditions.

Good to know: Combine with Quimper, a short drive away, and check the Troménie dates if you want the pilgrimage.

Place de la Mairie, 29180 Locronan

Google Maps Website

10. Yvoire — Haute-Savoie, Lake Geneva

A fortified medieval village on Lake Geneva with two harbors and a garden maze.

Best for Lake views · Families · Boat trips

Yvoire is a former fortified town founded by the Counts of Savoy, on the shores of Lake Geneva, and the association credits it with more than 700 years of history. The castle, ramparts and old gates remain, with narrow flower-lined streets and two harbors.

The Jardin des Cinq Sens is a plant maze in the castle's former kitchen garden, built around touch, smell, hearing, sight and taste. Boat trips leave from the port, with views of both the French and Swiss shores.

Good to know: Take a lake cruise from the port and visit the Jardin des Cinq Sens.

Place de la Mairie, 74140 Yvoire

Google Maps Website

11. Vézelay — Yonne, Burgundy

A hilltop pilgrimage village crowned by the Romanesque basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine.

Best for Romanesque art · Pilgrimage · Burgundy wine

Vézelay's Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene is a Romanesque landmark with carved capitals, a Gothic choir and a 62-meter nave, restored by Viollet-le-Duc between 1840 and 1860. The association lists it as a UNESCO site, and the village lies on the Way of St James.

Other sights on the page are the Maison du Visiteur, the Musée de l'Oeuvre Viollet-le-Duc, the writer Jules Roy's house and garden, and a viewpoint at 340 meters. There are vineyards for AOC Vézelay Chardonnay tastings and an 11-kilometer vineyard walk.

Good to know: Walk up the main street to the basilica and ask about the summer-solstice light path.

Place de la Basilique, 89450 Vézelay

Google Maps Website

12. Collonges-la-Rouge — Corrèze

A village of red sandstone houses and slate roofs between Limousin and Quercy.

Best for Red stone · Cycling · Walking

Collonges-la-Rouge, in the Corrèze, is known for its red sandstone facades and slate or stone-tiled roofs, whose purple tint comes from the Meyssac Fault. The village grew up around an 8th-century Benedictine priory.

The association lists the Romanesque church of Saint-Pierre, the Renaissance Château de Vassinhac and the Maison de la Sirène, plus a geological trail on foot or by bike. It says to go in the morning and notes the village is accessible to strollers and people with reduced mobility. Mayor Charles Ceyrac helped establish the Plus Beaux Villages scheme.

Good to know: Visit in the morning and cycle on to Turenne, Curemonte and Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne.

Place de l'Église, 19500 Collonges-la-Rouge

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What are the most beautiful villages in France?

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France is the official network, with 186 members in 2026. Among the best known are Gordes and Roussillon in the Luberon, Eguisheim and Riquewihr in Alsace, Rocamadour and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie in the Lot, and Conques in the Aveyron.

How does a village become one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France?

According to Wikipedia's summary of the association's rules, a village must be rural with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, hold at least two protected heritage sites, and have its town council back the application. A committee of the association votes on admissions.

Which beautiful village is closest to Paris?

La Roche-Guyon in the Île-de-France is on the association's list and is a short trip from the capital. For more ideas, see our best day trips from Paris.

What is the best time to visit the Alsace villages?

Eguisheim's official page says its Christmas market runs from late November to late December 2026, and Riquewihr's lists its Christmas market from November 27 to December 20, 2026. Both are busy at weekends, so go on a weekday or arrive early.

Do I need a car to visit the most beautiful villages in France?

For most, yes. Villages such as Gordes, Roussillon, Conques and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie sit off the main rail lines, and the association's pages suggest parking, cycling or walking once you arrive. Collonges-la-Rouge's page also gives train and cycle options.

Which villages are on the Way of St James?

The association's pages place Rocamadour, Conques and Vézelay on the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, and Collonges-la-Rouge was a stopping point. Rocamadour's sanctuary and Conques' abbey church are both listed by the association as UNESCO sites.

1. Gordes — Luberon, Vaucluse, Provence

2. Roussillon — Luberon, Vaucluse, Provence

3. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie — Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

4. Eguisheim — Haut-Rhin, Alsace

5. Riquewihr — Haut-Rhin, Alsace

6. Rocamadour — Lot

7. Conques — Aveyron

8. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie — Lot

9. Locronan — Finistère, Brittany

10. Yvoire — Haute-Savoie, Lake Geneva

11. Vézelay — Yonne, Burgundy

12. Collonges-la-Rouge — Corrèze

Frequently asked questions

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