Covid-19 requires, during the summer 2020 season, 9 out of 10 French holidaymakers would have gone to mainland France.
At the dawn of this summer 2021, more than a year and a half after the start of the pandemic, the trend seems to be continuing.
For many, it will once again be France.
But where exactly?
This is what the vacation rental comparator Likibu tried to find out, which compiled and then analyzed the data corresponding to the number of monthly Google searches of 30,000 French villages over the last 12 months with the queries "What to do", “What to see”, “What to visit” (1).
Unsurprisingly, it is the villages of Rocamadour, Giverny, Les Baux-de-Provence, Gordes or even Veules-les-Roses, which are doing well and appear in the first searches of Internet users.
The opportunity to organize a small guided tour of these exceptional places, often already classified among the “Most Beautiful Villages of France” and where there is a high risk of finding you this summer.
1. Rocamadour (Lot)
The Dordogne is in the spotlight with the unmissable village of Rocamadour.
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At the top of the ranking of the most searched French villages on the internet: Rocamadour.
This medieval city located in the heart of the Dordogne valley is renowned for its picturesque alleys, its fortified gates, its houses and its castles which blend into the rock.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rocamadour is particularly well-known for being one of the biggest stages on the way to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle.
Read also: Rocamadour, Padirac, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie ... Holidays in the Lot in complete freedom
2. Giverny (Eure)
Museum of Impressionism, Claude Monet's house and gardens ... Giverny asserts its position as an international tourist hotspot.
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On the second step of the podium, we find the charming Norman village of Giverny, best known thanks to the painter Claude Monet who lived there for nearly 43 years.
It was there that he painted his famous series of oil paintings,
Les Nymphéas.
A Mecca of Impressionism, Giverny welcomes thousands of visitors and travelers every year.
And if we are to believe the internet research of the French, this summer will be no exception.
Read also: From Giverny to the “Water Lilies”: nature sublimated
3. Les Baux-de-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône)
25 km from Avignon, the village of Baux-de-Provence is located in the heart of the Alpilles.
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The village of Baux-de-Provence comes third in the ranking.
Located in the Alpilles massif and perched on a rocky outcrop, it is readily granted its breathtaking view of the southern plains, the charm of its narrow and cobbled streets, its historical monuments, its limestone dwellings and its many exhibition sites. varied.
Read also: Seven Provençal and gourmet restaurants between Ménerbes and Aix-en-Provence
4. Gordes (Vaucluse)
Ranked among the most beautiful villages in France, Gordes rises opposite the Luberon massif.
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Stamped "Plus Beaux Villages Français", Gordes is also perched on a rock.
Here, the steep slopes of the mountain reveal houses that have been rooted for generations.
Its charm is exceptional, its typical Provencal architecture, its rich and varied heritage and its geographical location, between the Vaucluse mountains and the Luberon natural park, ideal.
Read also: From the Luberon to the Alpilles, our best tables in the Provençal region
5. Veules-Les-Roses (Seine-Maritime)
Nestled since the 4th century in the hollow of a valley leading to the sea, Veules-les-Roses is one of the oldest villages in the Pays de Caux.
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Return to Normandy, where the small seaside resort of Veules-les-Roses climbs to fifth position in the ranking of the most sought-after villages on the internet.
Nestled in the Pays de Caux, Veules-les-Roses is a former fishing village.
It enchants with its half-timbered Norman houses, its gardens populated with hydrangeas and the spectacle of its cliffs overlooking the English Channel.
Sun, fresh air, bucolic walks and seafood platters are a must.
Read also: La Manche, our travel guide: why you have to (re) discover this corner of Normandy
6. Collonges-la-Rouge (Corrèze)
Former stronghold of the Counts of Turenne, the medieval village of Collonges-la-Rouge is located at the exit of Brive towards Souillac.
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Located on the Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle route, in the Dordogne valley in Corrèze, Collonges-la-Rouge is also labeled “Plus Beaux Villages de France”.
It owes its name to its rock, to its sandstone - red - which makes it so atypical.
We like to get lost in its pedestrian streets between craft shops, terraces and restaurants.
Read also: From Commarque to the Vézère valley: ten original ideas for (re) discovering the Dordogne
7. Salers (Cantal)
Just 40 kilometers from Aurillac, Salers is at the gateway to the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Natural Park.
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Above the Maronne valley, at the entrance to the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Natural Park, is the magnificent medieval city of Salers, ranked among the most beautiful villages in France.
Surrounded by lakes, rivers and plateaus, we appreciate its natural heritage as well as cultural and historical ones.
Fans of fine dining and good wines will also find their happiness there.
Read also: Auvergne: four little-known hikes in the Chaîne des Puys
8. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (Lot)
Medieval masterpiece perched above a meander of the Lot Adobe Stock
Perched on a cliff 100 meters above the Lot, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie has retained all the charm of its medieval past.
Moreover, it is a classified site comprising 13 historical monuments.
While walking there, one can also see houses with sloping roofs covered with brown tiles, old stalls, stone facades, fortified gates and cobbled streets.
The place is also renowned for having charmed artists and writers in the past.
André Breton made it his summer residence.
Read also: The André Breton house in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is looking for patrons
9. Roussillon (Vaucluse)
In Provence, between Luberon and the Vaucluse mountains, Roussillon sparkles under an ocher light.
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At the foot of the plateau of the Vaucluse mountains, in the village of Roussillon, also labeled “Most Beautiful Villages of France”, you can admire yellow, ocher, orange, red or even pale pink facades.
And take a walk in the middle of lavender fields, olive trees and vineyards.
An exceptional place that deserves the detour.
Read also: Hiking in the Luberon, in the ochres of Provençal Colorado
10. Lourmarin (Vaucluse)
Henri Bosco and Albert Camus made Lourmarin their last home.
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Tenth most searched French village on the internet, according to this study: Lourmarin.
25 km from Roussillon, it is also in the middle of vineyards and olive trees that this small town with its typically Mediterranean architecture is located.
Old houses, terraces set up in small shaded squares, fountains, artisan shops, local markets… Lourmarin is also labeled “Plus Beaux Villages de France”.
Read also: In the Luberon, three experiences to live out of season
11. Conques (Aveyron)
Protected from view by green mountains, Conques is discovered late, nestled in a valley at the bend of a small lonely road.
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Another pretty stop on the way to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, Conques.
Nestled in the heart of the Lot valley, Conques is a haven of peace and greenery.
Among the things not to be missed on your way there: the abbey church of Sainte-Foy.
Both an architectural treasure and an example of modernity thanks to contemporary stained glass windows by Pierre Soulages, it is one of the wonders to see and re-examine without moderation.
But you have to go up to the Bancarel viewpoint (half an hour's walk), located on a hill facing Conques.
You are then rewarded for your effort with the most beautiful view of the village.
Read also: Conques, the simplicity of a Roman jewel
12. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence)
Since 1981, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie has been classified among the “Most Beautiful Villages of France”.
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Church, ramparts, chapels, aqueduct, fountains, lively alleys and colorful facades… Welcome to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, between the Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Gorges du Verdon, in one of the most beautiful villages in Provence.
A village in the rock, surrounded by fields of olive and almond trees.
Known and recognized for its production of earthenware, you can stop in a traditional workshop.
In this village, where the monks of the Lérins Islands had occupied caves in the 5th century, the presence of potters dates back to the 16th century.
There were all the ingredients to make ceramics: plenty of water and wood, clay soil.
Read also: Wine tourism: in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, discovering a confidential vineyard
13. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
High place of pilgrimage to Compostela, this small craggy city breathes the Basque joie de vivre.
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Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is also one of the must-see stops for pilgrims walking on the Santiago de Compostela routes.
The Basque village owes its name to its location at the foot of the legendary Col de Roncesvalles, the pass being nicknamed "port" in the Pyrenees.
Founded in the 12th century, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port was part of the kingdom of Navarre.
The Notre-Dame-du-Bout-du-Pont church, the second Gothic building in the Basque Country, and the citadel remodeled by Vauban are among the village's must-sees.
And less than an hour from Biarritz, one finds there, in addition to a splendid table, all the generosity of a land blessed by the gods.
Read also: Five typical villages of the Basque hinterland to rest
14. Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert (Hérault)
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, a small medieval village located in the Hérault.
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Stage of the way of Compostelle, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is especially known for its abbey of Gellone, jewel of the Languedocian Romanesque art, classified with the world heritage of UNESCO.
Located in the Hérault valley, at the entrance to the Verdus gorges and the Infernet cirque, this site is hidden in an imposing rocky massif.
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is also one of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France”.
Read the file: Languedoc-Roussillon: the
Figaro
travel guide
15. Rochefort-en-Terre (Morbihan)
20 minutes from the Gulf of Morbihan, Rochefort-en-Terre was voted the favorite village of the French in 2016. Adobe Stock
In the middle of the moors and woods, nestled in the heart of Brittany, located 35 km east of Vannes, on a rocky hillock overlooking the Gueuzon valley, the Breton city of Rochefort-en-Terre is one of the most beautiful villages in France.
For the record, its castle was built in the 12th century.
It was then destroyed several times, leaving only ruins.
Until the American painter Alfred Klots bought them and made this village a meeting place for artists.
Read also: Gulf of Morbihan: getaway to the islands of the Breton “little sea”
(1) Methodology: this study was carried out between March 15 and 17, 2021 by Likibu.
All French villages were taken into account, ie any municipality with less than 2,000 inhabitants.
(30,037 villages of less than 2,000 inhabitants in France - Base INSEE 2018.)
Data is the number of average monthly Google searches over the past 12 months for:
The various most popular queries among "What to do", "What to see", "What to visit" + the name of the village.
The name of the village alone (for example "Rocamadour" has an average of 110,000 monthly requests over the last 12 months on Google).