Villages isolated from everything, far from large cities and major roads, which are believed to be accessible only by car. And yet! Among the 164 municipalities labeled "most beautiful villages in France", some have the advantage of being served by train or bus, urban or departmental. Enough to allow non-transported travelers to discover all that makes the charm of these villages like no other: an architectural unity, listed historical monuments and remarkable heritage sites, according to the criteria of the association which awards the label.
Fortified city in the heart of the Pyrenees, medieval village along the Dordogne, former fishing hamlet near Saint-Malo ...
Le Figaro
has selected thirteen villages labeled "most beautiful villages in France" where you can easily go without a car (see them on our map).
Read alsoThe name of the five new municipalities labeled “most beautiful villages in France” revealed
Belvès (Dordogne)
Belvès ("beautiful view" in Occitan) offers a panorama over the horizon of the Périgord Noir.
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Besieged during the Hundred Years War and the wars of religion, the “city of seven bell towers” has miraculously preserved remains.
Among them, underground troglodyte dwellings inhabited since the 13th century, a 500-year-old wooden hall and Renaissance-style mansions.
At the gates of the city, the forest of Bessède is an ideal playground for hikers and mountain bikers who wish to venture into the Périgord noir.
Access: Belvès station, 1h15 from Agen and Périgueux.
Read also Périgord as we ignore it
Eguisheim (Haut-Rhin)
Eguisheim, 10 km from Colmar, is a stopover on the Alsace wine route.
OT Eguisheim
Colorful houses, cobbled streets, half-timbered facades and houses with pointed roofs ... Eguisheim corresponds to the idea we have of an Alsatian village. If its Christmas market is particularly popular with tourists, visitors can visit this village all year round, located on the Alsace wine route, about ten kilometers south of Colmar. Wrapped in concentric circles around its castle, Eguisheim was voted “favorite village of the French” in 2013 in the France 2 program presented by Stéphane Bern.
Access: Colmar station, then bus 208 (20 minutes). The trip is also achievable by bike via a track arranged through the vineyards (8 km, 30 minutes). Bike rental at Colmar station from the Colmar Vélo-Vélodocteurs agency.
Read alsoWeekend in Colmar, between culture and gastronomy
La Roche-Guyon (Val d'Oise)
La Roche-Guyon castle leans against a chalk cliff typical of the Vexin Regional Natural Park.
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Unique "most beautiful village in France" in the Paris region, La Roche-Guyon is located on a bend in the Seine, at the gateway to Normandy and the Vexin regional natural park. Not far from the gardens of Giverny and the Claude Monet Foundation, it stands out for its medieval castle leaning against a white chalk cliff. Now owned by the La Rochefoucauld family, the building was frequented by the kings of France and the philosophers of the Enlightenment. Below, the 3.5 hectare vegetable garden, restored in 2004, incorporates the original plans dating from the 18th century.
Access: Mantes-la-Jolie station (Transilien J and N), then bus 95-11; or an hour's walk on the GR2 from Bonnières-sur-Seine station (Transilien J).
Read alsoFrom Auvergne to Occitanie, the most beautiful tourist trains to take, region by region
Les-Baux-de-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône)
The ruined castle and the Carrières de Lumières are must-sees in Baux-de-Provence.
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Built on a rocky outcrop, the village of Baux-de-Provence overlooks the Alpilles Regional Natural Park and its landscapes of limestone, vines and olive trees.
The Carrières de Lumières are, in addition to the ruined medieval castle, a must-see place.
This immersive digital exhibition space, housed in a veritable stone cathedral, puts Dalí and Gaudi in the spotlight this year.
Access: Arles or Avignon-Ville train station, then bus 57 (40 minutes to 1 hour), from May to September.
A TER + taxi package allows you to reach Les Baux-De-Provence by van from Arles station (July to November).
Read alsoFrom the Luberon to the Alpilles, our best restaurants in the Provençal region
Montsoreau (Maine-et-Loire)
The Château de Montsoreau, 15 km from Saumur, is located at the confluence of the Loire and Vienne rivers.
JS.
Evrard
Alexandre Dumas made it the place of action of his novel
La Dame de Monsoreau
. Several film adaptations of The
Three Musketeers
were subsequently filmed there. Welcome to Montsoreau, a medieval village located 15 km from Saumur. Its 15th century castle, which houses a contemporary art museum, dominates the confluence of the Loire and Vienne rivers. Another site to discover: the Saut-aux-Loups mushroom farm, a group of troglodyte dwellings that have been used for the cultivation of Paris mushrooms for a century. After a walk in the flowery streets of Montsoreau, follow the Loire for 2 km to the neighboring town of Candes-Saint-Martin (Indre-et-Loire), also labeled “most beautiful village in France”.
Access: Saumur station, then bus line 1 or summer line of the Agglobus network (20 minutes).
Read alsoVélodyssée, Vélocéan, Loire à Vélo… Six ideas for cycling routes in the Pays de la Loire
Mornac-sur-Seudre (Charente-Maritime)
Village of oyster farmers, Mornac-sur-Seudre is located about twenty kilometers from the Atlantic coast.
Destination Royan Atlantique - T. AVAN
It is aboard a tourist steam train that we arrive at Mornac-sur-Seudre.
10 kilometers north of Royan and around 20 from the Atlantic coast, this oyster farming village in the Seudre estuary is also classified as a “Stone and water village”.
A 5 km loop, the “Pedestrian Taillées”, allows hikers to discover everything that makes the village attractive: its Romanesque church, its medieval market halls and its colorful huts by the water.
Access: Saujon TER station, 7 minutes from Royan, then Train des Mouettes to Mornac-sur-Seudre (30 minutes).
Read alsoArchitectural journey through time in Royan
Polignac (Haute-Loire)
Labeled since September 2021, Polignac is recognizable by its imposing fortress built on a volcanic hillock.
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A town bordering on Puy-en-Velay, Polignac joined the network of “most beautiful villages in France” in September 2021. “
Perched on its volcanic platform, the powerful fortress of Polignac is one of the most astonishing heritage and natural sites. more attractive in
Auvergne
”, describes the association which congratulates the municipality's efforts to restore its built heritage.
George Sand made this fortress one of the places of action of his novel
Le Marquis de Villemer
, while another author, Prosper Mérimée, first inspector of historic monuments, classified the site in 1840.
Access: Puy-en-Velay station, then bus line P of the Tudip network to Polignac (20 minutes).
To read also In Puy-en-Velay on the way to Saint-Jacques, the novelties of the summer
Pérouges (Ain)
Pérouges is located 30 minutes by TER from Lyon.
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Protected by an enclosure of ramparts and built at the top of a hill, Pérouges seems to have frozen in the 15th century.
Located about thirty kilometers north-east of Lyon, this ancient city of weavers almost fell into ruins during the industrialization of the looms.
To discover the history of the village, attached alternately to Dauphiné and Savoy, head to the Musée du Vieux-Pérouges, housed in a former residence of the Counts of Savoy.
Specialty to taste on the spot: the Perouges galette, a lemon-flavored sugar tart.
Access: Meximieux-Pérouges station, 30 minutes by TER from Lyon.
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is an essential stopover for pilgrims walking on the Santiago de Compostela routes.
RODOLPHE ESCHER / Le Figaro Magazine
Connected to the Atlantic coast by the TER, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a must-see on the roads to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle.
The Basque village received the “most beautiful village in France” label recently, in 2016. It owes its name to its location at the foot of the Col de Roncesvalles, the pass being nicknamed “port” in the Pyrenees.
Founded in the 12th century, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, also called “Donibane Garazi” in Basque, 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.
Access: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port station, 1 hour by TER from Bayonne.
Read also Five typical villages of the Basque hinterland to rest
Saint-Suliac (Ille-et-Vilaine)
Saint-Suliac is 20 minutes by bus from Saint-Malo.
LAMBART Norbert - Brittany Region
About ten kilometers south of Saint-Malo, Saint-Suliac occupies the banks of the Rance estuary.
The fishing nets deployed on the facades of the houses recall the past of this former fishing village, founded in the 6th century, today inhabited by 900 souls.
After a walk in the “ruettes”, head to the top of Mont Gareau to enjoy a panoramic view of the Rance.
While moving away from the center of the village, the visitors will be able to come across the “Dent de Gargantua”, a white quartz menhir dating from the Neolithic era.
Access: Saint-Malo station, then bus 12 of the MAT network (20 minutes).
Read also48 hours in Saint-Malo, for the charm and the sweetness of the sea air out of season
Turenne (Corrèze)
Not far from the Dordogne valley, which alone has five municipalities labeled "most beautiful villages in France", Turenne has the advantage of having its own station served by the TER of the Brive-la-Gaillarde - Rodez line.
Recognizable by its limestone keep and slate roofs, the village was a powerful viscount until the 18th century, a sort of state within a state.
Turenne is the starting point of the GR480, a hiking trail that crosses several exceptional villages in Corrèze.
Access: Turenne station, 30 minutes by TER from Brive-la-Gaillarde.
Read alsoHiking under the sun in the Limousin Riviera
Villefranche-de-Conflent (Pyrénées-Orientales)
Villefranche-de-Conflent is the starting point of the “Yellow Train” which crosses the Catalan Pyrenees at 30 km / h.
JCMILHET-OTCC
Located in the Pyrenees chain, Villefranche-de-Conflent, in addition to being “the most beautiful village in France”, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the Vauban fortifications.
In addition to its ramparts, we will not forget to visit Fort Liberia and the caves of the Grandes Canalettes, nicknamed the “underground Versailles”.
The village is the starting point of the “Yellow Train”, a tourist line that runs through the Catalan Pyrenees for 63 km to Latour-de-Carol, on the Spanish border.
Access: Villefranche - Vernet-les-Bains station, 1 hour by TER from Perpignan.
Read alsoCanfranc, the rebirth of a ghost station in the heart of the Pyrenees
Yvoire (Haute-Savoie)
The medieval village of Yvoire is located between Geneva and Évian-les-Bains.
JEAN-PIERRE CLATOT / AFP
Its stone houses are reflected in the clear waters of Lake Geneva.
Founded in 1306, Yvoire retains traces of an important military past, as evidenced by its ramparts and fortified gates.
Main place of visit: the Garden of the five senses.
Its labyrinth is divided into four parts evoking sight, touch, taste and smell, hearing being represented by the sound of water and the song of birds.
Access: Thonon-les-Bains station, then bus 152 (20 minutes).
Yvoire is also served by the river company CGN all year round from Nyon (20 minutes) and in season from Geneva (1h20) and Lausanne (1h50).
Read also From Evian-les-Bains to Annecy: ten original ideas for (re) discovering Haute-Savoie
Originally published on June 20, 2020, this article has been updated
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